Creamy Avocado Hummus

Two words.  Avocado.  Hummus.  Together, at last, in one simple, healthy, and completely satisfying recipe.  Let me tell you, it’s everything you’re hoping it will be.  Silky and dare I say decadent, this is the way creamy avocado hummus was meant to be.

I loved this with vegetables, pita chips, and even spread on a multigrain English muffin for a quick pre-yoga breakfast.  (Okay, okay…and by the spoonful.  A good cook always tastes their food, right?)  I was afraid the avocado would brown after the first day I made it, but between the lemon juice the recipe calls for and being stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, it stayed perfectly fresh and green for several days.

I made just a couple small adaptations to Food and Wine’s original recipe.  The most important one was peeling the chickpeas.  Trust me when I say this is an essential step in making super smooth hummus.  It takes a few extra minutes, but it is incredibly easy and well, well worth it.  All you have to do is squeeze the chickpeas between your thumb and two fingers and the little guys should pop right out of their skins.  If you have kids interested in helping you cook, this could be a great task for them.  Just a warning, though.  This may mean you’ll have to share the hummus with them.

Your next snack board absolutely needs this silky smooth, protein packed vegan creamy avocado hummus.

Avocado Hummus
adapted from Food and Wine, February 2014

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados, chopped
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and peeled
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 TBSP tahini
1/2 c. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
salt an pepper, to taste
1-2 TBSP hot water, for thinning, if desired

Directions:
1.  Place avocados, chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, and 1/2 c. olive oil in a food processor.  Purée until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Add water, 1 TBSP at a time, if desired.  (I ended up adding just over 1 TBSP to get the consistency I love.)  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to five days.

Yield: 8-12 snack-sized servings