OIL-FREE HUMMUS (contains tahini)
My family and I love hummus. It’s so delicious and versatile. It can be used as a dip, a salad dressing, or in a sandwich/wrap. Serve it with some vegetables and homemade tortillas/pitas and it is great “game day” food.
The original recipe can be found at “Cooking Light”: Traditional Hummus. They recommend preparing it a day in advance, refrigerate, then let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving but I rarely do this. I modified the recipe by removing the olive oil, reducing the salt, and adding more garlic. This recipe still contains tahini which is made from ground sesame seeds. If you have medical issues such as obesity or coronary artery disease it is recommended that you avoid tahini since it is still mostly fat calories and the body responds differently when eating whole seeds compared to finely ground seeds. For an oil-free and tahini-free option I use the “Engine-2” recipe.
Oil-Free Hummus
Ingredients
2 (15.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained (keep some of the liquid in case needed to thin the hummus)
2 garlic cloves, crushed (I use either 3 raw or 6-8 roasted cloves)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup tahini
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt (I use only 1/2 tsp since my canned beans are not salt-free)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of ground paprika for serving
Instructions
Place beans and garlic in a food processor or high speed blender; pulse 5 times or until chopped.
Add the remaining ingredients except paprika. Process until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. (I use a high speed blender and find that I have to add some aquafaba (liquid from the can of chickpeas) to keep things moving since I omit the olive oil.)
Sprinkle with a dash of ground paprika when serving.