Lifestyle

How to Make Homemade Hummus and Pita Chips

By Lauren Hazlewood at Dalhousie University

Get your hummus exactly how you want it, whether it's garlicky, acidic, or spicy. The only way you can get it perfect for you is DIY style! Luckily it's super easy (and affordable) to make hummus at home. In under 20 minutes you'll be dunking healthy pita chips into your own customized dip.

Hummus

  • Prep Time: 7 mins
  • Total Time: 7 mins
  • Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 pinch cumin
  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas
  • Water
  • Chili Flakes optional
  • Sriracha optional
  • Paprika optional

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 1

Prep your ingredients. Stir the tahini a little so that the oil is well distributed and rinse and drain the chickpeas.

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 2

Start by placing 2 generous tablespoons of tahini and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice in your food processor (depending on how citrusy you like your hummus you can add more as you go along).

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 3

Next, place the lid on your food processor and use the "mix" option. Mix until smooth.

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 4

Remove the lid and add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the mixture.

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 5

Add 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (feel free to add more based on your preference).

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 6

Add a pinch of cumin. If you like heat feel free to add chili flakes or Sriracha at this point (I added 1 teaspoon of chili flakes).

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 7

Take your can of rinsed and drained chickpeas and start by adding half of the can to the mixture. This will help the hummus to blend more smoothly and easily.

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 8

Place the lid back on the food processor and press down on the "mix" button again. Add water as needed to smooth the hummus out. I recommend adding the water in tablespoon amounts so that you can keep track of the consistency and reach your desired thickness. Add the water while the hummus is mixing through the hole at the top of the food processor. I added around 4 tablespoons.

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 9

Once the mixture is smooth, you can add the rest of your chickpeas. "Mix" again and then switch to the "Puree" option on your food processor to further help with smoothing the hummus out. Add more water to the mixture based on your preferred consistency (I added another 4 tablespoons).

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 10

Done! Spoon out the mixture and refrigerate until cool. Serve with olive oil and paprika.

Lauren Hazelwood

Pita Chips

  • Prep Time: 2 mins
  • Cook Time: 7 mins
  • Total Time: 9 mins
  • Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 pieces pita bread
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400°C.

Step 2

Cut your pita bread into triangular pieces.

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 3

Place the pita bread triangles onto a baking sheet.

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 4

Mix together the olive oil, black pepper, garlic salt, and dried basil.

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 5

Lightly coat the pita bread triangles in the olive oil mixture. A brush works best, but you can also drizzle the oil over the pita bread.

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 6

Place the pita bread in the oven. Bake for 7 minutes or until crisp.

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 7

Place the chips onto a sheet of paper towel to remove any excess oil.

Lauren Hazelwood

Step 8

Enjoy!

Lauren Hazelwood