Meatless Friday: Quick and Easy Nut-Free Hummus

Rhonda Ortiz shares her recipe for a classic hummus perfect for people with nut allergies.

Food companies eager to capitalize on the popularity of hummus (or hommus) have created a variety of hummus flavors in order to please the consumer’s palate. But not only is classic hummus more authentic, it’s also delicious.

Plus, classic hummus does not require pine nuts, contrary to popular belief. Being allergic to nuts myself, this is great news.

I make hummus for lunch and eat it with baby carrots, sliced apples, sliced peppers, crackers, or even corn chips. We rarely have pita in the house, but pita, of course, makes a good pairing.

Quick and Easy Nut-Free Classic Hummus

Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2-3 servings

1 ½ cups cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas). A can of garbanzos is fine.
¼ cup tahini paste (ground sesame seed paste). I get this by the jar in the Mediterranean section of the supermarket.
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon minced garlic, or to taste. Roasted garlic is better, if you happen to already have that on hand.
1 teaspoon cumin, or to taste
Optional: ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or ½ teaspoon paprika, or to taste. We’re fond of smoked paprika---yum!
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Combine ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend. If the hummus is too thick, add water or more lemon juice (I prefer lemon juice, but not everybody does) until the hummus purees to a medium-thick, somewhat smooth consistency.

Garnish with a splash of olive oil and a sprinkling of paprika. Serve with pita, crackers, or sliced vegetables.

Copyright 2014 Rhonda Ortiz
Image: Canva Pro