hummus

recipe

This creamy spread made from canned chickpeas is easy to make and perfect for scooping up with tortilla chips or baby carrots. Welcome to the dipping life!

Print Recipe

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Prepare Ingredients

¼ cup

water

2 tablespoons

lemon juice, squeezed from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons

tahini (stirred well before measuring)

2 tablespoons

extra-virgin olive oil

(15-ounce) can chickpeas

garlic clove, peeled

½ teaspoon

salt

¼ teaspoon

ground cumin

Gather Cooking Equipment

Liquid measuring cup

Spoon

Colander

Can opener

Food processor

Rubber spatula

Small bowl

Get Started!

¼ cup

water

2 tablespoons

lemon juice, squeezed from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons

tahini (stirred well before measuring)

2 tablespoons

extra-virgin olive oil

In liquid measuring cup, stir together water, lemon juice, tahini, and oil.

1 (15-ounce) can

chickpeas

Set colander in sink. Open can of chickpeas and pour into colander. Rinse chickpeas with cold water and shake colander to drain well.

garlic clove, peeled

½ teaspoon

salt

¼ teaspoon

ground cumin

Transfer chickpeas to food processor. Add garlic, salt, and cumin to food processor and lock lid into place. Process mixture for 10 seconds.

Transfer the drained chickpeas to the food processor.

Stop food processor, remove lid, and scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Lock lid back into place and process until mixture is coarsely ground, about 5 seconds.

With processor running, slowly pour water mixture through feed tube until mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.

Stop food processor. Carefully remove food processor blade (ask an adult for help). Transfer hummus to small bowl. Serve. (Leftover hummus can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Before serving, stir in 1 tablespoon warm water to loosen hummus.)

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Food for Thought

The Food Processor Is Your Friend

When the food processor was introduced in the 1970s, it suddenly made difficult or time-consuming recipes so much easier. The fast blades combine ingredients in just seconds. Hummus is a perfect example—this creamy spread is made with pureed chickpeas, tahini (which is like peanut butter but is made from sesame seeds), lemon juice, and spices. Before the food processor, you had to beat these ingredients by hand. It was tough work turning chickpeas (a member of the bean family) into a smooth puree. The food processor makes hummus, and many other recipes, much easier and faster to prepare. Talk about a tasty invention.