Smooth, creamy and lemony with a hint of garlic and a few splashes of hot sauce, that’s my favorite kind of hummus. I topped my hummus with olives, capers, cucumbers, tomatoes, chickpeas, feta cheese and a drizzle of good olive oil. I’ve included my favorite homemade hummus recipe but please feel free to use your favorite store-bought brand instead. I served my loaded hummus platter with crackers and a crisp Chardonnay.

Seeds of Collaboration (SoCo) is a company that produces delicious tahini and has a social mission as well. I’ve used SoCo’s beautiful, smooth tahini to make many dishes. In the past I worked with the company to help promote their brand. Tahini, a key ingredient in hummus, is made from grinding toasted sesame seeds into a paste. It has an intense, nutty flavor, and is high in protein and minerals.

Loaded Hummus Platter

Print Recipe

Loaded Hummus Platter Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 large garlic cloves
• 2 cups canned chickpeas drained and liquid reserved
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice from about 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons reserved liquid from the chickpeas
• 8 dashes hot sauce optional
• drizzled of extra-virgin olive oil for garnish
• olives, capers, cucumbers, tomatoes, chickpeas, feta cheese optional ingredients for "loading" your hummus

Servings:

Instructions

1. You'll need a food processor fitted with a steel blade for the hummus. Drop the garlic down the feed tube and process until it's minced. Add the chickpeas, salt, tahini, lemon juice, reserved chickpea liquid and hot sauce into the food processor and process until the hummus is pureed and smooth. Taste and season, if needed. Serve the hummus on a serving platter (chilled or at room temperature) with a drizzle of olive oil. Top your hummus with the ingredients of your choice. I usually store the hummus in the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before serving.