Authentic Lebanese Hummus

Prep Time 10 minutes | Total Time 15 minutes

This recipe traveled all the way from Lebanon with my grandma! This easy, quick, vegan recipe is packed with plant-based protein, iron, and fiber. Authentic Lebanese hummus is a beloved staple that holds a special place in many homes. This is a wonderful starter recipe if you looking for simple vegan recipes to add to your diet.

To serve, smooth the hummus in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with fresh parsley, This dish pairs beautifully with warm pita bread and is a wonderful appetizer for parties.

Ingredients

• 1 can garbanzo beans with about 1/4 cup of the garbanzo bean liquid

• 1 clove of garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• 2 tablespoons of Arabic tahini

• The juice of 1 lemon (or about 1/4 cup lemon juice)

• Olive oil for garnish

• Fresh or dried parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Chop the garlic clove into small pieces

2. Put the chopped garlic in a small bowl with the salt and MASH the garlic and salt together with a pestle- if you don’t have a pestle use the back of a spoon

3. Add in the tahini and lemon juice and mix well- you can also add this mixture to your food processor and blend it for a minute or two to blend well

4. Add the tahini, salt, and lemon mixture to your food processor, also add the garbanzo beans and about 1/4 cup of liquid or cooking water.

5. Pulse your food processor for about a minute then process for about a minute or two- until really smooth

6. ** You can also use a blender for step 5 above - I did for years- but I like a food processor better if you have one.

7. Pour hummus into a dish and top with olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) and fresh or dried parsley

8. Serve with pita bread, pita chips, or veggies- but I really recommend pita bread!

Notes :

Grandma always cooked her own garbanzos but using canned beans saves time and the end product is almost as good. If you want to cook your own beans do the following:

• soak 1/2 cup of dry garbanzo beans overnight, then rinse!

• Fill a sauce pan 1/2 full with water and add your soaked beans

• add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (this softens the beans and makes them less gassy!)

• Cook until tender - about an hour. The skins will come off so you will have to rinse the beans so you have beans with no skins- alternatively you can skim the skins off the top with a slotted spoon.