To keep the fat content to a minimum, I used sliced, pitted black olives packed in brine without any oil—the kind you get on pizza. Read the label carefully to make sure there is no oil. A small 125 ml (4 ounce) can of sliced black olives has about 1/4 cup of brine and about a 1/3 cup of sliced olives. I added the whole can of olives, but you can add as much or as little of the olives as you wish. Add any leftover olives to pizza, toss with pasta, or add to a large salad.
The tablespoon of tahini in the recipe is optional. I like the bit of extra creaminess it adds to the texture, but the recipe will certainly work without it.
Use home-cooked or canned chickpeas. Be sure to use salt-free canned beans as there is plenty of salt in the olive brine.
Add water a tablespoon at a time to thin out the hummus if it seems too thick.
2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1-2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon tahini (optional)
1 125 ml (4 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained, liquid reserved
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
water as needed
To your health and happiness,
Beans and Rice
p.s. Happy Birthday, Mom!