Ready-to-Eat Hummus & Other Salads

[Fat Guy]

Sabra hummus really raised the bar for packaged hummus in the US, bringing it to near-Mideast levels. Three thoughts on Sabra:

1 - Like Shel, I have reservations about the ingredients. I wish they'd make a less junked-up variant -- I'd pay an extra dollar.

2 - If you take it out, let it come up to room temp, spread on a plate, and garnish with olive oil and paprika, it tastes even better than straight from the container.

3 - The only flavor reason to make your own now is if you're planning to eat it warm. Sabra still can't beat warm homemade hummus. But once you refrigerate your homemade hummus, it's not going to be as good as Sabra.

[Pam R]

Anybody try the new Artichoke and Spinach version? Not bad, though it doesn't taste like either to me.

[BeeZee]

Just had some of that flavor 2 days ago...didn't taste any spinach, very faint artichoke, but also found it too oily. I like the hoummous with pine nuts the best.

[Porthos]

Anybody try the new Artichoke and Spinach version? Not bad, though it doesn't taste like either to me.

We tried it Monday. Tasty as Sabra hummus goes - couldn't really taste the artichoke or spinach.

[Susie Q]

I like my own when I'm at home and I like Sabra Classic for my lunch bag.

For ease I get the Classic in cups at Costco and just sprinkle on some cumin and sumak to spice it up. It's also great because I work with the public and don't have to worry about garlic breath.

I also like to use it instead of mayo on a sandwich.

[megaira]

I'd tried a bunch of different hummus brands and couldn't remember which was which, but I found a copycat recipe for Sabra Classic Hummus in "Top Secret Recipes" a while back and gave it a try.

So far it has been the best hummus I've (personally) ever had and now a staple in our kitchen. It may not be to others tastes but I'm happy enough. I was surprised to see the liquid from the can in the recipe.

1 16oz can chickpeas + 1/2 liquid

3 tbsp tahini

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp finely minced garlic

1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp citric acid

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Combine in food processor, blend 10 minutes.

I skipped the minced garlic and used Lawry's garlic salt instead (just our own preference). I'm not a huge fan of a garlicky bite (my husband is, so he does get the raw minced garlic). I also use a mix of fresh ground black/white/red pepper.

As others noted, not all brands of tahini are alike. I found a brand at the grocery store (that was a shock, it's a small grocery) that I like and stays pretty well blended, so it may be worth trying a few to find one that works.

I let it blend about 5 min, but the longish blending time gives it a wonderfully light, creamy texture.

If you're interested in making it yourself, you could start with this as a rough draft and see if you find a variation you like.

I use it as a dip, instead of mayo, instead of butter on bread...I mix it in with quinoa, or rice on a tortilla/pita/naan/flatbread... it almost has a cheese-like edge to it, so it seems to mix very well with vegetables. We go through it pretty quick.

The chipotle sounds good... I picked up some ground chipotle from a spice shop recently, I'll have to try that out.

[annachan]

I'm lucky to be able to get hummus at the farmers markets by the Hummus Guy. There are lots of flavors to choose from. Garlic is always good as is the artichoke. There is also a spicy one with harissa that is really good. But the thing I love the most is the Pure Baba, which is just puree eggplant. It has a really nice smokey flavor to it. They all go very well with the lemon pita chips.

[Pam R]

Has anybody tried Eat Well Enjoy Life hummus? It's a new line one of my suppliers is carrying and I just tried the Edamame hummus and the Yellow Lentil with sunflower seeds and apricots.

The edamame is really good - the Lentil has great flavour but is too spicy for me. I also have a couple of white bean variations and another edamame variation to try.