I first made hummus in college using a blender, painstakingly scraping down the sides of the jar and adding more liquid so it would purée. It wasn’t perfect, but it was more economical than those tiny tubs, especially when you’re living on the stuff. 
When I finally got my first food processor I couldn’t believe what I’d been missing out on all those years. Who knew homemade hummus could be so smooth?
About 6 years ago I had another hummus epiphany. It happened at a raw, vegan, Rastafarian restaurant in Tampa that no longer exists. I don’t know why that place didn’t make it, because even my carnivorous husband liked it. They had fantastic hummus. Raw hummus. Fear not, no chickpeas were boiled to death to make that hummus. They replaced those poor little beans with raw zucchini. There was plenty of tahini and other spices. It was creamy and delicious. 
I loved the creativity of those raw food Rastas, but they didn’t convince me to stop cooking my food. The next time I made hummus, I added one raw zucchini to the food processor along with my usual ingredients. It came out super creamy. Not quite as rich as my original recipe, but I prefer it this way since I like to eat copious amounts of it. I’ve never looked back. If you’ve had hummus at my house, surprise! There was zucchini in it.
I alway use Meyer lemon, but the herbs and seasonings change on a weekly basis. This basil version is a good one to start with, especially if you need to be stealthy about adding zucchini. What are those green flecks? Oh, just basil. 
- 1 small zucchini*
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas**
- zest of 1 Meyer lemon
- 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups basil leaves
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons chopped tomato
- additional basil and olive oil, for garnish
- Slice the zucchini in chunks. Add to the food processor, along with garlic and salt. Process for one minute, or until smooth. Scrape down the sides if necessary.
- Add the chickpeas, lemon zest and juice, basil, and red pepper flakes. Process for 3-5 minutes, or until smooth. While the machine is running, slowly add the tahini and olive oil through the chute.
- Once everything is incorporated, taste and adjust the seasonings (lemon juice, salt, red pepper flakes).
- Serve topped with pine nuts, chopped tomatoes, basil, and a little drizzle of olive oil. Serve with your favorite vegetables and crackers. Endive, pictured above, makes a great hummus scoop.
- *You can peel the zucchini if you prefer less green.
- **Removing as much of the chickpea shells as you can results in a better texture. They seem to come off easier when you cook the beans yourself. For canned beans, rinse them and rub them a little to loosen up the outer shell. I don't peel every chickpea, although I know some great hummus makers who do. I just pick out the loose ones.
