Spinach Hummus, a Fiber & Vitamin C Rich Snack

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Hummus is one of my all time favourite foods.  Firstly because it's delicious, incredibly easy to make and so versatile. And, of course because it's so nutritious.  Homemade hummus is very budget friendly while delivering a punch of legume based protein, fiber and minerals. And this great green version packs a vitamin punch perfect for warding off winter colds. Bonus:  A perfect green food for St. Patrick's Day!

  

As most people tend to eat hummus as an appetizer, I've divided this recipe into 10 servings of about 1/3 cup each.  If you just love hummus, or you are a vegetarian you may very well make a meal of this as I do.  In which case you would probably have about a one cup serving - multiply the nutritional information by 3.

Note that I use specifically lemon juice in this recipe, instead of vinegar.  The reason for that is to ensure that you are getting that natural citric acid to release the iron from the spinach, and to pump up the vitamin C level which is always needed at this time of year.

I use dried chickpeas for several reasons.  They are super cheap, and easy to store, and so that I have control over the sodium content in my recipes.  Don't worry, they're really easy to cook (instructions are included in the recipe below), but if you're not up to that, go ahead and use canned.  I keep canned chickpeas on hand for when I'm running short on time, our lives are busy - we do the best we can!  When I do opt for the time savings, I make sure that I drain them completely of their canning liquid (use a strainer) and rinse them well to remove as much of the salt as I can, then I omit adding salt to my recipe.

I really hope you enjoy.  Please feel free to share this with your friends and let me know how you liked it.  Share a comment below or tweet photos of your hummus to me @TeresaMWright

Recipe Name	Spinach Hummus
Description	Fibre Rich Low Calorie Snack - Super easy to make & eat
Cooking Time	2 hours (if using dried chickpeas)
Preparation Time	10 minutes
Number of Servings	10
Ingredients	0.25 cup(s) Lemon juice, raw 2.5 tbsp(s) Vegetable oil, olive 0.25 cup(s) Water, municipal 0.25 tsp(s) Salt, table 1 tsp(s) Pepper, black 1 tsp(s) Basil, dried 2 tbsp(s) Turmeric, ground 1 tsp(s) Oregano, ground 3 clove(s) Garlic, raw 0.25 cup(s) Chives, raw 1 tbsp(s) Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, roasted & toasted kernels 1.5 cup(s) Spinach, raw 2.5 cup(s) Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), boiled
Instructions	1.  Rinse dried chickpeas thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, cover chickpeas with twice their volume in water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium simmer for 1 hour. Check occasionally, add water as needed. Drain chickpeas, return to pot & cover with fresh water as before. Bring to a boil, reduce to a medium simmer for another hour. 2.  Once the chickpeas are softened, drain liquid, reserving at least 1/2 cup for use in the recipe. 3.  Add 1/2 cup cooking liquid, olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice into food processor. Follow with Garlic cloves (whole) chives (chopped) remain spices, then fresh spinach. Top with warm chickpeas 4.  Pulse intermittently until ingredients seem blended. Turn power to food processor off. Open and scrape down the sides of your hummus. Take a taste test at this time too. If your hummus is too dry, add more water/cooking liquid. Alter spices to taste if you like as well - but do remember the flavours will become enhanced if you leave your hummus in the fridge for a few hours/overnight. 5.  Power back up your food processor and switch it to blend for 2 full minutes. This will produce a beautifully smooth hummus. That's it your done! 6.  Scoop your hummus into a container for storage in the fridge, or take the time to divide it into smaller serving size containers now. Although it's certainly tasty enough to enjoy right now, it will be even better if you leave it in the fridge to fully develop it's flavours overnight. 7.  Enjoy with whole grain dippers like melba toast or pita crisps

Nutrients per serving

Calories (kcal)	116.3
Fat (g)	5.4
Saturated Fat (g)	0.7
Trans Fat (g)	0.0
Cholesterol (mg)	0.0
Sodium (mg)	67.8
Potassium (mg)	208.6
Carbohydrate (g)	13.8
Fibre (g)	2.6
Sugar (g)	2.2
Protein (g)	4.3
Vitamin A (RAE)	25.0
Vitamin C (mg)	6.1
Calcium (mg)	43.0
Iron (mg)	2.2
Vitamin D (μg)	0.0
Vitamin E (mg)	0.9
Thiamin (mg)	0.1
Riboflavin (mg)	0.0
Niacin (NE)	1.2
Folate (DFE)	83.8
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.1
Vitamin B12 (μg)	0.0

Food Groups per serving

Vegetables and Fruit	0.2
Grain Products	0.0
Meat and Alternatives	0.4
Milk and Alternatives	0.0

Nutritional information/analysis courtesy of eaTracker.ca