Earlier in 2013, I participated in Carbonell Olive Oil’s #DareToCarbonell campaign with a full meal worth of Spanish recipes using all three of their three distinctive flavors of Spanish olive oil – number one in Spain since 1866, and sold in more than 50 countries. They loved my little video and photos and asked me to join back up again with a new recipe. This time, I’m in a snacking mode – perfect for New Year’s Eve parties! I’m only using the green Extra Virgin flavor in this recipe, but any of them would be fine.
I have to admit… I’m a little late to come up with this flavor creation. Seems the culinary world has been moving along at light speed and I’ve been eating too much guacamole and salsa to think of merging my love of Mid-East cuisine with the Texas flavors that I am so fond of. What took me so long??!!
The other day my daughter and I were trying to think of something yummy to sneak in to the movie theater in my purse… wait… did I say that out loud? So we stopped by Natural Grocers and picked up a bag of Veggie Chips and some Hummus. There on the shelf was a JALAPEÑO and CILANTRO flavored dip from a local company named Tom’s. While watching the ‘Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug’ and snacking on my healthy contraband, I fell in love.
Don’t tell Cinemark. I can’t eat all that sugary junk food they sell. Criminal minds, baby. Criminal minds.
My daughter tasted the final result and said she liked it better than Tom’s… but says that Tom’s is her favorite store bought hummus she has ever tried. So if you are in a hurry, and shop at Natural Grocers or Whole Foods, Tom’s is a handy alternative.
I laid out the entire recipe there on the table. I used pickled jalapeños because otherwise, my kids would not be able to eat it. I also used already chopped garlic from a jar (would be even better if you did it fresh).
You can start with this recipe and adjust the different ingredients based on your family’s taste – which is what we did with the Taste of Lebanon original Hummus recipe. All my hummus flavors begin with Mary Salloum’s base recipe and branch out from there. She has the best mix of chickpea vs. tahini and lemon juice. Of course, if you add in lime for a more Tex-Mex flavor, you will want to decrease your lemon juice to adjust.
About the spices… I used just little bit of cumin, coriander, and a bit more of sumac. Sumac is an original Hummus flavor. It’s like a lemony paprika and I keep it on hand and use it in a LOT of dishes – not just Mediterranean ones. It is the dark spice up there. I also keep a little of it in a shaker to put on top of the hummus with some drizzled olive oil. Even the Texas version tastes good this way.
Easy as dumping ingredients in the blender and blending until smooth! Mmmmm.
Check out the #DaretoCarbonell hashtag on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter to find other recipes and be sure to like, pin, and tweet if you enjoy this one! Carbonell has some groovy recipes at their web-page, too!
Aside from adding more olive oil, you can make your Hummus creamier by adding more of the juice from the can of Chickpeas (this is my favorite method and I always set it aside instead of rinsing and draining the beans), or you could add in some sour cream like my husband does.
Here’s the recipe for Heather’s Texas Hummus, otherwise known as Cilantro Jalapeño Hummus:
- 1 can Chickpeas (drain and keep liquid in a small bowl in case you need to add later to make dip smoother and creamier)
- 1/4 cup Tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 1 large clove garlic (or a teaspoon pre-chopped from a jar)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 cup lemon juice (or juice of one large lemon)
- 1/8 cup lime juice (or juice of one large lime)
- 1/4 cup sliced, pickled jalapeños (or one fresh, seeded) * to taste
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 large handful cilantro leaves, picked from stems * to taste
- 1 tsp sumac (and more for garnish, sprinkled on top)
- 2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil (and more for garnish, drizzled on top)
- Add all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Add in juice from chickpea can to make hummus more smooth and creamy or add in some extra oil or sour cream if you wish. Serve with chips, vegetables, or anything else you like to dip! Can also be used in pita, sandwiches and on crackers as a spread. Sprinkle dip with sumac and drizzle with olive oil before serving. Serve room temperature or cold from the refrigerator. Keeps for 4-5 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
I can’t guarantee that you’ll get your fair share of this dip if you decide to share it with others, though. As you can see, Yoda had a hard time convincing the evil ones to allow him to dip his chip.
Thus began the Dip Wars. “Share your Hummus, you must.”
Sometrooper was hogging the snacks.
Do you blame him??? Save some for meeee!!!!
I’d love to hear about your experience with this recipe! Leave a comment and share with your friends!
In Him,
Heather
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Disclosure: This blog post is part of a paid SocialMoms and Carbonell blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. Special credit goes to Mary Salloum who wrote “A Taste of Lebanon” who’s original Hummus recipe was the one I fell in love with and have altered numerous times. It’s the best “base” recipe to begin with (and for purists who love the original flavor, it’s the very best).
Thanks for sharing! I’ll give it a whirl when I have a kitchen again. 🙂