Dip away! How about a nice bowl of hummus with fresh crunchy crudités? It is a great way to get whole grains into your diet and encourage you (and me!) to eat more vegetables. It makes a nutritious snack, a delicious (and easy) accompaniment to meals, a tasty filling in wraps and sandwiches and a must-have for picnics and buffets. I love to have a pot ready-made in the fridge with some crudités; ideal for days when you get home late from work or the gym and need food fast!

Homemade hummus is really quick to make and so much tastier than shop-bought varieties. I also love the way you can tailor the recipe to suit your palate or nutritional needs, e.g. spice it up if you like it hot with a spot of cayenne or chilli powder, add protein powder to boost up the protein content, reduce the amount of tahini and olive oil if you are counting calories (and substitute for water or more lemon juice) and add a little more turmeric or cinnamon to boost up the antioxidant profile. You can even sneak in a few veggies if desired (see my recipe for sun-dried tomato and kale hummus elsewhere in this blog).

This recipe is spiced with rase el hanout, a fragrant, sweet and savoury Moroccan spice blend readily available in supermarkets. The precise blend can vary but typically contains black pepper, ground coriander, smoked paprika, allspice, cardamom, mace, nutmeg, turmeric, cayenne, cloves and rose petals. I have also added fresh coriander to add fragrance and lemon to add freshness and zing.

Makes: 1 large bowl

Preparation: 3-5 mins

Ingredients:

• 1X 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 2 plump garlic cloves
• 2-3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. tahini
• 1/2-1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. rase el hanout
• 1/2 tsp. Vitalising superpowder or turmeric powder
• 1/8th tsp. cayenne pepper
• A small handful coriander
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• Optional:
  • 1 tbsp. protein powder (soya bean, pea or whey)
  • Decorate with a sprig of fresh coriander

 Method:

Place all ingredients in a blender or high-speed processor and blend to form a paste. Taste and adjust if required. If you are using less olive oil and want it runnier, add a little more lemon juice or water. Spoon into a bowl and garnish with a sprig of fresh coriander.

Enjoy!

Variation:

Add ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

 Don’t forget you can find my favourite recipes in my FREE eBook here.