zesty rustic basil hummus

I know I’m not the only one that has spent $4, $5, probably even nearing $6 on a few ounces of store-bought hummus, not even realizing how little time and effort it takes to make my own at home. Not only is homemade hummus ridiculously simple and fast, it’s silly how cheap it is. I decided to make some as a snack today on whim, and I happened to just have all of the ingredients used in my home already! Read on to see how I did it, and try your own twist on it next time you need a fast, satisfying, protein-packed snack.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of organic chickpeas

• juice of 2 small lemons (or 1 big, juicy lemon)

• 1-2 tablespoons with organic tahini

• a splash of high-quality organic balsamic vinegar

• fresh basil to taste or upon availability (I had about 1/4 cup of packed fresh leaves)

• 1-3 cloves of garlic (based on your taste, I like it with a strong garlic kick)

• 1.5 teaspoons of pink himilayan sea salt

• freshly cracked pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• pinch of dried herbs (your preference/availability/optional)

Process:

• place all ingredients in high-powered blender (this is the one I use 2-5 times a day and is the best kitchen tool I’ve ever had! + it’s on sale right now!)

• use tamper tool to push ingredients down. you can also add some nice olive oil here to lubricate mixture, but totally optional. be patient and pause, use spoon to mix up and resume blending on low until combined and mostly or completely smooth, based on preference.