Whenever I make this chickpea dip, I think of Connie Daniels, one of my New Hampshire readers. Every so often, Mrs. Daniels hailed me in the supermarket and asked me to list the dip’s ingredients. “It’s so easy, Connie,” I protested. “Just make it once and you’ll never forget it.” I don’t know whether she ever made the dip, but during the years we shopped at the same supermarket, she enjoyed getting the recipe in the ancient oral tradition.
Yield:
2 cupsIngredients
1 can (20 ounces) chickpeas
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons tahini or sesame seeds
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Chopped fresh parsley
Paprika
Pita bread, warmed and cut into 2-inch triangles, or crisp raw vegetable sticks
Instructions
Drain the chickpeas and reserve the liquid. In a blender or food processor, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and the tahini or sesame seeds. Blend until smooth. Add enough reserved liquid to make a creamy consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper. Pile in a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, parsley, and paprika. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Serve with the pita bread triangles or vegetables.
