Hummus is now the global swanky food at every deli counter. From Dean and Deluca in NYC to the Harrod’s Food Halls in London. It should be nominated for an Oscar and get a star on the Food Hall of Fame. And it’s no wonder, with survey trending sources back in 2015 predicting it would become the “chic” superfood in America – and it has – by a landslide.
It’s now a mass produced superfood, sold on very supermarket shelf, Sabra being one of the top contenders, with no less than 14 different flavor offerings. And considering current hummus sales are skyrocketing to an unprecedented $730 million, according to the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council, why shouldn’t new candidates jump on the manufacturing hummus bandwagon?
It has been a staple in the Middle East for centuries and could be millennia. It’s documented that chickpeas were grown in the hanging gardens of Babylon and were on archeological digs inside the pyramids of Giza.
Now hummus has become the showstopper appetizer at almost every restaurant throughout America. Not just because it is an incredible source of protein for Vegetarians and Carnivores alike, but because it’s a taste sensation that can be slapped on just about anything.
A short decade ago, the average American had never tasted hummus, let alone heard of this creamy concoction, unless of course, you had a Middle Eastern parent or had gone of a sabbatical to the Med trekking and on a food pilgrimage.
In Arabic, “hummus” accurately means “chickpeas” and it is the most widely consumed legume in the world. Throughout the Mediterranean, literally mountains of hummus are consumed quotidian and served in inventive, not to mention extraordinarily lip-smacking ways.
The most commonly known version here in the US, consists of tahini paste, garbanzo beans, garlic cloves, lemon juice and salt – blitzed in the food processor to creamy splendor, drizzled with a generous amount of good ‘ol EVOO and served together with warm pita bread, crackers or Naan.
However, in the Middle East, where the prolific Hummus hails from, it’s served warm with serious contenders for toppings – elevating it from a mere “dip” to a complete meal.
Most innovative and adventurous gourmands, have come to the realization a while back, that toppings catapult your Hummus into a singular sensation and I am not referring to A Chorus Line.
If you haven’t discovered that Hummus is an ever-versatile white canvas, maybe you will have an earth-shattering epiphany and experiment with this ubiquitous chickpea paste. I guarantee, from now on, you will be reaching for a container of hummus more often than not.
A few things of importance.
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Tahini paste is what gives the hummus its lush creaminess, and believe me when I tell you, not all Tahinis are created equal with some not being as creamy as others. Make sure you stir it well, combining the oil accumulated on top and mix it throughly to emulsify it before adding it to the food processor.
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For the folks from Lebanon, Israelites and other places in the Middle East, it’s almost sacrilege to use chickpeas out of a can and here we cross into the laborious and painstaking process of soaking the dried chickpeas overnight and boiling them the next day with baking soda. The soda makes them cook quicker and you obtain a softer bean, as well as having the skins of the garbanzo become loose. In Yotam Ottolenghi’s tour de force “Jerusalem”, he makes his from scratch, pre-soaking them overnight – the result is utterly divine. (I will be providing some of his recipes in the veggie section of Pantry Rat).
So be bold and unconventional with your Hummus – your guests will place you on a pedestal and will crown you a world class Hummus Champ! You will live long and prosper.
Roasted Beet Hummus – Roast some peeled beets with some EVOO and fresh rosemary sprigs in foil (350F for 1 hour) – cut them up in pieces and when they are still warm serve them over hummus, adding salt and plenty of fresh cracked pepper (include the oil from having roasted the beets – it would be criminal not to).
Shirazi Salad – Mix together cucumber (diced), mint and parsley (finely chopped), tomato (diced with seeds removed), shallot (diced); dress these with lemon juice, kosher salt, pepper, EVOO and a pinch of sugar. Allow to rest at least 30 minutes to develop flavors. Pile on top of Hummus with some crumbled feta cheese and another generous drizzle of EVOO with sumac powder.
Sautéed Mushroom Medley – Mixture of Portobellos, Shitake, Cremini and white button – sliced and sautéed in olive oil with a drizzle of lemon juice, pinch of Aleppo pepper, soy sauce and fresh ground pepper.
Chana Masala – Follow my recipe in the Indian section for Chana Masala, but make it a drier version by reducing it to a chunky stew-like consistency. Pile the Chana Masala on top of Hummus with fresh cilantro. You may think it is Hummus overkill – chickpeas over chickpeas but, trust me, this one is out of this world good.
Roasted veggies – Roast a medley of zucchini, Portobello mushrooms, carrots, parsnips and fennel. Change it up with some roasted cubed eggplant and quartered shallots. Chop the roasted veg and heap them on top of your hummus with a drizzle of yogurt-tahini sauce and a sprinkle of Sumac. Hummus loves sumac and vice versa. It is a match made in food heaven.
