I love chick peas. I’ll eat them straight out of the can.
So, this past weekend, I tried making hummus. I used chick peas, sesame oil, lemon juice, and three cloves of garlic, with pepper to taste.
It turned out…okay, I guess. I mean, I enjoy it, and the garlic is garlicky enough for me, but I doubt it would win any awards.
I ate it today with Triscuit Thin Crips 4-Cheese crackers, and it was nice. But I’d like to give it a little extra something, if I can.
I think you need some tahini (or at least peanut butter) in there.
I use tahini paste instead of sesame oil – tahini is made from sesame seeds. I scatter a bit of paprika and finely-chopped parsley on the top, and then sprinkle a bit of good olive oil on as well. On the other hand, I don’t add garlic, though that does seem like a reasonable addition to the mixture.
To your base, try adding any of the following, in any combination:
Cumin
Plain yogurt or cucumber sauce
Fresh parsley
Paprika
Green onions or chives
Roasted red peppers
Salt
chick peas, olive oil, tahini, garlic, and a little grated cucumber. I love the stuff–could eat it every day.
Thanks! So some of you would consider the ingredients I used a “base” and there’s more to add?
Chick peas, garlic, tahini, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, garlic, salt, fresh parsley and garlic.
I like garlic.
I go to the fantastic kosher grocery store that’s across the street from my college, walk up to their deli counter and order hummus. 
There was this great cookbook once, “To Serve Man.”
Oh. . . sorry. . . thought it said “humans.”
I make mine as low fat as possible:
2 cans chickpeas
1tsp olive oil
2tsp peanut butter
1/4 cup lime juice
2 or three garlic cloves
fresh cracked pepper to taste
It comes out thick which I like but I asume you could just up the oil if you want it thinner.
Peanut butter?! Try cashew butter.
I’d lose the sesame oil and replace it with tahini. Tahini really makes it hummus, to me.
If the tahini you use isn’t oily enough (unlikely, IMHO), then add some sesame oil in.
Actually, I quite concur. Please consider Lute’s suggestion an amendment to my earlier post.
Okay, I’ll look for tahini and cashew butter. I’m the only one who likes it in the house, and I’ve got a whole bunch still left to munch on.
Yeah, I think tahini is kind of central to hummus (at least traditional hummus), so if that’s missing, it would taste a bit off to me. Also, the lack of olive oil would stand out for me. Other than that, I keep it very simple. Chickpeas, tahini, good olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt is all I add. I find hummus doesn’t need anything more than this. Maybe a sprinkle of chile pepper at the end for color.
Hummus made with peanut butter always tastes like peanut butter to me, and nothing else. Natural peanut butter might not be so bad, but it’s worth it to seek out some tahini. It lives in the fridge forever.
Mine is chickpeas, tons of garlic, tahini, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. It’s worth it to toast the cumin a little before you add it and to use an actual lemon instead of the bottled stuff, IMO.
Even with tahini in it, I’d say it still needs some sesame oil. It has a more roasted flavor than the tahini alone.
You also didn’t mention any salt. I find that I need to add some to the food processor when my wife isn’t looking (she makes it, then asks me to taste/adjust the flavor).
I didn’t add salt, since I thought the salt from the chick peas juice (I drained but didn’t rinse) would be enough.
Add salt…got it!
The tahini will really make a difference. I found it tucked away with the ethnic foods (kosher, asian stuff) aisle of Publix. It’s in a brown/orange/white can about the size of small can of peanuts. I also reserve some of the liquid from the drained chick peas to add to the mixture, we like it a bit thinner.
I love lotsa garlic and fresh lemon juice in mine. When it’s finished and chilled I’ll swirl a lil bit of olive oil on top with some paprika with warm pita bread.
/drool
/eyes up remaining tahini in the fridge
/ponders
Good Luck!
Depends on the store. Harris Teeter keeps it with the PB&J.