Flavorful No Fat Added Hummus

(pictured: tomato with basil salt, hummus and bell pepper strips)

I didn’t post this hummus yesterday because I was certain it was on the blog, but when I checked this morning I didn’t see it. Of all the variations of hummus I make this one is the most common. I love that it is lower in fat than most of my versions. When I am feeling like I want cleaner food in the refrigerator for snacks this is the version I make.

My husband and I have been eating this no added fat hummus for so long now we don’t miss the high fat versions. This hummus is not traditional, but we like it. I added the hot crushed peppers (also called pickled red peppers or wet hots) to add flavor without sodium. Sometimes I use lemon juice but most of the time I use hot crushed peppers. I like the little bit of heat they add. It is also great that the peppers have capsaicin, which is thought to fight disease

I was chatting with my friend Deirdre this morning and she mentioned hummus, but not in a good way. Needless to say she isn’t a fan. When she commented that the version she had was cold and gritty that made me think about my hummus. I don’t have any problems with it being gritty but I only make it from garbanzo beans that I cook myself until they are very soft. Additionally I only make it when the beans are still hot. I think the temperature of the beans makes a big difference in the final texture. Also, I prefer to eat my hummus room temperature. I have been known to put it in the microwave for 15 seconds to take the chill off it. Here is what I made.

Flavorful No Fat Added Hummus
Makes 16 – 4 ounce (1/2 cup) servings:

Ingredients:

2 cups garbanzo beans, picked through, rinsed and soaked overnight
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon hot crushed peppers (wet hots)
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

Directions:

Cook the beans in plenty of water until they are very soft. This will help the hummus to get a nice creamy consistency even without added fat.

Place the drained garbanzos in the food process and puree. You will find that the garbanzos will not all puree. Scrape the sides of the food processor and add a couple of ladles of the bean cooking water and puree again. If the hummus is not the nice creamy texture continue to scrape the sides of the food processor bowl and add the bean cooking liquid until the hummus is rich and creamy. The hummus will thicken in the refrigerator so you want it to be thinner than you want it to ultimately be.

When you like the consistency add the remaining ingredients and puree to combine. Adjust the seasonings to suit you. The cumin and hot crushed peppers will become more prominent while the hummus is stored in the refrigerator.

We like this both warm straight from the food processor or at room temperature. In my opinion hummus is not as good when cold. Sometimes I drizzle a little (1/2 teaspoon at most on one serving as picture above) of extra virgin olive oil over the top of the hummus when serving. It is also good with toasted pine nuts and sweet paprika on top.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 94.19
Calories From Fat (14%) - 13.6

Total Fat - 1.63g
Saturated Fat - 0.17g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 154.84mg
Potassium - 235.11mg
Total Carbohydrates - 15.72g
Fiber - 4.52g
Sugar - 2.72g
Protein - 4.97g

Comments:

We love hummus at my house. Our favorite way to eat hummus is with raw vegetables as scoops. I also put a big dollop of it on top of my salad in place of dressing. It is great on a wrap sandwich with veggies to serve as vegetable glue as my husband calls it. We sometimes eat hummus on whole-wheat crackers with sprouts on top. I have even added cooked brown rice and vital wheat gluten too it and made veggie burgers.

Nutritionally there isn’t much here. However, each serving does have 139mcg of folate (good for those concerned with colon cancer).

I will be back later this afternoon. I am off to work on a beefy seitan recipe. If all goes well, it will be part of dinner tonight. I hope you are all having a great day.