Hummus Archives

Because of the Covid-19 lockdown, I’ve all been spending a considerable amount of time in my kitchen. I took advantage of this opportunity and trained my humus bowl to spin. She mastered clockwise fairly quickly. Counter clockwise did not come as easily to her.

For the first few weeks of self-isolation I was embracing the experience, trying new recipes and being as imaginative and innovative as I possibly could be, given the unavailability of so many ingredients and infrequent grocery store trips. My husband and I sat down together for lunch and dinner. We used placemats and cloth napkins. It was nice.

As we enter week 7 of social distancing, I will admit that some of these niceties have slipped by the wayside. We had to have a chat about speaking more civilly to one another. Well, to be more accurate, the chat was about me being more civil. I think I snapped at him when he asked what was on the menu for lunch, and what time would it be ready at. It’s a new normal and we both have to learn the new dance steps.

Dinner is now eaten on our laps in front of the TV, watching Ozark. But we’re still using cloth napkins, we’re not animals. Saturday’s dinner was a sheet pan full of nachos for each of us. I topped them with diced tomatoes, kalamata olives, pickled jalapeños and cheddar cheese before popping them in the oven. I served them with sour cream and guacamole on the side.

Along the same vein as nachos, but infinately healthier is this hummus and Israeli salad platter, served with pita chips for scooping up all the goodness. I was inspired by a similar dish Ina made on Back to Basics. She made her own humus, but, “store-bought is fine.” I roasted up a can of chickpeas with olive oil, cumin and smoked paprika for some extra protein and crunch.

Spread the hummus on a large plate, top with the Israeli salad and call it dinner. Cloth napkins not optional!

Click here to print recipe for Israeli-Salad-on-a-Bed-of-Hummus Download

The curious folks over at America’s Test Kitchen have launched a new digital brand, Cook’s Science. I have a great fondness for understanding why things work in the kitchen. If you’re a food science geek like me, you’ll love it. I subscribed to their newsletter right away, and one of the first recipes to pop up in my inbox was this one for a white bean hummus.

The recipe was actually created to highlight the tepary bean. The tepary bean is higher in protein and fiber than other beans and is one of the most heat and drought tolerant crops in the world. At this time they are only available by mail order. Since I was in a hurry to make this, I just substituted dried white kidney beans (also called cannellini beans).

Of course you can buy ready made hummus at the supermarket. And, in a pinch, most of them are ok. Moving up a level from store bought is hummus made with canned beans. Ultimate hummus can really only be made with dried beans. Yes, it takes a bit of planning ahead, but the ultra smooth silky texture you get is worth it. Baking soda and salt are added to the soaking water. Both of these contribute to breaking down the tough cell walls of beans and contribute to the creamy consistency of the finished hummus. The usual suspects of lemon juice, garlic, tahini and cumin are added to this version. Where the similarity ends however, is how the garlic is added. The garlic is first pureed with the lemon juice and allowed to steep for 10 minutes. The infused lemon juice is strained out and the garlic is discarded. Turns out that the acidity in lemon juice, tames raw garlic’s harsh pungent bite. I love this kitchen hack. I’m excited to try it with vinegar and garlic in my next batch of vinaigrette. Be patient when pureeing the beans. It will take a good four minutes to get a silky smooth hummus. The hummus is finished an herb and olive salad. Parsley and dill add a bright verdant freshness and olives pack a briny salty punch. A topping of toasted pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds add a delicate crunch.