Smoky Chipotle Hummus

I love hummus - plain, roasted red pepper, garlic, spicy - it doesn't matter. But up until the other day, I had never made my own.  I ran across this recipe awhile ago in my Bon Appetit cookbook, though I'd never gotten around to making it.  We had family coming in town this past weekend and I wanted to make a healthy snack to have around, and seeing as how they love hummus too, I knew this would be the perfect time to try this recipe out!

This hummus was absolutely delicious and a huge hit with everyone! The chipotles gave it great smoke (in addition to the cumin) and a very nice, underlying heat. If I had just made it for The Husband and me, I would have added another chipotle or two, since we love chipotle and like things super spicy. The cilantro and lemon juice kept it bright and light. And the addition of pimientos added a little something extra that put this hummus over the top in both taste and texture.

Not only did this hummus taste great, it was also super easy to make. And now that I have a large jar of tahini on hand, I have a feeling I will be trying out quite a few hummus recipes!

The only thing I changed in my version was that I used 2 garlic cloves instead of 1. Other than that, I follwed this recipe to a T.

Smoky Chipotle Hummus

2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)*
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chilies**
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 4-ounce jar sliced pimientos in oil, drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Reserve 3 tablespoons garbanzo beans for garnish. Blend remaining garbanzo beans and next 7 ingredients in processor until smooth. Add pimientos; process, using on/off turns, until pimientos are coarsely chopped. Transfer hummus to medium bowl. Stir in cilantro. Season hummus to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with reserved garbanzo beans. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Accompany with bagel chips.

*Sold at Middle Eastern markets, natural foods stores and some supermarkets. **Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available at Latin American markets, specialty foods stores and some supermarkets.