Oh boy, oh boy! Do I have a recipe for you.
The Husband and I eat a LOT of hummus. As in, the Husband has been known to eat a hummus sandwich for breakfast and lunch and dinner. Hummus is yummy and healthy, but it’s also expensive when you buy $4 containers from the store.
Happily, hummus is super easy to make – and I’ve resolved to do it more often!
My favorite brand of store-bought hummus is Roots, which can best be described as dry (in a good way) and smooth. I don’t like overly watery hummus. The texture of this hummus definitely comes close to meeting up with the famous brand!
Homemade Spinach Hummus
Ingredients (makes four + cups of hummus)
- 2 large 1-pound cans of chickpeas
- 1.5 cup packed raw spinach
- 1/4 cup tahini buttr
- 6 tablespoons water
- Salt to taste (I used 3/4 tablespoon)
- Pepper to taste (several shakes)
- Juice of one lemon (1 tablespoon)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Thoroughly rinse chickpeas. Drain and spread out on cookie sheet.
- Bake for 25 minute, remove, and let cool completely (at least half and hour –very important!).
- In a food processor, combine all ingredients and blend for at least 10 minutes, pressing down hummus with a spoon occasionally. It will look clumpy until the end.
- Put into container and refrigerate.
- Serve and enjoy!
I think roasting the chickpeas before blending gives this hummus an awesome, unique texture.
I had a big portion of spinach hummus on crusty whole wheat bread, plus vanilla macaroons from Trader Joe’s and an orange.
A perfect lunch, in my mind!
Foot Update
I attempted running for the first time in a week (I ran 7.0 miles last Thursday and injured my foot, who knows how). I ran 0.75 mile and the outside blade of my left foot began to ache so I immediately stopped. If I’ve learned anything after four years of running, it’s that injuries never get better by running through them. I came home and biked for 20 minutes on the indoor training instead. I’ll try again on Sunday!
Do you have a homemade hummus recipe?
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{ 121 comments… read them below or add one }
I had a very similar foot problem due to running. I went to the Chiropractor and a bone in my foot was dislocated. A few adjustments and some icing and I was good as new in less than a week. You should look into it.
My father in law is a chiro and is visiting right now so I’ll ask!
That hummus recipe looks to die for! I love sneaking spinach into foods!
Two questions: Is there any substitute for tahini (amd where do you get it? Also, how long is homemade hummus “good” for??
I would say as long as other hummus – we keep ours for a week, max (not that we don’t usually demolish it in less than that).
And I think you could try subbing in olive oil?
Any ideas?
I’ve used sesame oil before, it gives it the same sesame taste like tahini, so good!
Peanut butter instead of tahini! I just made hummus that way last weekend and it turned out great.
Oh good! Does any pb work? I use trader joes which is just peanuts and salt…
Yep, it should. You can also use any kind of nut butter, really. Cashew, almond, etc.
If you’re having trouble finding tahini you can call the closest Greek/Lebanese/Mediterranean restaurant. They will usually sell you some if you ask! Even though we can find it nearby at Whole Foods or other grocers I still buy mine from a restaurant because they only charge me $2 for a tub.
You can also ground up roasted sesame seeds into a paste to sub for tahini.
I easily find tahini in my local supermarket (Acme) in the thnic foods aisle.
I make home made hummus pretty frequently and I’ve kept for close to 3 weeks. I don’t think anything will go rancid; I think it’s more a matter of how long it’ll take to grow green fuzz on the top. haha
My bf makes a standard recipe that is creamy. I should have him make it more often because it’s great for work sandwiches with some laughing cow or sundried tomatoes and kalamata olives.
I could live off chips and salsa and I was spending quite a bit on $5 containers of fancy salsa at Whole. Thankfully The Pioneer Woman has saved me with a recent salsa recipe. I tweaked it based on things I could find and I make 4 times the amount of salsa for a little more than the price of one container.
Absolutely fabulous lookng recipe!!! Thanks for sharing.
I like thick hummus too! I bad about just throwing things in the food processor and not measuring. But it usually turns out good anyway! I love eating hummus on salads and with salsa and tortilla chips.
I made Kalamata Olive Creamy Hummus in my last post that’s a creamier version with yogurt added to it! I like the idea of spinach though! I should try that! OO.. I just had a great idea..
