Chickpea hummus is easy and quick to prepare and very versatile. It’s ideal when you feel like eating something fresh, healthy and light, maybe outdoors without the need of cutlery, with some bread, focaccia or raw vegetables.
How to make a great hummus
To make chickpeas hummus first of all choose good quality chickpeas in jar, as even those precooked are great, particularly those preserved in glass which are the best! To get two good sized portions you only need 300 g. Rinse them very carefully until you see only clear, clean water. Then pour them in a blender together with a clove of garlic, if you like, a spoonful of tahina, the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt and start blending slowly adding the extra virgin olive oil. To avoid using too much oil, alternate it with water at room temperature. Once you have obtained a cream, add salt if necessary and serve everything in a bowl with a sprinkle of sweet paprika on top.
Tahina and lemon
These two ingredients can’t be lacking in hummus, but they should be dosed according to your personal tastes, especially the lemon juice. Tahina is nothing more than a sesame seed cream and gives a slightly toasted hummus taste. Just a spoonful is enough. You can find it in ethnic departments of most supermarkets, and you can even make tahina at home. As for the lemon, add it a little at a time and taste it to see if the taste is right for you.
Crunchy raw vegetables
The most fun way to serve hummus at this time of year is in an airtight glass jar. This way it’s super convenient to eat when you’re out and about, practical to carry around, and an easy solution to enjoying lunch in the office or the park. You can even use the glass jar from the chickpeas, after sterilizing it. Create a nice base of abundant hummus and add some nice crunchy raw vegetable sticks such as cherry tomatoes, carrots, peppers, radishes, cucumbers, celery, zucchini and even leaves such as radicchio or endive. Enjoy your tasty hummus with crunchy vegetables as if it were a pinzimonio and to perhaps complete and balance the dish out add pieces of schiacciata, homemade crackers or crispy focaccia.