Fresh Hummus with Baked Pita Chips

Posted by Olivia on Fri, January 15, 2010

Fresh hummus, like fresh pesto, is one of those recipes that will shock you with its simplicty. And once you've tasted fresh hummus, you'll never go back to the storebought stuff. This is a wonderful treat to keep on hand for afternoon snacking or serve it with cocktails when you have guests. I prefer to use a delicate extra virgin olive oil, such as Sevillano since it allows the flavors of the tahini, lemon and garlic to shine through and balances them. A light dusting of paprika makes the crisp homemade pita chips just spicy enough to be interesting.

Ingredients

1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans
1 small bunch parsley
2 tbsp tahini
juice of 1 lemon
4 cloves garlic
5 tbsp delicate extra virgin olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
6 regular round pitas
1 tsp paprika 

Directions

Combine the garbanzo beans, parsley, tahini, lemon, garlic, and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the pita chips, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the pitas into wedges (I like to try to get 8 wedges out of each pita). Spread evenly on a baking sheet and brush each pita wedge with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Bake for 6-7 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crisp. Sprinkle lightly with salt and the paprika. Serve with the hummus.