Basic Ingredients:
- 1-4 peeled garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 [15.5 ounce] cans, drained with liquid reserved) + 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid
- 6 Tablespoons tahini
- 6 Tablespoons lemon juice
- up to 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, curly or flat, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 to 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, to taste
- 1/8 to 3/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or other ground hot chile pepper), to taste
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Optional, but delicious possible additions:
- Minced green onions, cumin, roasted red peppers, roasted garlic, curry powder, fresh cilantro leaves, and garlic scapes. But probably not all at once, eh?
Add garlic cloves, chickpeas, tahini, and lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. After putting the lid tightly in place, process until a thick, coarse paste is formed, about 1 to 2 minutes. Check the consistency of the hummus. If you’re happy with the texture of the hummus, add the salt, parsley, black pepper and cayenne pepper, and any optional add-ins, and pulse until evenly combined.
If you would like it to be thinner and/or smoother, add the olive oil and process for an additional minute. If you would like it thinner yet, add some of the cooking liquid from the chickpeas along with the parsley, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper, and any optional add-ins and process for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
Store in a tightly lidded container in the refrigerator.
