Party Idea: Hummus Flight

Party Idea: Hummus Flight

The holidays are fast approaching, which for a lot of people means plenty of opportunities for parties and entertaining. For the past couple of years my parents have been traveling for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so before they leave my family celebrates what I like to call “Fakesgiving,” and what other people in my family have dubbed “Thanksgivingchristmasbirthday.” Whatever you call it, last night we all got together for this occasion, and I made a flight of hummus to bring. It was fun trying out several different hummus variations, and no one could seem to decide on a favorite since they were all good in different ways. Here’s how to make your own hummus flight.
A hummus flight is perfect for your next party or potluck. Get the recipes for chipotle feta hummus, spinach artichoke hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, and spicy hummus

To simplify things, you’ll want to start with a base recipe that you can use for all of the variations, and then divide it up and add specific ingredients for each hummus type. I cooked dried chickpeas, and I think the hummus is much better for it, but if you really can’t be bothered or are in a rush, you can substitute canned beans. For the 8 cups of cooked beans that my base recipe calls for, you’ll need about 5 and 1/3 cans beans. (I’d just round up to 6 cans.) Be aware that canned beans may contain additional salt, so you may want to make the base without salt, and add it to taste.

Hummus Base Recipe

3 cups dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1/2 cup tahini
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup bean cooking liquid (or water)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Place the chickpeas in a slow-cooker pot and cover with water that is about 2 inches higher than the beans. Soak 8 hours, or overnight. Drain the water, rinse the beans and the pot, and re-cover the beans with water. Add the baking soda, and cook the beans on high until quite tender. The exact cooking time will vary depending on the age of your beans, but 1.5 to 3 hours is a good range.

After the beans are soft, drain the cooking water, reserving about 1/2 cup. Rinse the beans and allow to cool completely. You should now have approximately 8 cups of cooked beans.

In a large food processor, puree the cooked chickpeas, garlic, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice. (You can do it in batches if your food processor isn’t large enough.) Add 1/4 cup of the bean cooking liquid, adding more if necessary to thin out the hummus. Transfer the hummus base to a large bowl.

Now you’re ready to make your variations.
A hummus flight is perfect for your next party or potluck. Get the recipes for chipotle feta hummus, spinach artichoke hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, and spicy hummus
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

2 cups hummus base
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup (jarred or canned) roasted red peppers
1/4 tsp dried basil (plus more for garnish)
paprika

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and puree until red peppers are finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl, and serve sprinkled with paprika and dried basil.

Chipotle Feta Hummus

2 cups hummus base
1 chipotle pepper (canned, in adobo sauce)
1 Tbsp adobo sauce
1/5 oz feta cheese, plus additional for garnish
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
black pepper
smoked paprika

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and puree until the feta and chipotle peppers are finely chopped. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and serve sprinkled with smoked paprika and crumbled feta.

Spinach Artichoke Hummus

2 cups hummus base
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup drained canned water-packed artichoke hearts
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed, and drained

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and process until the spinach and artichoke hearts are chopped. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

A hummus flight is perfect for your next party or potluck. Get the recipes for chipotle feta hummus, spinach artichoke hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, and spicy hummus

Spicy Hummus
2 cups hummus base
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika, plus additional for garnish
sriracha chili sauce

Stir cumin, paprika, and sriracha chili sauce into your hummus base. Start with 1 tsp or sriracha, and add more until you reach your desired level of spiciness. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with sriracha.

Serve your hummus flight with flatbread, pita chips, pita bread, and/or veggies like baby carrots and celery. I’ll be sharing the easy flatbread recipe I used soon!

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4 thoughts on “Party Idea: Hummus Flight

  1. I love hummus, this is a great idea.

    Also so jelly of your european trip – my inlaws are here from France for two weeks, although I wish we could have gone there.

    1. Leah, thanks! And at least when you do get to go visit your relatives in France, you’ll probably have a place to stay and locals to show you around? That seems like a great way to visit Europe!

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