Easy Homemade Hummus

Recipe notes: tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds, and is now widely available at health food stores and most supermarkets. Much like natural peanut butter, the oil may separate, necessitating a bit of stirring before you use it. However, unlike peanut butter, the stirring is accomplished fairly quickly. I prefer the mellow taste of cooked garlic in this recipe, but feel free to substitute the more traditional raw garlic if you like (for raw garlic, I would suggest using only 1-2 cloves, since the flavor is much stronger). There are also myriad ways to vary this recipe by adding sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, chopped olives … use your imagination!

Pour the olive oil into a small pan; heat over low to medium-low heat. Peel garlic cloves and cut in half. Add garlic to the pan and cook until the garlic softens and is just colored on the edges, about 5-6 minutes. You want to poach the garlic gently in the oil; if it browns too quickly, it will taste bitter. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.

Drain garbanzo beans, reserving the liquid. Place the garbanzo beans in the bowl of a food processor. Add the olive oil with garlic, lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper. (If you are using any additional flavorings such as sun-dried tomatoes, add those now, too.) Puree the mixture for several minutes until smooth, stopping as needed to add the reserved liquid from the garbanzo beans a spoonful at a time to achieve desired texture (I added 10 tablespoons this time). Taste, and add more salt, pepper, tahini or lemon juice if desired, and whir once more to blend. Remove to a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with lemon zest or sesame seeds. Serve with fresh or steamed vegetables, pita chips, or fresh pita bread.

Makes about 2 cups. Keeps up to one week, refrigerated in a covered container.