OMG i want to try that hummus!
I have never thought of roasting the chickpeas before making hummus – I am going to have to try that on my next batch.
For some reason I can’t get into hummus lately unless it’s sweet. The savory ones just gross me out, which is odd because I love garlic and onions and the stinky breath you get after good hummus.
Why didn’t I think of that!
Uh oh! I hope your foot recovers soon…
I’ve never roasted the chickpeas before blending! I bet that adds a ton of flavor. That spinach color is wonderful too!
I’ve been meaning to make hummus at home for weeks now. I have all the ingredients, including a huge jar of tahini. Thanks for the kick in the butt!
You reminded me that I haven’t had hummus in a very long time. I miss it. Sorry about the foot, I have pain in the same place sometimes.
Yes. Boil the shit out of dry chickpeas, and then boil them some more otherwise you’ll end up with a hummus that is too grainy, too clumpy, or too thick.
I want some of this with my carrots right now! It reminds me of a green monster in hummus form.
I love putting ground chipotle peppers in my hummus.
http://whitneyinchicago.wordpress.com/2010/04/17/chipotle_hummus/
That looks great! I can’t wait to get my food processor so I can make hummus and nut butters and other nommy things.
This recipe looks and sounds delicious!
I’m sorry to hear about the foot.
Sending you good vibes!
Your hummus looks great and I hope your foot feels better soon . . . good job for not over doing it with an injury-very smart!
it looks great! do you know the nutritional info on the recipe?
its probably similar to regular store bought hummus http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/sabra/hummus
I do make hummus at home, but just throw whatever I have in the house in and hope for the best! Normally I don’t have tahini and use almond butter or something instead, but I actually have it in the house and plan on making some this weekend.
spinach hummus sounds PERFECT! I love the idea of this! It’s so pretty and green =)
Those are some strange looking macaroons
Wow, it looks good. The colour is so vibrant and healthy looking.
Roasting the chickpeas is a great idea! I tried making hummus once, but it just wasn’t as good as my favorite brand…Sabra. This makes me want to try again
I love hummus. My favorite is Red Pepper Hummus. IT’s so easy to make but due to laziness, easier to buy
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Gotta try the spinach hummus recipe and roasting the chick peas? Unique! Got to try that.
As for pain while running, I get so many aches and pains during my runs, I’ve learned to pay close attentiont to them while completing the run. But they don’t seem to manifest into anything as severe as stress fractures and such (knocking on wood right now). My problem is weak legs. I have to be careful with a sensitive hamstring but I seem to have been able to get that under control without having to see the dreaded Doctor. Am I the only one who REALLY doesn’t like Doctors?!
I feel the same way. I also don’t want to pay for someone to tell me to rest and ice!
This sounds amazing. I love the color!! I make a sundried tomato and olive hummus that’s a dark red. The two of them would be adorable to serve together on Christmas
I love making homemade hummus! It makes so much for a fraction of the price. I have not tried spinach hummus, but it sounds so good! I am with you, I like a drier thick hummus. I hate oily wet hummus, yuck! I make a roasted carrot turmeric hummus that is different, but so good http://thenondairyqueen.blogspot.com/2010/07/roasted-carrot-hummus.html!
Sorry about your foot. I hope it gets better soon!
My favorite homemade hummus involves roasting a whole head of garlic in olive oil and then pureeing that. It’s such a good addition to hummus, but it doesn’t do wonders for your breath
That hummus recipe looks awesome! Thanks a bunch!
My recipe is so simple. Take however many garbanzos you like (I usually use 1 – 2 cups) and add equal amounts tahini and lemon juice (for this amount of garbanzos, I add about 1/4 cup each), a clove of garlic, and salt to taste. You can also add any extras you like. My husband likes it spicy, so sometimes I will add crushed red pepper flakes! Yum!
I forgot to mention that you will need to add enough water to get the consistency you want.
I saw the picture before I read and I thought it was going to be edamame “hummus”! I shelled edamame and pureed it in the food processor with a little olive oil and seasoning and it was really good – and the same color
That looks like a fantastic recipe! I made a homemade hummus once with basil, rosemary, garlic, and a bit of ricotta cheese. Sounds weird but it’s Delish! Hope your injuries subside. I hate it when you’ve got a ‘plan’ and you can’t follow through because of injuries. I had to pull out of a marathon once because of my IT band. Ugh! Good luck!
