Garlic Hummus

I’ve been making my own hummus for years, and have always regarded it as a very tasty, nutritious, and cheap snack or side dish. But many people don’t realize how economical it is because they buy it ready-made in the grocery store.

Whereas you can whip up close to a 2-pound batch for under $2.50 (and less, if you catch a good sale, or happen to have an Aldi's in your neighborhood), the packaged variety will typically cost $5 or more per pound. Making it yourself represents big savings. Big flavor, too. 
 
Those prices are absurdly expensive. I can still remember the first time I checked it out in the deli department. I think I dropped the package I was holding, I was so shocked by how much they were charging.

And it really only takes minutes to put it together in a food processor or blender. 

​The hardest thing to do is chop the garlic, and even that doesn’t take long at all. And you can save yourself that little effort by using powdered garlic instead, if you're running very short on time.
 
You can also add your own flavorings to this or any hummus recipe, such as hot or sweet pepper, paprika, onion, curry, etc.

Here’s a conservative breakdown on the costs: 75¢ per can of chickpeas (Approx. $1.50 total), 50¢ for the lemon, 25¢ for the garlic, and 25¢ for the oil. That’s a total cost of approximately $2.50, or $1.25 per pound. That's about a quarter of what the commercial brands costs. 

If you add tahini, which most of the commercial brands actually do not, it will raise your costs by about 50¢ per pound, but that's still only about a third of what you'll pay in the grocery store for the pre-made. . 

And the results are really delicious.

Here's the recipe:

Garlic Hummus
Makes about 3½ cups or a little less than 2 pounds
Total Prep and Cook Time -Approx. 10 minutes
Total Recipe Cost - Approx. $2.00 or $1.50 per pound
(compared to $5.00 or more per pound for store-bought)

Ingredients:
2 15-16 ounce cans chick peas (or 3½ cups of cooked chickpeas)
1-2 lemons to make ¼ cup lemon juice (to taste)
OR
¼ cup reconstituted lemon juice
4-6 cloves garlic OR ½ - ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ cup canola or olive oil
½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
½ teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
5-8 tablespoons reserved liquid from chick peas, or water (according to desired  consistency)
3-4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) (optional)

Recipe continues after photos.

Procedure:

1. If you are using fresh lemons, roll the lemon firmly back and forth on the counter several times under the heel of your hand. Cut it in half crosswise between the stems and use a small juicer to squeeze the juice to make approximately ¼  cup. 
2. Peel and chop or mince the 4-6 cloves of garlic.
3. Open and drain the 2 cans of chick peas, reserving the liquid. Rinse the chickpeas in a colander under running water.
4. Put all the ingredients in the blender - chickpeas, chopped garlic (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder), ¼ cup lemon juice, ⅛ cup canola or olive oil, ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper, 3-4 tablespoons of the optional tahini, and some of the reserved liquid,  and blend until smooth.
5. Add more reserved liquid as necessary to achieve the desired consistency. 
6. Adjust the seasonings to taste.​

You can eat the hummus right away, but it also benefits from an hour or more of refrigeration before serving.

​To eat the hummus, scoop it up with crackers, regular bread, or pita bread. Or spread some on a sandwich for a delicious treat. 
​
Store the hummus in a covered container in the refrigerator.  It keeps for several weeks if refrigerated.