Chipotle Pepper Hummus

When we have extra cans of chickpeas in the pantry, I can't help but think: hummus. We tried our hand at baked falafel (not bad, but not great), and roasting them is on my "To-Cook" list, but hummus is always my go-to. Especially considering I had some delicious chipotle peppers left over from Shredded Beef Tacos just calling my name from the fridge. They're not exactly an easy ingredient to incorporate into other things, but hummus? Hello blank slate! They add a great smokey flavor without too much heat.

I posted a basic hummus recipe a few months ago, and of course you could just add a couple peppers to that one, but we also had tahini paste chilling in the fridge, so I altered the recipe slightly to use it.

Oh, I also did this.

I had some time so I squeezed those little peas right out of their casings (I mentioned this in my first hummus post but didn't take the time to do it). The process is really easy; just squeeze a chickpea gently between your thumb and forefinger, and the casing will slip right off. Some might even come off when you rinse them. I have to be honest though, peeling all these chickpeas took me at least 30 minutes, which is a lot of time to spend on something so simple. But the benefit is silky smooth hummus, just like you'd buy off the shelf. Plus the process gives you the same kind of reward that rubbing dry dough off your fingers does, or peeling glue off your hands.

Chipotle Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
24 oz canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and peeled
3-4 Tbsp tahini
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Juice from half lemon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4- 1/2 cup water

Directions:
1. Place the garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor and process until minced.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, except the water.
3. Process until the consistency is thick but smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4. Add half the water and process. Continue to add water until you reach your desired consistency.

Recipe Notes:

• I like my hummus a little thicker, so I only added about 1/4 cup hummus.
• Leaving out the chipotle peppers will give you a great classic hummus.
• Peeling the chickpeas is optional. Leave them just as they are from the can and you'll still end up with a delicious hummus. It will just have more texture.