Margaret is a really knowledgable source of all things vegetable and I can recall her telling me not to forget the lemon and to use plenty. So, an acid type ingredient is a great addition and, yes, it can be vinegar. I used a dark balsamic but only because it is in my pantry, and although it darkened the hummous a bit, it still remained looking pale.
There are indeed heaps of different hummous recipes on the internet, and lemon is the classic addition of citrus used. However, if you have limes, then use limes. Even orange can be used (according to the internet), but I haven't tried that. It was hot yesterday and I didn't want to go to the shops of lemons. As explained above, I used a splash of high-end balsamic, simply because I have it in the pantry.
I used to soak and cook my own chick peas but now using just a single can, coz otherwise I just get far too much and it goes off before I have finished it. A single can gives me just what I need. (Besides, I am trying to be sensible and cut down on work which is unnecessary, anyway.) I end up with a large cup of dip. It will last me for a week and am anticipating it will remain fresh stored in the fridge.
I have an excellent Bamix with lots of attachments. This helps to make the hummous a very simple, easy and quick dip to make. All done within five minutes......
I have done the peeling of the chick peas before, but I reckon that's absolutely not necessary at all. It is supposedly more smooth that way, but I reckon it's not worth the effort. Anyway, I am very pleased with my hummous. I used powdered garlic (quite a generous amount at that) and my very good olive oil. I also drizzle the olive oil onto the top and cover my small dish with cling wrap.
You may enjoy reading this article about just some of the advantages of using Tamari (made from wonderful sesame seeds).
"10 Lesser Known Health Benefits Of Tahini By Amritha K on April 9, 2019
You may have come across the term tahini before, especially if you are a hummus aficionado. Tahini is a type of thick sauce or paste made from toasted ground hulled sesame. The condiment is equally tasty and healthy and comes with various nutritional benefits.
Tahini is of two types, hulled and unhulled. Unhulled tahini has more nutritional value than the hulled one as it is made from sesame seeds that are whole. It is also called as sesame seed butter. The thick sauce/paste has been used in Eastern cuisines for thousands of years and has a rich taste of toasted sesame, along with an earthy flavour. Due to its nutritional benefits, tahini is gaining popularity in Western culture now. But the high-fat content of the thick paste has to be taken into consideration before consuming it in large quantities. The New York Times recognised tahini as being one of the 'mother sauces', due to its depth and versatility.
Tahini can be used in various ways - you can drizzle it over fresh vegetables (salad), use it as a healthy alternative to toast spreads, add it to soups to thicken its consistency and give it a slightly nutty taste, use it as a dip and pair it with meat (roasted chicken). Tahini is one of the best post-workout snacks when paired with apple slices.
Nutritional Value Of Tahini 100 grams of tahini has 595 calories of energy, 0.473 mg of riboflavin, 0.693 mg of pantothenic acid, and 0.149 mg of vitamin B6."
Anyway, I use hummous on my salads, as a snack on very thin biscuits (I like these, and my teeth remain safe eating them), and sometimes as part of a salad sandwich.
I didn't want my hummous to be too thick, hence the use of some stock I had still opened in the fridge and just a splash of it was enough to get the right consistency. Indeed, it is very forgiving in terms of what you put in it.
Oh, and you will have a lovely clean insides too as the chick peas are, of course, high fibre. lol
It is kinda nice with fresh celery, too, given the scoopability of the celery. Sorry, about my make-up word......