Ooooh yum that sounds delicious! I love hummus (and only realized it over the past year)… I’ve experimented with a few including edamame (http://eatspinrunrepeat.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/edamame-hummus/) and butternut squash (http://eatspinrunrepeat.wordpress.com/2010/03/03/butternut-squash-hummus/). Love em both!
I’m excited to try this recipe, thanks Caitlin. I haven’t had luck with making my own hummus but I feel I would prefer a drier texture.
This is a great recipe, and I really like making my own hummus too. I’m very conscious of sodium content in prepared foods, and hummus is usually pretty high. So making it at home is wonderful in every way.
Will definitely be trying this!
I think all hummus is better with some fresh herbs; I usually add parsley and cilantro.
I do have a recipe, but last time it turned out watery. I was not impressed. I like to add cumin to mine though for a little flavor.
Be VERY careful with that foot, and it sounds like you are doing that. If by “blade” you mean the 5th metatarsal it can be prone to stress fractures and it’s a slow one to heal. I’m just back to running now after 16 weeks off due to a fracture in the 5th metatarsal (I rolled my ankle and the bone snapped). I ended up with surgery to put a screw in the canal of that bone, 8 weeks on crutches in a cast, 2 weeks in a walking boot, and 6 weeks of physical therapy. It’s not a bone to mess around with.
I love hummus but never get around to making my own, I should try that it sounds delicious!
Don’t worry, I’ll play it safe!
I never thought of roasting the garbanzos beforehand… I’ll have to try it!
When I lived in Oregon I made hummus all the time. But canned goods are SO expensive here in Hawai’i because of freight costs (and the dehydrated kind don’t do it for me with hummus) that the Costco hummus works best for me and my hubby [we're obviously just as big of hummus fans].
I love love love making my own hummus. I couldn’t roast the chick peas this month due to my raw eating adventure but this idea looks amazing and I might give it a shot without the roasting part!
How do you make raw hummus? Do you use sprouted garbanzos, or is there another method for it? Very curious!
I soaked the raw garbanzos for a day and a half until they were mushy. Remove the shells. Add other ingredients. (lots of olive oil) Blend til smooth!!
That’s really interesting! I flirted with being raw for a little while, I just was not patient enough to do all the planning ahead you need to do when eating raw! :/
lateral blade of your foot- it the later column, it ihas the ability to move separate from the medial half of you foot. It consists of the 4th, 5th metatarsals and your 4th and 5th toes. If the pain is on the back lateral half of your foot, it could be your cuboid.
I’m always dreaming of my next vacation–I think it is because I never take one!
That hummus looks awesome. I’m always looking for ways to add more spinach into my diet.
That hummus looks great — I will have to try it out.
I don’t have a good recipe personally. Every time I try to make hummus, it’s way too grainy for me. So I’m keeping my eyes open!
I have an awesome cookbook called Eat, Drink and be Vegan by Dreena Burton–it has a whole section of yummy and unusual types of hummus.
I love hummus and am known to go through a party sized bin in a day! I make my own hummus a few times a week and will never go back to store bought. I have never had spinach hummus or tried roasting the chickpeas before pureeing them. I must try this recipe soon! It sounds delicious.
This is so funny…I am eating canneloni bean tahini that I just made as I read this post
I mean hummus, not tahini…
Yay, Roots! My housemate is an employee, and he brings home massive amounts of hummus for all of us as a job perk!
the hummas recipe looks amazing! i have to try it! i hope your foot feels better too..
That sounds so good! i like hummus but I HATE tahini…weird I know.. so I make my own, sans tahini.
This looks amazing!! Sorry about your foot, hope it feels better!
i had foot pain like that once — it was a cuboid subluxation and took a few weeks to heal. good luck, but don’t push it too soon! stay on that bike
I agree about not running through an injury. Five years ago I was running on a treadmill when I felt a “kink” in my right ankle. I stopped briefly to “shake it off.” Then I finished my last mile even though the “kink” never went away. I got off, stretched, and attempted to stand up. OUCH! A few days later an X-ray confirmed a hairline fracture. Moral – always listen to your body.
this is a great recipe idea; the colors look so great together
That looks sooooo good! I’m with you, I like thicker hummus too.
