Homemade Hummus with Parsley

Hummus doesn’t have to be bright green. Indeed, classical hummus is usually tan in color. But when you add a handful of fresh parsley (or basil or scallions), you will have a chickpea paste in a pleasant shade of green.

Ingredients

Note: this recipe creates a small amount – to make more, double, triple or quadruple it.

• 1/2 cup chickpeas
• 1-2 small garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 2 wedges of lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. tahini (sesame paste)
• 1 small piece of wakame seaweed(optional)

Soak the chickpeas for at least four hours or overnight. Cook the chickpeas, covered with water, in a crockpot until tender (a few hours in my crockpot). Optionally, you can add a stamp size piece of seaweed for extra minerals and a bit of flavor. You can also add some sea salt while the chickpeas are cooking (add salt toward the end of the cooking). When the chickpeas are ready, drain the water, reserving a bit in case you want to use it to moisten the hummus. Blend in a food processor the chickpeas, peeled garlic cloves, tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. If you want regular hummus, you are now done. Take the leaves off the stems of the parsley and add the leaves to the hummus, blending them until you have a smooth, green paste. If you would like it to be smoother or softer, add some of the chickpea water. I love a homemade hummus that has the consistency of ice cream.

One of my guests remarked that it looked like wasabi. The homemade green hummus went well with the homemade pita bread that I served at our Chanukah party last night.

Have you ever made homemade hummus?