Sun-dried Tomato Hummus

Several months ago, I made and ate my first veggie burger. You may remember this blog post, click here if you missed it. The recipe called for a can of chick peas, but only used 1 cup of the canned chickpeas. So, I was left with a 1/2 a can of chick peas.

When I talk to people about cooking, using only a portion of an ingredient, such as a can of chick peas, and not knowing what to do with the leftovers is a common topic. Most people tell me they end up throwing away the leftover ingredient.

DON’T do that! This is where you Google other recipes using your leftover ingredient. Let’s take the chick peas for example. So, many things come up. I particularly like roasting chick peas with spices until they are crunchy like a chip or pan frying them with cumin and coriander and making a wrap. Hummus is also another good way to use up extra chick peas.

You can certainly just use 1 to 2 cans of chick peas for this hummus, just adjust your ingredients for taste and texture. If you like it thick, ease up on the oil. If you like it smoother, add more lemon juice, oil or tahini. Taste test while you make it to get precisely what you want in a hummus.

Hummus makes a great dip for all your upcoming holiday parties and leftovers make a great spread for deli sandwiches! I particularly like this sun-dried tomato hummus because it really does taste like pizza and my kids will tear it up!

Sun-dried Tomato Hummus:

1 1/2-2 cans of Garbanzo Beans (A.K.A Chick peas)

1/3 cup of Tahini

1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes with oil

1/4 teaspoon of cumin

1/4 teaspoon of coriander 

1-2 cloves of garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2-1 lemon, juiced

Olive oil

Flatbread or pitas

Cucumbers, carrots, sliced red peppers

In a food processor, add the chick peas, tahini, sun-dried tomatoes, cumin, coriander, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn it on full blast for about 30 seconds. Start with adding 1/2 lemon juice and a 1/4 cup of olive oil. Give the processor a whirl and a taste. If you think you need to add more lemon, do so. If the hummus is super thick, add some more olive oil or sun-dried tomato oil until you get the consistency and flavor you desire. 

Fill a nice bowl with the hummus and set up a plate full of veggies and flatbread. Watch the hummus disappear! Seriously, tell the kids it’s a pizza dip. They’ll eat it.

Another use for your hummus, deli sandwiches. I like to spread the hummus on a turkey wrap or bagel with lettuce, sprouts, cucumbers, a little red onion and sometimes bacon.