I make homemade hummus, but I have never thought to add spinach! I always add garlic and a bit of hot sauce (like tobasco or something).
Have you ever tried using dried chickpeas? They’re cheap and super easy to cook up and help give the hummus that dry-er texture you’re going for. It also makes a ton, so we’ve discovered you can freeze it!
That looks delicious! I can’t wait to try the recipe!
I love the addition of spinach! It makes the color so pretty
I have tried many homemade hummus recipes, but they are never as good as Athenos to me so I keep buying it. But that definitely looks delicious!
I’ve never made it at home, but I love Hummus. Your right – it’s expensive especially when you eat from the tub…
I love creamy Hummus like Sabra – used to like it drier, but creamy all the way – and thick. The “light” versions are blah – watery.
that looks yummy and so green! making this soon!
It looks delicious! Yum yum =) I love thick hummus as well. Can’t stand it when they’re almost RUNNY (eww).
Giiirl that hummus is the bombbb! I can’t wait to try that…yum!
And goodness, I’m so sorry to hear that the foot immediately flared up again. No good! At least you’re playing your cards right and not attempting to push through a run. Such a smart (although a mentally tough) decision.
That hummus looks soooo good! Want it. Now.
I use a pretty standard hummus recipe, but I can’t get the smooth texture like premade hummus. Does roasting the garbanzos make for a smoother paste (in addition to being drier)? I wonder whether a food processor w/ higher wattage would make it smoother.
ive heard that you can make smoother hummus by popping off the husks of the chickpeas but that sounds incredibly time consuming. but i think you should try processing it much longer than you initially think.
Gorgeous color! I love green and I love hummus. I’m not as dedicated as you to making it myself but I always love it when I do. Maybe trying this new version will make me a homemade hummus convert!
mmmm this sounds really good! i just bought a huge container of spinach today that i need use up
My husband and I love hummus as well. I usually get the roasted garlic from Trader Joe’s, thankfully it’s only $2! Thanks for this recipe, I’m going to have to try it sometime!
Great recipe and easy on the wallet! Hummus can be so expensive for such a small container.
That hummus looks so good! I’m going to try it sometime soon. And just an idea on the foot – I sold orthopedic shoes for many years and saw a lot of customers with foot ailments (not saying you need orthopedic shoes!). A really common injury is to have tiny stress fractures on the 5th metatarsal. I’ve actually had this myself! I’m sure there are many ways to deal with this, but I’ve wrapped my foot in athletic tape in the past and worn fairly structured shoes as much as possible and the problem seemed to clear up relatively quickly. Good luck to you, it’s not fun to have a hurt foot.
Thank you so much! I’ll try this.
That hummus looks amazing! I’ve never tried baking the chickpeas before processing them!
What a great recipe! I love hummus and with a few simple ingredients, it’s easy to make it yourself. I sometime love adding roasted veges and garlic. So yum
i have never made hummus. The consistency kind of grosses me out, I have a thing about food textures. Not sure how I feel about it, hhmm
I do have a recipe…I’ll add a 1/4 cup or so of non-fat yogurt or sourcream…gives it a creamy texture too.
Hope your running injury heals itself quickly.
That’s why my hummus never comes out right, I never roasted the chick peas. I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks for the recipe!
That hummus looks awesome! I like more “dry” hummus as well
i tend to buy chickpea based hummus and make zucchini based hummus. i just don’t like the smell of chickpeas. weird i know.
Caitlin-
I have a post request for you –
I am currently a college student trying to eat a little healthier but have a VERY VERY limited budget. Do you have any quick/cheap recipe ideas for lunch/dinner? Also I would like to mention, I have struggled with disordered eating over the past couple years and finally have made a promise to myself to get my eating under control and get back to a healthy normal. Any ideas would be a great motivation and nice to be able to turn to something healthy to keep me on track.
Your words are truly inspiring and the work you do makes a difference and in impact in people’s lives more than you will ever know!
Thank you!!
:)
Here’s two freelance articles that I’ve written about the subject:
http://www.unigo.com/articles/eating_well_on_the_go/?taxonomyId=1180050
and
http://www.unigo.com/articles/the_healthy_student/?taxonomyId=1180050
I’ve had similar foot problems in the past and they’ve all been because I was running in the wrong size shoes. I recently got the wide version of my Asics and my feet are sooo much better! Might be worth a look. Also, I may have to make that hummus after my 20 mile training run tomorrow
yum! one time i made broccoli ‘hummus’, but it didn’t have any chickpeas in it. i like the sound of this!
