Hummus with Pita Chips

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Serves: 4

Make this classic Mediterranean dish right at home. It’s easy & quick to make, and the result is oh-so-delicious. Did we mention that it’s healthy, too? Find out how to make Hummus with Pita Chips in no time.

For the pita chips:

7” Pita bread - 4
Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

For the hummus:

Chickpeas - 2 x 15oz. cans
Tahini - ⅔ cup
Lemon - 1, large, freshly squeezed
Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Salt - 2 teaspoons
Cumin - 1 teaspoon
Olive oil - 3-4 tablespoons
Black olives - ½ cup

A Healthy, Protein-Packed Treat!

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Slice the pita bread into wedges, and brush both sides with olive oil.
Arrange the pita bread wedges on the baking sheets; avoid any overlapping. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Bake for 7-10 minutes until the bread is brown and crispy. Set aside.
Drain the chickpeas, and reserve the liquid. Peel the skin off each bean and pop them into a food processor. Set a small portion of the chickpeas aside for later.
Add the tahini, lime juice, garlic, salt, cumin, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the food processor. Pulse until you get a smooth paste.
If you feel like your hummus is getting too thick, add the reserved water from the chickpeas.
Pour the hummus into a bowl, creating a swirl pattern. Pour the remaining olive oil on top, sprinkle with olives, and the reserved chickpeas. Serve alongside the pita chips.

Chef Tip: Cut some carrots, cucumbers, and celery into 2-inch strips and serve them along with the hummus for an even healthier alternative. You can also add some paprika to your hummus and pita chips for a spicy kick.

This classic dish can serve as a midday snack, an appetizer at a dinner party, or even a meal in itself. Share this easy Hummus with Pita Chips recipe with your friends!

Quick Bites

Fun Fact

Hummus is more than a dish in parts of the Middle East. It has a rich and largely disputed history and the origin is stubbornly claimed by Lebanon and Israel. So the two countries decided to settle things once and for all and began to compete over who could make the world’s largest hummus dish. The hummus war is real people!

Historical Fact

• “Hummus” is derived from Arabic meaning “chickpeas”. The earliest known documented recipe for a dish resembling hummus was found in cookbooks written in Cairo in the 13th century. The basic ingredients constituting hummus have been eaten together in the Levant over centuries.

• Pita, on the other hand, has its roots in the prehistoric flatbreads of the Middle East. There is evidence of a dish like pita from 14,500 years ago during the Stone Age where the Natufian people in what is now known as Jordan made a kind of flatbread from wild cereal grains.

Nutrition Fact

• Pita chips are relatively high in calories, carbohydrates, and sodium but can also supply certain micronutrients like folate, thiamine, vitamin E, and niacin.

• Chickpeas, the main ingredient of hummus has appreciable amounts of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin B6, manganese, and other nutrients. Hummus roughly provides 170 calories for a quantity of 100 grams.