We all love a snack we can depend on. Hummus is one of those snacks. It’s always there to save the day. Whether you want a lighter alternative to condiments and toppings such as peanut butter or mayonnaise or you’re just tired of the standard salsa dip, hummus can step in and step up to the role.
Creamy, refreshing and full of protein, Oasis Original Hummus is an organic brand that exemplifies everything a simple hummus should embody. Typically made from just blended chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, and some seasonings, plain hummus rarely fails as an enhancer to sandwiches and celery sticks alike.
But if it’s made with the appropriate amount of creativity, hummus can be so delicious as to serve as an entrée in itself (well, almost). For those times when your palette cries out for zestier yet still healthy complement to pita chips or carrot sticks, here are five ways to jazz up your basic hummus:
1. Peanut Butter Hummus. Can’t decide what to spread on your celery? Why not combine both in a rich, nutty and savory topping? Just blend a little more than half a container of hummus with two tablespoons of peanut butter (or more or less, to taste), about a tablespoon of olive oil and dashes of salt, pepper and paprika for a surprising and satisfying hybrid.
2. Pesto Hummus. This jazzed-up hummus takes a typically fattening food and blends it with a typically healthy one to form a diet-friendly dip with the perfect balance of indulgence, flavor and nutrition. Take the pesto of your choice (I used sun-dried tomato pesto, but regular basil pesto is delicious as well) and blend about two tablespoons or more, to taste, with about half a container of hummus and three to four cloves of minced garlic. Serve and enjoy with multigrain Tostitos, Stacy’s Pita chips or crudités.
3. Curried Hummus. For an Indian-fusion kick to make that bland vegetarian sandwich more appealing, simply blend paprika, garam masala and mild curry with hummus. Spread on naan or your bread of choice and enjoy your exotic eats.
4. Black Bean Hummus. Get your Chipotle fix, without the subsequent guilt of consuming a puppy-sized burrito. Just blend a can of rinsed black beans and add some cumin and chili powder for a crave-able Mexican-style snack that won’t result in a two-day calorie surplus.
5. Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus. The longer the title, the more impressive the hummus, right? That’s absolutely right if you decide to get fancy and whip up this gourmet hummus, perfect for impressing a party on a tight schedule and even tighter budget. Blend a can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans with a tablespoon of tahini and squeeze in one head of roasted garlic. Continue blending while you stream in a quarter cup of olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.
