Hummus!

[SamiHami]

Several people posted on the "Food Processor" thread that they make their own homemade hummus. I want to start doing this as well. I've looked online for recipes and it seems to be fairly simple, but I'd like to know how you guys make yours. Any special tips or tricks to make it extra yummy? I want to start making my own in a few days when I finish what I have in the house already.

[Venus193]

There are a gazillion flavors of this stuff on the market now.  My personal favorites have garlic, artichoke, spinach, jalapeno, or caramelized onion.

Scallions might also be good....

[Nikko-chan]

SamiHami, a trick my uncle uses (and that he gave to me) when he makes is hummus, is to use peanut butter instead of Tahini (barring peanut allergies of course) He says it's because he doesn't use Tahini that often and it ends up going rancid in the fridge. Me personally, I like it better with peanut butter, hence why I use it.

[Outdoor Girl]

Mine is a can of chickpeas, the juice of half a lemon, 2 cloves of garlic, about a tablespoon of olive oil and about 2 tablespoons of tahini (or natural peanut butter) and enough water to make it a good consistency.

Now that I grow a lot of my own herbs, I may try adding various ones and seeing how it turns out.

ETA:  I forgot the salt!  About 1/2 tsp per can of chick peas.  I also toss in some freshly ground black pepper.

[MOM21SON]

I really think that you should look into a very small, like 2-3 processor for hummus.  small batches.  Then when you find what you like expand to a larger serving.

[Nikko-chan]

Also: This is good!

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/01/ethereally-smooth-hummus/

of course i used a bit of peanut butter instead of a bunch of tahini... but still.

[SamiHami]

I really think that you should look into a very small, like 2-3 processor for hummus.  small batches.  Then when you find what you like expand to a larger serving.

Yeah, I'm really the only one who'll eat it so it'll always be small batches. I like to take it to work along with some dried veggies for lunch.

[Betelnut]

I don't have a food processor.  Can I just use a hand-held mixer?  I LOVE hummus but have never done homemade.

[Outdoor Girl]

I don't have a food processor.  Can I just use a hand-held mixer?  I LOVE hummus but have never done homemade.

Mixer or blender?  A hand-held blender would work.  It might come out a little chunky but it would work.  A mixer wouldn't, really, since the chick peas wouldn't get mashed.  A potato ricer might work.

[WillyNilly]

I do, in the food processor:

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1-2 tbsp tahini*
1-2 tbsp olive oil*
1-2 tbsp lemon juice*
1-2 tbsp water
1 tsp garlic powder*
1/2 tsp cumin*
1/4 fresh onion
pinch salt

That's the basic. To that I add any of the following (not all at once though!):
chipotles in adobo, fresh jalepeno, fresh bell pepper, 1 bulb roasted garlic (omit the garlic powder if using this), roasted red pepper, herbs, etc

Or for a fancy looking hummus, say for a party, I make the basic, then top with a dollop of one of the following made separately in the mini chop:
roasted red peppers, fresh basil, fresh lemony (an herb), sea salt and some olive oil
or
sundried tomato, fresh basil, fresh chives, sea salt and olive oil
or
(all fresh) rosemary, thyme, parsley and olive oil then in the mini chop then stir in some pine nuts


*I don't actually measure, I just eyeball the amounts.

[Kaypeep]

I usually do canned chick peas, liquid from can, some olive oil, tahini, garlic, fresh parsley, S&P, little bit of lemon juice and zest.  I use the liquid from the canned peas to smooth it out. 
I also make a version where I omit the lemon and parsley and add in a few jarred roasted peppers for roasted pepper hummus.  That stuff is awesome!

I don't make it too often so I end up throwing away tahini.  I'll have to try the natural peanut butter method since I can buy that in small amounts made on the spot at the market, this way I only buy what I need.  I love peanut butter but I'm very skeptical about how it may alter the taste of the hummus.  I can't imagine adding it with roasted peppers or garlic, but I'm willing to give it a try.

[Hmmmmm]

SamiHami, a trick my uncle uses (and that he gave to me) when he makes is hummus, is to use peanut butter instead of Tahini (barring peanut allergies of course) He says it's because he doesn't use Tahini that often and it ends up going rancid in the fridge. Me personally, I like it better with peanut butter, hence why I use it.

POD to this. I only make hummus a few times a year and I don't like the flavor of tahinni enough to use it in other ways.  I found this recipe on Nigella Lawson sight and love it.
http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/peanut-butter-hummus

(Of course, I think I like most of her recipes because I can hear her beautiful voice reading them to me as I cook.)

[Cat-Fu]

FYI, tahini actually freezes quite well if you don't want to waste it—I've got a bunch of it in my freezer right now in my (as I like to call them) teeny tahini tupperware.

[buvezdevin]

Agreeing with others that peanut butter works well, if you don't have or want to keep tahini.

Also agreeing that to the basic chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, thanini, salt you can expand into a lot of options, herbs, chiles, citrus zest, olives, etc.

Boyfriend and I both love hummus, but have differing preferences on the amount of salt, garlic and - importantly, consistency.  I like hummus thick, thinned with olive oil, boyfriend likes it thinned with the juice from the canned chickpeas.  The plus of making it yourself, aside from cost savings, is figuring out what texture and taste *you* most enjoy, and a big upside is that it is hard to ruin a batch - you can revise it if you wish.

We have made hummus in the full size food processor (which I like best for smooth, fluffier consistency) and the mini food processor attachment to our blender, which is easier and faster for clean up, but just a little less good for texture - at least with the one we have. 

[jedikaiti]

Mine:

1 can chickpeas (drained)
1 or 2 cloves of garlic (I'd go higher, but I start to smell funny afterwards, according to DF)
a pinch of salt
a bunch of cayenne pepper (to taste... I like a lot)
juice from 1/2 - 1 lemon
olive oil (or a mediterranean blend) until you get the right consistency. I dip whole wheat pita bread in mine. Yum! Dinner!

I may need to run to the store now...