I was thinking about what I was going to make for lunch today and my daughter asked if I could make hummus. It has been a while since I’ve made hummus and a quick and easy lunch sounded like a good idea to me! I even had a bag of pita chips in the pantry that would pair perfectly with it.

I decided to make a chili lime version of this protein-packed food, mainly because I didn’t have any lemons or lemon juice on hand. I threw in a little frozen cilantro to the mix at the end and topped with some sun-ripened heirloom tomatoes that I picked the other day from our garden. Oh man, oh man! I think the spiciness from the fresh garlic, the tanginess of the lime, the freshness of the cilantro and sweetness of the tomato were excellent together. You may not want to have too close of a conversation with me later because of the bi-product of the garlic, but I don’t regret eating this at all! Quick, easy and de-lish with some fresh thrown in…my idea of a great lunch! Enjoy! -Shelley.

Chili Lime Hummus
*This makes quite a bit, but can easily be halved

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained with liquid reserved
juice of 2 limes
8 cloves fresh garlic
3 T tahini {sesame seed paste}
1/2 t adobo seasoning
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t cumin powder
3/4 t salt
fresh cracked pepper
fresh cilantro, chopped {I used frozen because it is all I had on hand}
fresh tomato, chopped
olive oil to drizzle on top of the hummus, optional

Combine everything but the cilantro, tomato, and liquid that was reserved from the cans of beans in a blender. Pulse to combine, adding just enough liquid to the mixture to let it flow freely and blend well together. {When it was all said and done, I used a little less than half of the reserved liquid.}

Add a couple of small handfuls of chopped cilantro and blend just until combined.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve as is, or top with fresh chopped tomato and drizzled olive oil.