Chickpeas, Garbanzo beans.....same thing.
Save the chickpea water and freeze for a soup stock at a later date. Makes great soup!
If you have left over chickpeas, marinate them in a vinegar salad dressing and use on salads.
Save the garbanzo bean liquid.
Replace ½ of the olive oil in the recipe with garbanzo bean liquid from the cans. The hummus is even a bit creamier with less olive oil! Plus, it’s less expensive.
If you’re cooking your own garbanzo beans, even better! Always save the liquid after you’ve cooked your garbanzo beans for future soups and freeze in qt. containers. This can act as a stand-in for a qt. of “Stock” when you’re building a soup.
Hummus Dip
Makes about 4 cups of hummus
In a blender add ingredients in order listed:
- 1 cup olive oil (When using a blender it’s important to add the olive oil first or it will get thick too quickly.)
- 1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste - found in the Asian food section of the grocery store. It has the consistency of very thick peanut butter, because it’s really sesame seed butter.)
- 4 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) OR 2-15 oz cans of garbanzo beans-drained
- 4 cloves garlic-peeled
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp. salt
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Make sure you unplug the blender before scooping out the hummus.
Put in a covered container. This keeps for a week in the refrigerator.
If you are using a food processor instead of a blender, add the oil last.
Put all of the ingredients in the food processor except the oil. Turn on food processor and slowly add oil while food processor is running.
Again, make sure you unplug the food processor before scooping out the hummus
Hummus is delicious with homemade corn tortilla chips, or pita chips or even better…
Veggies! We love to dip raw cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and peppers.
Hummus is really nutritious and, along with a piece of fruit, can serve as a quick lunch.
A great way to save money and eliminate unnecessary salt in your family diet is to cook your own beans from scratch, rather than buying them in cans.
Directions for cooking chickpeas.
Before you go to bed…on a Friday night:
- In a large soup pot add 3 cups of dry chickpeas.
- Fill the pot with water so the chickpeas have at least 5-6 inches of water over them.
- Bring them to a boil for 5 minutes.
- Turn them off, cover with a lid and go to bed.
In the morning…
- Drain the soaking water from the chickpeas by pouring them into a colander.
- Put them back in the pot with fresh water, bring to a boil then lower temperature to low and simmer for at least 2 hours.
- Once they are soft you can add some salt and finish cooking.
- Never add salt to dry beans until they have softened.
- Drain and cool the chickpeas before making the hummus.