Who Likes Hummus??

I do! Hummus is one of my favorite afternoon snacks.  I buy it once a week when I go to the grocery store. Each time I put it in the buggy I think to myself how expensive it is and how I should make my own to cut down on the cost. The other night Britt and I went to Zoes for dinner. We were there right at closing and the cashier offered us some free hummus that they were going to throw away the next day. Zoes' hummus is probably my favorite hummus. When I got home I flipped the hummus container over to see what ingredients Zoes uses. The ingredient list is simple. I had everything I needed except garbanzo beans and tahini paste, but I was able to fix that with a quick trip to the grocery store. And so, I finally decided to make my own hummus {Zoes-inspired}! I found a recipe online to know what ratio of each ingredient to use.

Ingredients

2 cans garbanzo beans {reserve one juice from one can}
1 1/2 tsp garlic {minced}
2 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
5 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp tahini paste
2-4 tbsp olive oil {depending on how thick you like your hummus--I used 2 tbsp}
Paprika {for garnishing}

Drain one can of garbanzo beans, do not drain the other. Chop garlic. Add beans and all other ingredients to the blender. 

Blend on high until you have a smooth mixture. 

Garnish with paprika and serve with warm pita bread or carrots. I thought it was pretty good for the first go-around, but I may tweak some things next time! 

My homemade hummus is definitely cheaper than store-bought kind...as I said before, I had all of the ingredients besides the beans and tahini paste. The beans cost a little over $2.00 and the tahini paste was a little over $6.00. The tahini paste will make a lot of batches of hummus, so I will only have to spend about $2.00 a week for a large batch of homemade hummus! 

I have several new recipes planned for the upcoming week, so check back soon for new and exciting meals to try in your kitchen! 

Love, jess