Healthy hummus recipe without tahini

Humus is a dip or spread made from the cooked, mashed chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic and often a tahini. This dish is very popular across the Middle East but it gains more and more popularity in the western world, too. It is usually served as an appetizer and dip, accompanied with flatbreads. It is a good culinary match to falafel, grilled chicken, fish or eggplant. Hummus is sometimes served with tortilla chips or crackers, especially in the western world. Hummus is available ready-made packaged but it is also quite easy to prepare at home. Industrialized hummus is usually packed with calories while the fresh hummus, cooked prepared at home, has various health benefits.

Calories in hummus

Most of the people are concerned if hummus is healthy or not. The major ambiguity concentrates in the question: Is hummus going to make me fat? One average serving size of humus is somewhere around one cup. One cup contains 220 – 250g of humus and it may contains somewhere around 400 to 450 calories. However, humus is a dip or a side-dish and it is always consumed with bread, chips or usually pita. One average pita bread contains another 270 calories. If we count these calories together the answer is clear: humus is not a dietary product and it should be consumed in moderate amounts.

Nutritional value of hummus

Humus consists from about 60 to 70 percent of water. Tahini is the other main ingredient in humus that adds up to 10% of hummus total fat. Tahini is actually the fatty extract of sesame seeds. The rest of the hummus is composed mainly of carbohydrates and protein.An average serving of hummus contains approximately 200-300mg of Omega 3 fatty acids. Hummus is a good source of minerals such as manganese, copper and sodium. It also contains calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc. It is rich in vitamins C, B6, E, K, Folate and Thiamin.

Humus without tahini

Humus without tahini is especially good for people who are trying to avoid fatty foods, for whatever reason that is. Moreover, tahini is rather expensive so, if one’s going to make hummus at home, this recipe without tahini may be the perfect one.

To prepare a hummus one needs: 1 can of garbanzo beans, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, ½ lemon juice, ½ tablespoon of salt, paprika to taste and handful of chopped fresh parsley.

The hummus is best made using the food processor and processing until the beans are pureed to the consistency one desires. For a smoother consistency one should add a bit lemon or olive oil.