Kalamata Olive Hummus
I have a confession: I do not like store-bought hummus. It all started with my obsession with Molly Yeh - internet sensation and creator of My Name is Yeh. Her cookbook that came out last year, Molly on the Range, CHANGED MY LIFE. Ok, maybe that is a little dramatic, but I learned a lot from that cookbook. Her recipes for hummus, fresh seasonal breakfasts, and challah have been constant favorites of mine. Tahini is used quite a bit in her recipes as well, and I found myself buying vats of the stuff to test out recipes. Long story short, if you don't know who she is or have not made any of her stuff, check out her website. You will not be disappointed.
Homemade hummus is a godsend. You can customize it (don't have chickpeas? how about white beans? black beans?) and add spices, other veggies, and liquids to get it to the consistency you like. Once you make hummus, you will not go back to the store-bought kind!!
Anyway, beyond the traditional hummus, this is my favorite hummus recipe. It was really a lot of trial and error, but the end result is this insane combination of salty and creamy. If you don't like kalamata olives, feel free to sub for another olive or just use artichokes (another favorite of mine!)
Here's what you'll need:
Large handful of pitted kalamata olives (realistically like 1/4 cup, but I eye-balled it)
1 container chickpeas, 14 ounces or so, drained (save a few Tbsp of liquid for the !)
1 container artichoke hearts, drained (usually yields like 4-5)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon tahini paste
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Here’s how to make it:
Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor with about 1 Tbsp of aquafaba (chickpea water) or using a hand immersion blender until smooth. Add more liquid if needed until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to serving bowl. I topped mine with more olive oil for bread dipping and served with a salad of tomatoes, mini cucumbers, feta, hard boiled egg, more olives, and arugula.