Vitamix Hummus

1. Pour 1 can of chickpeas with its liquid into a Vitamix or other blender. Drain second can of chickpeas, reserving liquid. Set liquid aside and add chickpeas to the blender.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 6- to 8-inch saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until just turning golden in color, about 1 minute. Immediately remove from heat and add sautéed garlic with pan oil to the blender.

3. Use a citrus press to squeeze juice from lemon directly into the blender, avoiding getting seeds into mixture. Add remaining oil, tahini, salt, and cumin.

4. Blend thoroughly on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in desired amount of reserved chickpea liquid slowly and continue blending until desired consistency is reached, 2 to 3 minutes. To serve, scoop hummus into a flat serving bowl and spread evenly around in a circular fashion.

Tips

If you don't use a citrus press and squeeze lemon by hand, increase to 1-1/2 or 2 lemons.

I usually end up using about half the reserved chickpea liquid to get creaminess to my liking.

Use extra-virgin olive oil and genuine tahini (sesame seed paste). I sauté garlic which, which really adds depth to this tasty appetizer. Experiment with slightly varying the amounts of tahini, lemon, oil, and garlic to suit your palate. Cumin is a strong spice so I use it sparingly. Maybe you would like more but I've added more than a dash before and it overtakes the flavor. The levels in my recipe are what I've found to taste as close to authentic Mediterranean hummus.