Hummus is a simple and easy Middle Eastern dish that is served as an appetizer or dip. It’s great served with pita or fresh vegetables. Spread it on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise. Create a veggie wrap with hummus and a fresh tortilla. At parties, substitute this Sun Dried Tomato Hummus for ranch dip on your vegetable platter.

Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are the main ingredient of any hummus. I prefer to use dried chickpeas that I cook myself. First, they are cheaper than using canned chickpeas and two, then contain less salt. If you have never cooked chickpeas before, it’s similar to cooking dried beans. Place chickpeas in a pot, cover with water, and soak overnight. Next day, drain the soaking water off and refill with fresh water. Ne sure to have twice as much water as beans. Simmer for 1 hour until the chickpeas are tender. Easy Peasy! If you would rather use canned chickpeas, omit the salt in the hummus recipe. After everything is pureed together, sample and then add salt as needed.

In the past, I made hummus with tahini paste, a sesame seed paste that I picked up at Sprouts or Whole Foods. Someone on Facebook recommended substituting whole sunflower seeds for the tahini paste. They said that it was even better than the original. They were right! Even with just a few tablespoons of sunflower seeds, hummus tastes better. It’s the same way with fresh peanut butter. It just tastes better. Another plus for using sunflower seeds is they are easier to find than tahini paste.

This Sun Dried Tomato Hummus uses jarred sun dried tomatoes in olive oil. You can find these at most grocery stores. You can more or less tomato to your tastes. I like a little more tomato when I’m using this hummus as a spread in a veggie wrap. But it’s up to  you. All I know is this Sun Dried Tomato Hummus is a healthy and delicious snack that you’ll enjoy.

Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

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Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons sunflower seeds
• 1/2 lemon juiced, about 2 tablespoons
• 2 cups chickpeas, drained
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 Tablespoons sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, about 2 tomatoes
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 Tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Add the sunflower seeds and lemon juice to a food processor or blender. Pulse until seeds become a paste. Remove the lid and scrape down the sides as needed.
2. Add chickpeas through tomatoes into a blender or food processor. Turn machine on and puree/blend for 30 seconds. Hummus will be very thick and a little lumpy at this point.
3. With machine turned on, slowly add the olive oil and water into the hummus. Puree/blend until smooth. If hummus is to thick, you can add more water until you get a consistency you like.

 What do you like to serve hummus with?