Roasted Garlic Hummus

I FINALLY figured out why in the world I could never get my homemade hummus as smooth and creamy as the store bought varieties.  In a word - skin!

Chick pea membranes are tough and do not break down - no matter how powerful your blender.  I have been adjusting ingredients and tweaking my hummus recipes for years, just trying to achieve a creamy texture when all along - all I needed to do was to remove the peel from my chick peas.

Here is my official hummus disclaimer - you WILL spend a ridiculous amount of time popping the skin off of each individual chick pea and it IS a mind-numbing task.  BUT, I promise you that it is worth it.  Every second that you spend removing membranes is going to pay off in the best hummus that you have EVER eaten.  (Put on some groovy music and the time that you spend peeling won't seem quite so painful.)

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Hummus

• 1 and 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas (about one 15 ounce can - drain, rinse, and reserve 1/4 cup liquid)
• 4 roasted garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup tahini, stirred well
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup reserved chickpea liquid or water
• sea salt, to taste

For the hummus: Peel the skins off of all the chickpeas. This may be done in advance to save time if you prefer - cover the peeled chickpeas and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Place the chickpeas into your food processor or high speed blender and pulse until they are somewhat mashed.

Add the remaining ingredients. Taste - and add a little salt if needed. Add more olive oil and/or reserved chickpea liquid to thin out if needed.

Spoon the hummus into a bowl and drizzle with additional olive oil, a sprinkle of parmesan, a couple pieces of chopped roasted garlic, and a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper if desired. Serve with spiced pita chips and fresh veggies. Cover tightly and store up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

This hummus is soooo good.  I ate it for lunch every single day for a week.  And the only reason that I stopped after a week is because I ran out.  I hope that you like it as much as I do. 

 Ciao!