Recipe: Hummus with Greek Olives and Roasted Red Peppers

Hummus is one of my very favorite appetizers. Served with carrots or delicious homemade sprouted tortilla chips, hummus is a savory and nutritious treat! It also doubles well as lunch… hummus, sprouts, tomato, and cucumber on a homemade gluten free pita pocket makes a wonderful sandwich!

Benefits of Garbanzo Beans

A little research into the health benefits of garbanzo beans (chick peas) will get you excited about making hummus on a regular basis. Garbanzos help regulate blood sugar, are high in fiber, and are full of iron and manganese. They’re also packed with protein! Combined with some organic extra virgin olive oil, roasted red peppers, olives, a touch of tahini (sesame seed paste) and a bit of garlic, this dip is so much more than a tasty appetizer. It’s a powerhouse of tasty nutrients on a chip!

Hummus is Easy to Make!

You can start out with organic canned garbanzos, or buy them dry and cook them in advance. You’ll want to soak the beans overnight before cooking them, then simmer them in water until they are soft (this takes about an hour). I usually buy my garbanzos dry and cook them myself, it’s a lot less expensive this way and (being a bit of a control freak) I like knowing that there’s nothing in them that I didn’t choose to put there. However, it’s so quick and easy to make hummus that I keep a few cans of organic garbanzos in the pantry just in case I need to make an appetizer at the last minute. It’s amazing how often I’ve been glad to have those cans on hand!

All you have to do is put your garbanzos in a food processor along with the other ingredients, and blend it all until it’s smooth. Add sea salt to taste and you’re good to go…it’s that easy! This is one of those recipes that you can vary once you get the hang of it. A little feta cheese, a tablespoon of chopped sun dried tomato, or a few cloves of extra garlic can be nice. You can also leave out the olives and peppers and make it plain. There are so many ways to make hummus, once you get started you’ll quickly find your own “house recipe!”  We’ve experimented with many different types of hummus at our house, and this recipe (which was created by my husband) is currently our very favorite.

Yield: 4 cups

Hummus with Greek Olives and Roasted Red Peppers

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I love hummus and this hummus with Greek olives and roasted red peppers is the perfect snack for when you have the munchies.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cans organic garbanzo beans (or 3 1/2 cups home-prepared beans)
• 4 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon organic tahini
• 1 clove organic garlic, peeled
• 12-14 organic Greek olives
• 1/2 cup organic roasted red peppers
• sea salt (to taste)

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans.
2. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a thick paste forms.
3. If the hummus looks too thick, add water or liquid from the Greek olives until you reach the desired consistency.
4. Add sea salt to taste and puree again.

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Are you a hummus fan? What’s your favorite type?

Photography by Jennifer Leung Johnson

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