Daya’s Hummus

Hummus is a staple in pretty much any Middle Eastern family, but every culture (and even every household) makes it a little bit differently. The bones are always the same though: chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and salt. For those unfamiliar, tahini is a liquidy paste made from sesame seeds. Some chain grocery stores carry it, but if you can’t find it there, your local international/Arab grocery store certainly will.

My mother always makes her hummus thick and slightly textured, great for scooping with soft pita, with the ingenious addition of sauteed onions that add a really unique depth of flavor to a simple dish. I like mine particularly lemony, so if that’s not the case for you, start with half this amount of lemon juice and add more after tasting. This makes 2 1/2 to 3 cups of hummus, enough for a dinner party of 4-6 people, in my experience.

Ingredients

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• Salt, to taste

• Water, as needed

Directions

1. In a small pan, saute your diced onions in olive oil over low heat until they are translucent and lightly browned. Cook SLOWLY on LOW HEAT or you’ll end up with burnt onions.

2. In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, onion, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and a pinch of salt.

3. Process the mixture until mostly uniform. Stream in the tahini, and water if desired.

4. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice/salt/tahini if needed.

5. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, or parsley.

6. Serve with with warm pita bread.