Hummus – our favourite chickpeas dish

Hummus is traditionally prepared in the Middle East and it’s very popular in the Mediterranean countries. It is usually served as an appetizer and part of the multi-course meals (called meze). The word hummus comes from the Arabic word meaning chickpeas (hummus). Knowing that it is obvious that for preparing this dish you’ll need chickpeas!

Chickpeas have been one of the earliest cultivated vegetables. Apparently, the remains of chickpeas dating back to 7,500 years ago have been found in the Middle East. It is a member of a legume family (the same as bean, peas, peanuts…). This yummy and nutty bean comes filled with nutrients such as iron, magnesium, manganese, calcium, phosphorus, copper…  100 g of cooked chickpeas contains 164 calories, 3 grams of fat, 8 grams of dietary fibers, and 9 grams of protein making it a good source of plant-based protein.

Chickpeas can be used for preparing a variety of dishes. It can be eaten cooked – warm or cold, in salads, stews, soups, shaped in balls and fried as falafel. It can be ground into flour or even fermented to make an alcoholic drink. And of course, you can make hummus from it! And this can be the beginning of your new adventure with chickpeas.

Although you can buy hummus, the best is to prepare it yourself so that way you know what ingredients you’ve added. This recipe is very easy and we know once you try it, you’ll want to do it more often. So, get the ingredients and make yourself a feast!

Ingredients for preparing hummus

• 225 g of dry chickpeas soaked in water overnight
• juice of 2 large lemons
• 150 ml ready tahini paste (sesame sauce)
• 2 pressed garlic cloves
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• a pinch of ground caraway
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground sweet red pepper
• chopped parsley to decorate
• flatbread, for serving

How to prepare it?

Drain the chickpeas and place them in a deep bowl. Pour it over with cold water. Let it boil then cook for 2 hours until the chickpeas get tender.

Drain the cooked chickpeas and store some of the liquid in which they were cooked. Save a few grains for decoration and put the rest in a multipractic. Stir until you have a smooth mixture, gradually adding the lemon juice and the remaining cooking liquid. The mixture should be like a smooth and thick puree.

Finally add the tahini sauce, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cumin and mix until it gets smooth again. Add salt and pepper as desired.
Throw the mixture on a shallow serving tray and put it in a refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Before serving, mix the rest of the olive oil with ground red pepper and sprinkle over the meal. At the end sprinkle with parsley and chickpeas (those few grains you’ve put aside). Serve with flatbread.