High in protein and rich in fibre, hummus is a very popular and healthy veggie dipthat many of us like to tuck into. While it's well known for enjoying with warm pitta or flatbreads and alongside sliced crunchy veg such as carrots, cucumbers and peppers, there are plenty of other ways to eat hummus.
What is hummus?
This Middle Eastern dip is made from cooked, mashed chickpeas which is blended with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic.
Hummus recipe
While you can of course pick up a pot of hummus from your local shop, making your own hummus is easier than you might think. Why not give this recipe from Jamie Oliver a try?
Ingredients
1 x 400 g tin of chickpeas
1 small clove of garlic
1 tablespoon tahini
1 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Method
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Drain and tip the chickpeas into a food processor.
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Peel and add the garlic, then add the tahini, a good squeeze of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of oil.
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Season with a pinch of sea salt, then pop the lid on and blitz.
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Use a spatula to scrape the houmous down the sides of the bowl, then blitz again until smooth.
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Have a taste and add more lemon juice or a splash of water to loosen, if needed, then transfer to a serving bowl.
What to eat with hummus
Pitta bread
As mentioned, pitta bread is one of the most popular choices to have with hummus. Many people like to toast it and cut it into triangles for dipping.
Vegetables
Another classic option is to simply slice veggies up for a healthy snack. We recommend carrots, cucumber and peppers although you could also try sweet potato, asparagus and sugar snap peas.
Salad
Liven up a boring salad by drizzling hummus over your mixed greens salad as an alternative dressing.
Pasta
Believe it or not, you can combine hummus with a little oil to create a creamy pasta sauce.
Tofu scramble
Adding a few spoonfuls of hummus to vegan tofu 'eggs' helps make them nice and creamy, just like the traditional version.
Apple
Believe it or not, dipping apple slices into hummus makes for a tasty sweet and savoury snack.
Wrap or sandwich
For a delicious lunch, spread hummus on bread or a wrap before loading it up with chicken, beef or veggies. Alternatively, swap the wrap for tacos.
Soup
The addition of hummus in this silky soup means it's not watery like other vegan options can be. A delicious, warming choice for lunch or dinner.
Brownies
Yep, that's right, you can add hummus to brownies! You won't even be able to taste the hummus and it actually adds a lovely texture and will boost your protein and healthy fats.