This easy lunchbox hummus recipe will delight you. It delights me every time I make it. And most importantly, kids love my hummus for school. A healthy school box that gets eaten: now that’s a winner.
Let me tell you my secret….
My secret lunchbox hummus recipe
I have two version of this recipe, really.
The School box hummus recipe version
In a way, it’s nothing special, in that it uses most of the traditional hummus recipe ingredients: chickpeas, tahini, top quality olive oil and fresh lemon. Salt and pepper to taste.
But then it differs… Most significantly, the key ingredient that I omit is the raw garlic. And I substitute this with extra lemon. This alters the flavor of the Tahini significantly, making it well, more bland, and with the extra lemon, more lemony! Kids love this flavor variance as it’s milder on the taste buds than raw garlic. I sprinkle on some dried paprika powder or dried basil powder on for presentation and an extra flavor component. If your child likes parsley or other kinds of fresh herbs, I’d sure add that instead. However, I observed that the dried versions of things work a lot better. Oh on that, try cutting up sundried tomatoes (if your kids love those) and add that to this recipe. Delicious.
I hope you like these ideas. They sure work for my family!
The Office lunchbox hummus recipe version
AKA a no-bad-breath lunch food, suitable for office days with after-lunch meetings
Having said this, I want to point out that without garlic is does not have to be bland! When I make a larger batch, I divide it into 2 portions: one for school, and one for me in the office. If I have meetings to go to that day, I leave out the garlic also for me. And then I substitute that not only with lemon, but also with finely chopped fresh organic red peppers or fresh cilantro, or fresh oregano if my cilantro has run low. Garnish with fresh parsley. Parsley is a detoxifying herb that is excellent for your health. It also cleanse your palette and gives you a fresh breadth. I tend to add a lot. Perfect for meeting days! And there you have it.
How to Make Hummus From Scratch (for a snack for 4 people or lunch for 2 people)
Start with 1 or 2 cups of dried chickpeas. I use organic chickpeas, ideally that have been grown high up in the mountain. Look for that. Those are usually smaller and they are much richer in minerals/vitamins and more potent. Soak the cup of dried chickpeas overnight or 12 hours. Change the water several times. Etc.
Then, just make these minor variations to the ingredient list of my classic Hummus recipe and you’ll be good.
How to make creamy hummus ?
- Here are a few tips:
- If your hummus is not creamy enough, I suggest you simply add a bit of water.
- I’ve also added fresh milk in the past. Works great too. Ensure your milk as a good use-by date if you want to create this as a make-ahead recipe.
- Hummus stays good in the fridge for up to a week, I’d say, so you can certainly make this ahead in the weekend to be consumed during the week.
Other Chickpeas Recipes
Made too much and got chickpeas left over? Try out this recipe for roasted chickpea salad. It’s one of 15 Healthy Snacks Lunch & Dinner Recipes for Summer.
[chickpea salad photo credit: Eric Liddon; hummus photo credits: FineCraftGuild.com]
