Are you, like millions of Americans, missing your weekly supply of hummus that you pick up in the deli section of your grocery store? No problem. Perhaps now is a good time to make your own and see just how easy it is to create in just a few minutes. Luckily, hummus lends itself well to using substitutions for ingredients that you don’t have on hand. Who knows – you may never buy humus again once you learn how simple and inexpensive the DIY version is!  

Ingredients:

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo/ beans (chickpeas), sodium-reduced (or regular with extra rinsing)
Juice of 1/2 lemon (or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice)
1 medium red bell pepper (optional)
2 clove garlic, minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
1/4 to 1/3 cup warm water
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste) or peanut butter
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1/4 teaspoon each of salt, pepper and ground cumin

Directions:

Rinse and drain garbanzo beans under running water.
Chop red pepper.
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy.

Enjoy with fresh veggies or crackers, or in place of mayonnaise on a sandwich.

Serves 5. Per serving:
134 calories
7 g total fat
<1 g saturated fat
17 g carbohydrates
4 g dietary fiber
5 g protein
282mg sodium