Hummus For Two Recipe

Prepare chickpeas

Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the can (aquafaba) if desired and set aside; otherwise use cold water as listed.

In a food processor, combine drained chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic clove, ground cumin and kosher salt. Pulse until a coarse paste forms (about 20–30 seconds). Scrape down the sides once.

With the processor running, stream in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons cold water (or reserved aquafaba) to loosen the mixture. Process until smooth and creamy, 45–60 seconds more. If the hummus is still too thick, add up to 1 more tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach desired texture.

Taste and adjust seasoning — add more salt, lemon juice or cumin as needed. Transfer hummus to a shallow serving bowl, smooth the top with the back of a spoon and create a small well in the center.

Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil over the hummus and sprinkle smoked paprika for color and a hint of smokiness.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil the sheet.

If using whole pita rounds, separate the two layers and cut each into 8 wedges. If using one large pita, cut into 12–16 wedges. Place wedges in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Brush or toss the pita pieces with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and optional dried oregano. Toss so each wedge is lightly coated.

Bake for 8–12 minutes, turning once halfway through, until crisp and lightly golden. Watch closely after 8 minutes to avoid burning. Remove from oven and let cool; crisps will continue to crisp as they cool.

Prepare vegetables: slice 1/2 cucumber into 1/4-inch rounds or halve into half-moons; peel and cut the carrot into sticks about 3 inches long; slice pepperoncini into rings or strips; drain and arrange olives.

Arrange hummus bowl on a serving plate. Surround with pita crisps on one side and the prepared cucumber, carrot sticks, pepperoncini and olives on the other. Garnish hummus bowl with an extra pinch of smoked paprika and an additional drizzle of olive oil if desired.

Serve immediately so pita crisps remain crunchy. Leftover hummus can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days; store pita crisps separately in a sealed container to maintain crispness.