Oh man I would have never thought of making spinach hummus before. I will be making this soon
I just cooked dried garbanzo beans for the first time tonight and have so many left over! I am planning to make hummus. I’ve only made it with canned beans before… but I have never measured ingredients. A handful of beans, and couple of spoonfuls of tahini, juice of one lemon, garlic cloves, and drizzle olive oil in the running food processor until I get the right consistency. Yum,
This is my FAVORITE hummus recipe. Try it!
http://blackberriesforjam.com/the-perfect-hummus
Great job listening to your body. Risking injury is never a good thing. Glad the bike didn’t bother you:)
I absolutely adore hummus. It pairs well with so many things! And yes, I do have an amazing recipe I keep on hand when my stash gets low!
Nothing beats the Roots Black Bean Hummus, though
I’ve been making home made hummus for as long as I can remember. I may never have bought it… ! My “go0to” recipe is from Emeril off the Food network site:
Hummus bi Tahina
about 2 cups
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons tahini paste
1 tablespoon garlic
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more, for drizzling
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini paste, and garlic. Process until smooth. With the machine running, add 1/4 cup olive oil, a little at a time. Season with salt and pepper.
I usually use two 14oz cans of chick peas though. And I OFTEN add a jar of roasted red peppers or about a half a jar of kalamata olives. I definitely want to try adding spinach now!
I’m not a huge spinach fan, but I LOVE hummus, and that color is so vibrant. Purty! Do you have flat feet? I do, and I get plantar faciitis from time to time because of it. It’s the worst. But I’ve found that rolling a frozed water ball under it REALLY helps massage it and get the kinks out! And stretching.
I LOVE the recipe!!! Garbanzos, sesame, spinach, three favorite and nutritionally dense foods! Only one glitch:
Since I stay under 2300grams of salt daily, adding 3-4 TABLESPOONS of salt to the recipe would not only, IMHO, ruin the hummus, but one serving of it would be over my daily allowance.
Even three teaspoons seems a bit salinated, IMHO. How about one teaspoon? It’s all a matter of taste, huh!
1 teaspoon = 1920grams
3 teaspoons of salt = 5760grams
3 Tablespoons of salt = 17,280grams
I think it’s 3/4 (as in three-quarters of) a tablespoon…I actually found that to be a little too much, taste-wise, for me (or maybe my tahini was saltier); I solved it by adding a can of black beans to the processor.
Mmm I love hummus. I think it tastes best when I buy dried garbanos and soak em over night, then pressure cook em. Yum.
The way to get perfectly smooth hummus is chickpeas sans skin. It’s a bit of work, but end result is an incredibly creamy, smooth texture.
Love the spinach idea, and will try that along with roasting the chickpeas. I often use cannellini beans for half of the beans to make a creamier version, plus lots of garlic.
I def. want to try your recipe! (And one Mama Pea had recently). Hummus freaks me out because it is watery … whenever I buy it, I end up just picking at it because it weirds me out. Maybe making it myself, knowing what’s in it and a less watery one will do the trick. Thanks!
This is an AWESOME recipe!!! I’ve recently been trying to eat a healthier diet — I was eating a lot of packaged, pre-made foods — and joined SparkPeople for that purpose. They had your recipe linked at the dailyspark.com page when I first joined a few weeks ago, and I decided to make it — it was FANTASTIC! I became like your hubby, eating it for almost every meal. When I made it the second time, I didn’t have any spinach so I used some broccoli I had left in my garden; it tasted good but it oxidized so the color became a rather blechhy brown…I’m making it again today with some lovely spinach from the farmer’s market. I’ve been out of it for a couple days and am JONESING!
Oh, and I also turned four coworkers and a couple of friends onto it. Thank you again for the recipe and a great blog! Hope the foot is better, too.
I am so glad you liked it so much!! Thank you
I want to try making this but I don’t have any cans of chickpeas. How many cups of cooked chickpeas would I need for this recipe? Thanks!
One can is prob 2 cups of cooked chickpeas!
What is a one pound can?? Can’t find a conversion anywhere and never heard of canned food being measured this way…
Use 16 ounce cans.