Creamy Avocado Hummus

INTRO

Hummus is much simpler to make than one may think and very versatile. Store bought hummus is often filled with excess unnecessary ingredients making homemade much more desirable nutritionally. Plus, the freshness of homemade is always incomparable.

INGREDIENTS

1 can organic garbanzo beans

1/4 cup organic tahini

1 small ripe avocado

1 small garlic clove

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Salt, pepper and fresh or dried herbs to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Begin by prepping the garbanzo beans.

Throughly rinse garbanzo beans and dry on a paper towel. To remove the skin, lightly pinch each garbanzo bean. This can be a tedious task, and since the garbanzo bean skin holds a lot of its fiber, I do not personally like to remove every single skin.

Next, place ingredients into a food processor.

Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, avocado, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings into the food processor and blend until smooth.

Top with more olive oil and seasoning as desired.

Serve with veggies, pita bread, crackers, etc.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Garbanzo beans are a source of fiber, protein, iron, folate and phosphorus. The fiber in garbanzo beans contain digestive promoting properties. The soluble fiber in garbanzo beans breaks down into butyrate, a bacteria that positively impacts the gut microbiome.

Tahini is a source of protein, fiber, selenium, copper and monounsaturated fats.

Avocados are a good source of monounsaturated fats, fiber, potassium and carotenoids.

Fresh garlic cloves have been shown to have health promoting and disease preventing impacts.

Extra virgin olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats, helping to lower LDL cholesterol.

Fresh lemon juice is a great source of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant that protects against cell damage.