Dished Up: Houmous

Houmous is a favourite in our house. It is always thought of as a treat when we have pitta bread, cucumber and dip for lunch. Not that long ago I catered for a friends wedding and had some tins of chickpeas left over. When I say some, I mean 20! As you can imagine I've been trying all kinds of creative things to use them up. Making houmous therefore was a no brainer. I tried a couple of recipes and wasn't happy with the finished result so threw together a few different things and came up with this recipe.

I guess most people would know that houmous is made with chickpeas but the other distinctive flavour is tahini, or sesame paste. You should be able to get hold of tahini in most major supermarkets. The one I have bought looks like a jar of peanut butter. All the other ingredients are store cupboard basics. It's super easy to make and not only is it packed with flavour, it lasts longer than the shop bought ones. They always say eat within three days and seem to go 'fizzy' very quickly.

What you need:
4 tbsp Olive Oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp tahini
Smoked paprika (optional)

What you do:
1. Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and soften until translucent, 5-10 minutes.
2. Put the remaining ingredients in a food processor with the rest of the oil. Add the cooked onion and whizz to a purée.
3. Put in a serving dish and sprinkle with smoked paprika if using. Enjoy with some crudités or slather in a sandwich with some roasted vegetables.

Easy Peasy! Enjoy.
Cassie xx