Carrots dipped in hummus is a classic, healthy snack that's bound to make you feel better about last night's drunchies, but the basic blend of tahini and sesame can get old fast. This recipe is super easy to make and adds a fragrant, green twist to pita's best friend.    

Basil Hummus

  • Prep Time:2 mins
  • Cook Time:1 min
  • Total Time:3 mins
  • Servings:6
  • Medium

    Ingredients

  • 2 cups basil
  • 2 cups chickpeas
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 1/6 cup lemon
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/6 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
vegetable
Gabrielle Altman

  • Step 1

    The trick to making great hummus is to de-skin the chickpeas so that the final result is not too chunky. To do so, let the chickpeas sit in a big bowl of water. Grab handfuls of the chickpeas in the water and let the skin fall off into your fingers. Repeat until you no longer feel the skin on the majority of the chickpeas.

    legume, vegetable, cereal
    Gabrielle Altman

  • Step 2

    Dunk a strainer into the bowl of chickpeas, removing the skin from the water. This should be done a few times until you're pretty sure you've removed most of the skins. Then, use the strainer to take the chickpeas out of the bowl, picking out any remaining skins.

    legume, vegetable, cereal, pea, corn, chickpeas, garbanzo, meat
    Gabrielle Altman

  • Step 3

    Wash the basil thoroughly (because small bugs sometimes burrow themselves inside the leaves).

    spinach, vegetable, basil, herb, salad
    Gabrielle Altman

  • Step 4

    Place the basil in the blender and pulse until it's coarsely chopped. Then, add the other ingredients to the blender, except for the water and oil.

    mushroom, gravy
    Gabrielle Altman

  • Step 5

    After ingredients are blended, slowly poor in olive oil while the machine in still blending. Then, add water and continue blending until well mixed.

    coffee, espresso, tea, cappuccino, milk, cream
    Gabrielle Altman

  • Step 6

    Serve right away or store in the fridge to enjoy later!

    herb, vegetable, guacamole, basil, condiment, spinach, garlic, cream
    Gabrielle Altman

This recipe is great to share with friends or enjoy by yourself as an appetizer or between-classes snack. Enjoy it straight from the blender with pita chips, challah, pretzels or any other crisp vegetable or cracker. Be sure to store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and aim to eat it all within a week.