Hummus is a very popular dip which is made from a combination of chickpeas and tahini as well as some seasoning. A major benefit of including hummus with a meal is that it can be served in a number of ways; the most popular of these is with pita bread or alongside an array of fresh vegetables.

If you are looking to use this product to compliment a dish then it can be purchased ready made from most supermarkets but making your own is simple, inexpensive, healthy and very tasty.

Check out the simple recipe to make your own hummus which is packed with flavour yet quick and easy to prepare.

Making Homemade Hummus

Creating your own hummus doesn’t take too long and the end result is scrumptious. It will almost certainly be a big hit with friends and family so give it a try and see what you think.

Ingredients (serves around 4 – 6)

210g chickpeas - drained weight (approx 7.4 ounces)
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt
Ground pepper
2/3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons water (or more if needed)

To prepare:

1. You will first need to drain and rinse the chickpeas well before adding any of the other ingredients
2. Put the chickpeas into your food processor and then add the lemon juice, tahini, water and salt and pepper
3. Blend the mixture until smooth and if you need to add more water then 1 or 2 more tablespoons should suffice
4. The hummus will now be ready and this can be served immediately or kept in the fridge until later

Hummus with pita bread

Alternative Ways of Serving Hummus

If you are looking for different ways to serve hummus, other than with pita bread then you will be pleased to know that this tasty dip can accompany a variety of snacks or main dishes. Use some of these alternatives and decide which your favourite combination is:

• Various vegetables, including aubergine (egg plant), carrot sticks, peppers and cucumber
• Salad, feta cheese, olives and hummus is just one possibility but you could include tomatoes or other ingredients that you may prefer
• Baked potato wedges with dip

There are so many other ways that you could serve hummus so be creative and get the kids involved because they are sure to love it too.