Did you know that May 13 was National Hummus Day? I for one did not. But why not celebrate this made-up holiday with everyone’s favorite chick pea spread? After all, hummus is delicious, healthy, and a great source of vegetable-based protein. It works well as a dip with veggies or as a sandwich spread. Yes, hummus is a kitchen workhorse.
Interestingly, many kids enjoy hummus, even those who would never dream of eating chick peas in any other form. I used to not make it for my family because hummus typically contains tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds. Zuzu is allergic to sesame seeds, as are many people who are allergic to tree nuts. Then, about a year ago, I created a version of hummus that is delicious and smooth but does not contain any tahini. Since that time, my tahini-free hummus has become a family favorite.
Without tahini, hummus runs the risk of being bland and not creamy. To combat that, I add lots of roasted garlic, which also has a paste-like texture. Roasting garlic takes some time — about an hour — but requires very little preparation. The process of roasting makes the garlic sweet and less pungent. That can be a good thing: hummus with raw garlic can leave you feeling like you have garlic oozing out of your pores for the rest of the day, much to your office mates’ and spouses’ dismay. This roasted garlic version is much milder.
With lemon juice for brightness and a hint of cumin, this roasted garlic hummus is so good, you will never miss the tahini! The chick peas provide protein and dietary fiber, both of which are crucial for keeping kids feeling full and energized.
- 3 cups canned chick peas, rinsed and drained
- 4 heads garlic, unpeeled
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 5 TB extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- To roast garlic, preheat oven to 375.
- Cut off tops of the heads of garlic, exposing the cloves. Do not peel.
- Place garlic in a small roasting pan, drizzle tops with 1 TB of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover dish with foil and roast in oven for 1 hour.
- When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves out of the paper husks into a small bowl and set aside.
- In a food processor, combine chick peas, roasted garlic, cumin and lemon juice and process into a paste.
- With food processor running, pour olive oil into the chick pea mixture and blend well.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with paprika for color and drizzle with additional olive oil.
What is your favorite variety of hummus?
