This super easy and yummy hummus with a secret ingredient makes a wonderful healthy snack, sandwich filling or appetizer for your parties!

The secret ingredient is KELP or KOMBU, a seaweed that not only softens the beans and reduces cooking time, but also adds a wide variety of minerals and vitamins such as iodine, iron, calcium and protein. I like to add a 4-5 inch strip of kelp, kombu, wakame, arame or any kind of algae I can find at the health food store whenever I cook beans or rice to help them cook faster and become easier to digest. Win-win all around! As the beans cook, the algae becomes soft and sometimes even dissolves. When you’re ready to make your hummus, you can either discard the algae or just leave it in and blend with the rest of ingredients. I promise no one could ever taste it in there!

I’d like to use dried beans that have been soaked overnight and cook them myself instead of using canned beans. Soaking beans for 7-24 hours helps mitigate the antinutrients and makes them more digestible. That means no more gas, bloating or belly pain! But of course, if you are short on time or haven’t planned ahead, feel free to use canned beans. I highly recommend using brands like Eden Organic Garbanzo Beans that are BPA-free and take the extra step of soaking the beans and cooking them with kelp.

Simple Hummus Recipe

 Ingredients

  • One 15-ounce can (425 grams) chickpeas OR 1 cup dry chickpeas soaked overnight + 4-5 inch strip of kelp or kombu (only if cooking the beans)
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
  • Juice from 1 large lemon or lime
  • 1/4 cup cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for serving
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water (from the beans)
  • Pink Himalayan sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. [SKIP IF USING CANNED BEANS] Drain the water from soaked beans. Add fresh filtered water to cover the beans for 1-2 inches. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1-2 hours until beans are tender
  2. Add cooked or canned beans (without the water) to the food processor along with the rest of ingredients. Add 2-3 Tbsp. water from the can or cooking the beans and process until smooth. Add more water or lemon juice if necessary and season to taste
  3. Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week

NOTE: The key to getting a silky smooth hummus is blending it for at least 4-5 minutes if not more. Removing the skin of the cooked beans also makes a huge difference. I often skip that step though cause I’m too lazy lol!