Make Your Own Super Healthy Hummus

By Orla, June 12, 2015

We are obsessed with hummus. It’s so tasty and really healthy too which is always a bonus. Dip a cracker into, spread it on a sandwich or pair with some succulent lamb; it pretty much goes with anything.

Hummus is made primarily with chickpeas which are great for you for a lot of reasons.

Health Benefits of Chickpeas

Great source of fibre, so they’re really beneficial for digestive system
Helps aid weight loss – the soluble fibre in chickpeas help to get rid of the cholesterol found in bile
Great source of protein, that’s why they’re so popular among vegetarians
High in iron and aids metabolism
Provides energy due to the high quantities of the mineral manganese
Helpful for diabetics as they have a low GI which breaks sugars down slowly and steadily
Contains saponins which can lower the risk of breast cancer, prevent osteoporisis and help tone down menopausal hot flushes

This recipe is a basic, plain hummus recipe but feel free to experiment and add other ingredients in to shake it up a bit.

What You’ll Need

400g of canned chickpeas
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small teaspoon of crushed sea salt
2 teaspoons of sunflower seed paste(tahini)
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of water
2 and a half tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon of paprika

How It’s Done

It’s worth noting that these measurements aren’t set it stone, you might like your hummus to be runnier or thicker or more bitter or spicier. Play around with the ingredients as much as you like, you can up the chickpea intake or downsize the amount of olive oil – whatever works for you.

Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas, saving a few for decoration at the end. You can save some of the canned liquid to add into the hummus instead of or as well as water if you like.
Pop the chickpeas in the food processor along with the lemon juice, salt, tahini, paprika and water. Blend until you have a lovely creamy and smooth consistency.
Slowly pour the oil into the food processor, on a slow speed.
Have a taste and add more paprika, lemon juice or salt to taste. A pinch of cumin can be very nice as well.
Serve in a rustic bowl and drizzle some more olive oil over it. Add a sprinkle of paprika and a smattering of your whole chickpeas that you saved earlier and you will have yourself a lovely bowl of hummus.