Each Dip Serves 6-8 People
Hummus and vegetables were always my go-to snack back in the United States. You could always easily find hummus at every grocery store and in a variety of flavors. Here in Costa Rica, hummus is difficult to find and even when you do spot it, hummus is expensive. It seemed strange to me because you can find garbanzo beans all over Costa Rica in bags and cans. Why did this culture not consume hummus? I needed to think of a way to make inexpensive hummus with garbanzo beans and sesame seeds. You see, tahini is another item that is only sold at specialty grocery stores. These special stores are not conveniently located near my home. The following recipes are the final results that I have come up with. There is the traditional garlic hummus. Then I decided to make hummus out of the Costa Rican staple of black beans. For my sweet tooth, I developed a chocolate hummus made of garbanzo beans to be served with another Costa Rica staple, tropical fruit. I hope that you enjoy these spreads as much as I do. Finding an enjoyable spread or dip that does not include dairy can be a burdensome thing to do.
Garlic Hummus
Ingredients:
10.5 oz can of garbanzo beans
¼ cup water
6 Tbsp of olive oil
juice of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves
1/8 cup of sesame seeds
1 tsp of salt
pinch of paprika for aesthetics
Instructions:
1. Put the water, olive oil, lime, garlic, sesame seeds, and salt into your food processor or blender.
2. Mix these ingredients for 1 minute or until you see the sesame seeds have been broken down.
3. Drain the aquafaba from your garbanzo beans and then strain with water. You may want to save the aquafaba for cooking other items as it is a good egg replacement.
4. Place half of the garbanzo beans into your food processor or blender.
5. Mix until garbanzo beans are broken down.
6. Add the rest of the garbanzo beans to the food processor or blender.
7. Mix until you have the creamy mixture that you would like.
8. Place mixture into the bowl and sprinkle with paprika.
9. Serve with vegetables or gluten-free tortilla chips.
Black Bean Hummus
Ingredients:
13 oz can of black beans
1 garlic clove
4 Tbsp of olive oil
¼ cup of sesame seeds
½ tsp of cumin
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ cup water
juice of 1 lime
dried coriander for aesthetics
Instructions:
1. Place garlic, olive oil, sesame seeds cumin, salt, cayenne pepper, water, and lime into your food processor or blender.
2. Mix these ingredients for 1 minute or until you see the sesame seeds have been broken down.
3. Drain the black beans and strain them with water.
4. Place half of the black beans into your food processor or blender.
5. Mix until black beans are broken down.
6. Add the rest of the black beans to the food processor or blender.
7. Mix until you have the creamy mixture that you would like.
8. Place the mixture into the bowl and sprinkle with dried coriander.
9. Serve with vegetables or gluten-free tortilla chips.
Dessert Hummus
Ingredients:
¼ cup honey
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup of natural peanut butter
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup almond milk
10.5 oz can of garbanzo beans
1/8 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)
vegan chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions:
1. Place honey, cocoa powder, peanut butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and milk into the food processor or blender.
2. Mix these ingredients for 30 seconds.
3. Drain the aquafaba from your garbanzo beans and then strain with water. You may want to save the aquafaba for cooking other items as it is a good egg replacement.
4. Place half of the garbanzo beans into your food processor or blender.
5. Mix until garbanzo beans are broken down.
6. Add the rest of the garbanzo beans to the food processor or blender.
7. Mix until you have the creamy mixture that you would like.
8. Place mixture into the bowl and sprinkle with chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.
9. Serve with a variety of fruits or gluten-free and vegan vanilla wafers.
Additional Information:
Hummus can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. Feel free to double the batch and save the extras for later. Just remember the longer it stays in the freezer the more apt the texture and flavor may change.
I enjoy gluten, dairy, and egg-free cookies with the dessert hummus as well. Some of my favorite brands are as follows: Allergy Smart Cookies, Partake, Home Free Mini Vanilla Cookies.
The added topping of walnuts will give you omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are an anti-inflammatory favorite. They inhibit an enzyme called cyclooxygenase which produces hormones that can initiate inflammation.
Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are full of a variety of health benefits. They are a great addition to your diet when concerned about weight loss because they keep you full longer decreasing your appetite. However, they can cause you to be gassy. Chickpeas are known for lowering cholesterol, boosting your immune system, regulating blood pressure, increasing your energy, regulating blood sugar, and aiding your digestive system. In addition, chickpeas have high amounts of manganese which help them act as a natural sunblock for your skin. Manganese also helps reduce those fine lines and wrinkles you may find on your face.
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