Green Hummus
It was in Israel that I first learned to make perfect hummus. One of the most important ingredients is tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds. Not all tahini tastes alike, so choose one with a rich nutty flavor. My favorite is Har Bracha Tahini, which is available on Amazon. Gil and I made a huge batch of green tahini for a Yemenite dinner we hosted together, and I couldn’t get enough of it. You can use any greens you like, but we chose parsley and cilantro. I almost always make hummus with dried chickpeas, soaked and cooked until tender, but you can cheat and use canned chickpeas, if you choose. They sometimes tend to have a bit of metallic flavor that I don’t care for. Use the green tahini for dipping pita and vegetables. It’s also a great sandwich spread and toast topper with slices of avocado. Or just eat it straight out of the bowl with a spoon.
Ingredients
Makes 3 Cups
Green Hummus:
2 cups dried chickpeas
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup parsley leaves
1 cup cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt
olive oil, for drizzling
Garnishes:
parsley leaves
cilantro leaves
toasted pistachios
Process
Put chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with 8 cups of cold water. Soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight. drain chickpeas and put into a medium saucepan with baking soda and 8 cups of water. Bring to a simmer, skimming off any foam or skins that rise to the top. Cook until chickpeas are tender, about 45 minutes. It could take longer. Drain chickpeas and set aside one cup of cooking water and ¼ cup of chickpeas.
Place remaining chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor, along with reserved cooking water. Add tahini, lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, garlic, and salt. Process until smooth, adding more water (if necessary), until the desired consistency is reached. Pour into a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the top.
Meanwhile, heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a small pan over medium high heat. Add reserved chickpeas and fry until just crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and cool. Add to the hummus with other garnishes. Keeps in the refrigerator up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Note: Instead of using dried chickpeas you can use 2 cans of chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), reserving the liquid to use in place of the soaking water. Add more water, if necessary.
