SO MANY WAYS TO HUMMUS

I make hummus often, and it’s something I keep around for snacking. The type of hummus I make is often determined by what I find in my pantry, and there are so many ways to make hummus outside of the more traditional use of garbanzo beans. One of my favorite bases is lentils, because the earthiness of the lentils lends itself well to other hummus flavors such as lemon and tahini. Veggie-based hummus is fun because you can end up with different colors depending on the veggies that you use. And a much less traditional hummus made with almonds or macadamia nuts is a great way to switch things up, with the nuts adding a touch of sweetness that balances out all the savory elements Makes 1½ to 2 cups of hummus

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Step 1

Put the hummus ingredients in the food processor and process until the mixture is super-smooth, adding additional water (a tablespoon at a time) to thin it out, if needed.

Step 2

Transfer to a bowl and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and your topping of choice.

Step 3

For the lentil hummus, put ½ cup lentils and 4 cups water into a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 45 minutes, or until the lentils are very tender. When the lentils are done cooking, strain, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking water, and transfer them to a food processor with the reserved water and the rest of the hummus ingredients. Follow the rest of the instructions above.

Step 4

For another variation in flavor, toast your pine nuts and roast your garlic and lemon. For the pine nuts, preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spread the nuts on it, and toast for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Step 5

Let the nuts cool before using.

Step 6

To roast the garlic and lemon, preheat the oven to 400° F.

Step 7

Separate the garlic into unpeeled cloves and slice the lemon into rounds. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper, place the garlic and lemon on it, and roast them for about 30 minutes, until the garlic is soft and the lemon is charred around the edges. Let them cool before using.