Chickpea and Tahini Classic Hummus

This is a regular feature in our house - its easy to whip up and slots into a range of meals. Warm it up and spread it on toast for an easy breakfast. Pile it onto your grains and greens at lunch to boost the protein levels. Put it on burgers. Pair it with falafel for dinner. Cut up some carrots and serve it as a snack.

If I'm making it for weekend entertaining I'll mix through a clove of microplaned garlic and drizzle olive oil on top, but for midweek eating I leave these out to avoid garlic breath and the extra calories. You'll get a smoother hummus if you make this with freshly cooked chickpeas but you'll still get a decent result with canned ones or the (thawed) chickpeas you've cooked and stored ahead of time.

The balance of flavours in hummus bi tahini is a matter of personal preference. This recipe will give you a good starting point but you'll need to taste and adjust, so leave some of the lemon juice and salt in reserve the first time you make this.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Mix the ingredients using a foood processor or blender (reserving some of the lemon and salt if you haven't made this before). You'll need to blend it for about four minutes to get it nice and creamy.
  2. Add more water if you prefer a runnier hummus. Taste and adjust the seasoning with the reserved (or additional) lemon and salt.
  3. Refrigerate in an air-tight container. Will keep for about five days.

Nutrition

Makes 6 serves of approximately 90g (90g = two big spoonfuls), 150 kcal per serve

Macros Per Serve - 7g protein, 7g fat, 18g carbohydates

Key Nutrition Per Serve - 70mg Calcium, 2.5mg Iron, 1.3mg Zinc