I have always loved hummus, but it has become an absolute staple in my diet in recent months and all the moreso now that I am following a vegan diet. Mad panic enters the house when our shop-bought hummus runs out :-) so much so that I have a few hummus recipes to hand that can be made with ingredients I always have in the house and that takes 10 minutes (or thereabouts) to make.

I am never one for exact measurements so I will include a rough guide to amounts to use but please feel free to experiment according to your palate.

ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS RECIPE

Ingredients

– 400g chickpeas

– 2 “blobs” of roasted red pepper (I buy mine in glass jars and they come as “blobs” i.e. pieces of roasted red pepper in water or whatever liquid. They are not usually equal in size so I just take a couple of “blobs” and add it to the mix. You can experiment with the amount. Try 2 pieces to start with and if not peppery enough, add more!)

– 3 tbsps fresh lemon juice

– 1 tbsp sesame seeds

– 1 clove minced/finely chopped garlic or good squeeze of garlic puree (the hummus retains a very garlicky taste – you have been warned :-) Great for you and your health – maybe not so great for the person sitting next to you ;-) Try first with 1 clove and see how you like the taste- add more or less according to taste.)

– 1 tsp ground cumin

– 1 tsp mild chili powder

– 1 tsp paprika

(You can experiment with the amounts of cumin/chili powder/paprika depending on how spicy you want it. I keep mine fairly mild so that my daughter will eat it but again experiment!)

– 1tbsp rapeseed oil

– Splash of water

(The amount of oil and water needed can be adjusted to achieve the texture you desire. I don’t provide an exact measurement because I don’t measure it myself. I usually add a splash of oil then a splash of water. If it looks too thick, I’ll add some more water, etc. until it reaches the desired consistency).

Method

1) Blend all of the above ingredients in a food processor, using long pulses until the mixture is fairly smooth.

2) Enjoy the fruits of your labour!! I have mine with either toasted pitta bread (totally yum!!) and salad, in wraps, or just dip carrots into it.

Hope you enjoy experimenting…