I am a big fan of hummus – a creamy dip made with chickpeas, tahini, lemons and garlic – and before I started my journey towards zero waste, I used to buy at least one (plastic!) container every 15 days at the supermarket. Yes, that’s 26 plastic hummus containers a year for just 1 family. And although plastic can be brought to recycle bins in almost every city of the Netherlands, I prefer to REDUCE wherever possible, so I don’t have to recycle. Madeleine Sommerville wrote a kick-ass article about that in The Guardian a while ago, called “Yes, you recycle. But until you start reducing, you’re still killing the planet”. Why don’t you take the time to read it while you are having a piece of bread with your homemade hummus?

This is how easy it is to make your own hummus

There are tons of variations for hummus. I am sharing my classic hummus recipe here, but don’t be afraid to experiment by adding other herbs or veggies!

• 250 grams of cooked chick peas. I bought cooked, organic chickpeas at the supermarket (they came in a glass jar, which I then used to store the hummus). Next on the list is to cook the chick peas myself.
• 1 tablespoon of tahini. Tahini is a paste made out of sesame seeds. You can also make your own tahini from scratch.
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
• 1 garlic clove (chopped or pressed)
• 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon of red bell pepper powder
• 1 dl of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of water
• Salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor and process until you get a smooth paste. You can add more water if the paste is too thick to your taste. If it’s too dry, add a bit more of oil.

That’s it! Seriously, it’s that easy. And it’s delicious. Store the hummus in a glass jar in the fridge and enjoy with a fresh piece of bread/toast at any moment of the day.