Cajun Hummus

There's not much to making hummus. It's just basically chickpea dip.

Blend some chickpeas with some flavoring and there you are. Pick the right flavorings, though, and you can turn it into something unique.

My recipe is pretty standard except for the added twist of a little Louisiana Hot Sauce to give it a subtle punch.

Blend or food process the following:

2 15.5-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 T olive oil
Juice of 1/2 - 1 lime (or lemon), depending on size (I don't like it too citrus-y)
2 cloves of garlic
4 T tahini
2 T Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids or 1 T reduced-sodium soy sauce (adds flavor and saltiness)
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t cumin
3 - 6 shakes of Tobasco or other Louisiana Hot Sauce (maybe 1/8 - 1/4t?)
6 to 10 oz. water depending on how thick you want it (it will thicken upon refrigeration)

ALTERNATIVE - Eliminate the Bragg's, paprika, and Tobasco, and instead add 1 - 1.5 t Creole Seaoning (e.g. Tony Chachere's). This adds more spiciness, but not quite the same subtle heat the Tobasco version has. Of course, you can always add a little of each.

Start with about 4 ounces of water and add as desired. You may have to stop the blender or food processor intermittently to scrape down the sides, but that also allows you to taste and adjust the spices how you like it.

We go through a lot of hummus at our house and this is our favorite.

CAJUN HUMMUS RATING - 9