Sprouted Chickpea Hummus

Hummus has been a staple in middle eastern cuisine for centuries but over the last few years it slowly made its way over to Europe and the US. And I could not be happier about it! This chickpea spread is incredibly delicious with its creamy and rich texture. And it is so versatile. Use it as a dip for vegetable sticks, as a spread on toast or bread, or add it to salad bowls and salad dressings. I have even seen people using it as a pasta sauce.

These days you can buy hummus in almost any supermarket and most of the time they are pretty good. But nothing beats fresh, homemade hummus. Nothing! Especially since it is so simple and easy to make. Skip added preservatives and stabilizers and make your own healthy hummus from scratch. To add even more nutrients, I like to make it with sprouted chickpeas. It tastes exactly the same as regular hummus but sprouted chickpea hummus has many more health benefits. So why not scoop them up as well.

Chickpeas are the main ingredient of any hummus and also for the sprouted chickpea hummus. Sprouting chickpeas is incredibly easy and it only takes about 2-3 days. Once the chickpeas have started to make shoots, you simply use them just like regular chickpeas. The second vital ingredient for sprouted chickpea hummus is tahini. This is a sesame paste, that will give this hummus its rich and creamy texture as well as adds more depth and complexity to the flavor. 

One more note before we dive in. In order to make this, you will need a good food processor. Mixing this by hand will not result in a smooth texture. The more powerful your food processor is, the creamier the texture will be. But even with a simple food processor, you will be able to make a fantastic tasting sprouted chickpea hummus. 

 

Let’s make this sprouted chickpea hummus

Step 1 – Cook the chickpeas

Add the chickpeas to a big pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Let the chickpeas simmer for about 20 minutes until they are softened. Keep an eye on the pot as the chickpeas will release starch, which can lead to the pot boiling over. Once the chickpeas are ready drain them and put them aside.

Step 2 – Mix all other ingredients

Press the juice from the lemon and add it along with the tahini into a food processor. Pulse for about one minute. Stop to scrape down the sides and puls again for one minute. Mince the cloves of garlic and add to the tahini and lemon mix. Also add the olive oil, salt, and cumin and pulse again for about one minute. Scrape down the sides again and pulse for another minute.

Step 3 – Combine everything

Add about half of the cooked chickpeas to the mix in the food processor and blend until smooth. Now add the other half of the cooked chickpeas (but leave a hand full for the garnish) and blend again. Stop every now and then to scrape down the sides of the food processor if necessary. The consistency should start to become very creamy and smooth. If the consistency is very thick, add few tablespoons of water until you reach the desired creamy texture. Taste and see if you need to add more salt.

Step 4 – Enjoy

Fill the sprouted chickpea hummus into a bowl, drizzle some olive oil over it and add the remaining sprouted chickpeas. Enjoy it as a dip for vegetables, as a spread on toast or bread, as a topping for salad bowls, or mix it into salad dressings.