HUMMUS!  It’s my favorite, thrifty, last-minute dish when the kids need a savory snack, or we need to bring a side-dish to a get-together.  It’s always a hit and goes great with crudite, chips, falafel, bagels, you name it!

Homemade hummus is so easy and frugal and delicious, I can’t understand buying a teensy little tub of it at the store for $4 or whatever they charge.   I like a tahini-heavy hummus, and the addition of some smoked Spanish paprika, as well.   Here’s my recipe:

Larksong’s Easy Tahini-Lover’s Hummus

2 cans organic garbanzo beans drained (reserve liquid) and rinsed (Tip: for extra-creamy hummus,  remove the papery skins from all of the beans.  It does make a difference.)

1 cup roasted-sesame tahini (I much prefer roasted to raw, which can have a bitter or sharp taste to it)

juice of  one large lime

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive-oil, plus more for garnish

4-6 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika, plus more for garnish

chopped fresh parsley (or dried crushed) for garnish

Directions:

1.  In a food processor (which I actually don’t own – so I use a bowl and an immersion blender), combine chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lime juice, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp paprika.  Drizzle in bean-liquid until desired consistency is reached (I like mine quite creamy (hence removing the chickpea skins if I have the time) and I will often add all of the bean-liquid and then a little water as well, so it’s thin enough to dip into easily).

2.  Transfer into a clean serving bowl, and sprinkle with more paprika and the parsley.  Drizzle with a bit more olive oil.  Enjoy!