This week’s recipe for the Bean-A-Thon is a tahini-free hummus, as I realized recently that I don’t really like the flavor of tahini in hummus.  I prefer mine without.

After exploring a bit online, I came across a few recipes that suggested using olive oil in lieu of tahini, and I decided that this was something I wanted needed to try.

While most recipes suggested using a 1/4 cup olive oil to a can of garbanzo beans, I though this was way too much olive oil for only 15 oz of beans.  As such, I pieced together my ideal ingredients for hummus, and went on my merry little way.

As I started putting the garbanzo beans, olive oil, cumin & lemon juice together in my mini food processor, ideas started to flow, and next thing I knew I was throwing in a garlic clove & a whole bunch of crushed red pepper flakes.

After letting my food processor whir, and whir, and whir. 

I found myself with a creamy pile of hummus-ness, that I couldn’t help but to swipe my finger through and taste preemptively.  Verdict?

Umm olive oil + garbanzo beans is an awesome idea.  If I had added the suggested 1/4 cup olive oil, it would’ve been too much olive oil by a landslide (and I feel like the hummus would’ve been like a liquid) but the approximate 1/8 cup I used was the perfect amount.  It allowed for a little olivey taste to hinder at the back end of the hummus, while the front end was filled with spicey goodness of the cumin, crushed red pepper & garlic.  Oh, so good.  (If you’re not a huge fan of the olive oil flavor though, try to go for an olive oil with less of a potent taste/smell.)

So good, we went outside for a photo shoot

So, I grabbed a carrot from the fridge, and started noshing away.  Right from the container.  And then realized I probably shouldn’t eat just hummus for lunch.  So I put the hummus down and went in search for the rest of my lunch.  But I honestly kept returning for a little more of this:

Crushed Red Pepper Hummus

• 1 can garbanzo beans (15 oz)
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1-2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 – 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 garlic clove (peeled)

Combine all ingredients in food processer.  And let whir until creamy.  Turn off food process, and place in a serving dish (I like to use one with a lid for easy storing).  Sprinkle with a few crushed red pepper flakes and cumin for appearance (and a little extra kick).  And enjoy, with your favorite veggies, crackers – or even put on a sammich!

Do you like hummus?  If so, what are you favorite flavors/additions to it?  Also, do you like tahini in yours?  Or sans?!  Mine is probably roasted red pepper, or spicy red pepper (like this one), but I also have a soft spot for plain old garlic.  Yum.  And I don’t know what it is about the tahini, but when we made hummus for NYE in Chicago, I just was not diggin’ the tahini flavor.  Maybe I added too much?