Best Hummus Ever!! Chipotle and Red Pepper Hummus with Homemade Pita Chips

This chipotle and red pepper hummus is one of my all-time favorites and most requested recipes. When hummus first became more popular, I tried it a few times and never really cared for it that much. I read a few recipes for Hummus, and it seemed like it would be pretty easy to make a couple of substitutions, and it could be something I really like. As you can see there’s only a hand full of ingredients. The homemade pita chips I made to try to be a bit healthier than the storebought pita chips.  Both recipes are very easy to make.

That giant jar of roasted red peppers above is from Costco. I go through a ton of peppers, but you only need a few for this recipe so you don’t have to get a huge jar like that. The Tahini is usually found in the Asian food section of the grocery store. If you haven’t had Tahini, it is sesame paste, similar to peanut butter only made with sesame seeds instead of peanuts. When you open the jar there will be oil on the top as Tahini separates just like natural peanut butter does.

I also show a whole can of Chipotles in Adobo. These are smoked Jalapeno peppers in a red sauce, and they are pretty hot, so you don’t need much. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon, but if I’m just making it for myself, I’ll put two… I like it extra spicy. This is how I store them for future use… Pour the whole can out on a cutting board and chop up the entire contents. Take out the tablespoon that you need and put the rest in a snack size zip top bag and put it in the freezer. The next time you need some just take it out of the freezer and slice off a small chunk to use for your recipe. It’s great to put a little in with your salsa, tacos, chili….anything you want to add a little heat to.

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Now it’s time to get the rest of your prep done. You need 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, about half a lemon. Next drain and rinse one can of chickpeas and zest or press one clove of garlic. Remove 2 roasted red peppers from the jar (3 if they are small) , measure 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/4 cup of Tahini.

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Now comes the fun part…throw all of those ingredients into the food processor and let ‘er rip! I like my hummus very smooth, so I’ll let the food processor run for about 2 minutes. The skins on the chickpeas are very tough and it takes a while for them to break down. That’s all there is to it. You can dig in right away, but I find it’s even better if you let it chill in the fridge for a few hours…. or better yet, overnight. I also like making my own pita chips, so keep reading if you’re into that…if not pick up yourself a bag of Stacy’s!!

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I like Stacy’s as well, but I find that I eat half of the bag and by the time you get to the second half of the bag the chips are broken and so small you can use them to dip…. they are mostly crumbs. So… I decided I was going to make my own chips. I start out with Tofuyan Smart Pockets and some Tajin. Tajin is a Mexican chili and lime-flavored seasoning, and it is delicious on all kinds of things, especially fruit!  I have also used Lavash and followed the same process.  All you do is open the pockets, cutting them in half and then stack and cut into about one-inch squares.

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Spray a sheet pan with olive oil spray or cooking spray then arrange the pita chips in a single layer on the pan. Spray the pita chips with a light coating of cooking spray and then sprinkle the chips all over with Tajin. I love this stuff so I use a lot, but you can use as much or as little as you like. Then bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 12 -15 minutes, until crisp.

Let them cool and serve with some Chipotle and Red Pepper Hummus. Store leftovers in a zip top baggie or airtight container. This is great to take to a party, to work for lunch, or to have any time as a healthy snack. I hope you enjoy as much as I do!