Roasted Garlic and Lemon Hummus

There is one key to making a simple recipe taste like a great recipe, and that is using the right ingredients. Hummus is one of those appetizers that is good no matter what you do with it. It only takes a few ingredients and a few minutes of your time, but there is something special about making it yourself. There is a Greek restaurant in Miami that I’ve been to a few times with my family called Opa. Hummus at Opa is chickpeas, lemon, garlic, tahini, and olive oil served in a mortar. A pestle is served with it and you mash up the ingredients at the table. Pure, simple, and perfect. This recipe goes one step further by adding nutty and sweet roasted garlic. It takes some extra time, but the flavor is insanely delicious and worth every extra minute. 

Makes: 2 cups hummus
Prep Time: 40 minutes    Total Time: 45 minutes

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
5 cloves whole garlic, unwrapped
1 lemon
1/4 cup tahini
1 small shallot
1/4 – 1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp paprika

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Put the garlic cloves in foil and drizzle with 1 tbs olive oil. Cook for 40 minutes, or until the garlic is soft. When it is cool enough to touch, press the creamy garlic out of the skin.
• Combine the garbanzo beans, roasted garlic, zest of the lemon and juice, and the shallot in a food processor. Pulse until all of the ingredients are broken down.
• Add the tahini and start to drizzle in the olive oil while you pulse the ingredients. Depending on how smooth you like your hummus, you may stop after 1/4 cup. Season with salt and pepper.
• Plate on a bed of lettuce and sprinkle with the paprika and a little bit of oil. Serve with your favorite dipping devices (baby carrots, cucumber slices, and bagel pretzel chips pictured).