Smooth Hummus

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I found this recipe for Ethereally Smooth Hummus on the blog Smitten Kitchen and it's the best hummus I've ever made.  The secret to this smooth hummus is removing the skins from the chickpeas.  Who knew, I didn't, and now that I do, I'll always make it this way.  It takes a little time but it's so worth it.  Once that's done it comes together quickly in a food processor.  Another thing I like about this recipe is it uses the reserved juice from the beans to thin out the hummus instead of using olive oil.     This way the olive oil is just used as a garnish.  This will be my go to hummus recipe for now on.       

• 1-15 ounce can chickpeas (Reserve juice, I use about 1/4-1/3 cup)
• 1/2 cup tahini paste (I use 1/3 cup)
• 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Extra Virgin Olive oil and paprika for serving
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1. Drain the chickpeas, reserving the juice.
2. Remove the skins from the chickpeas. I find the easiest way to do this is to pinch the chickpeas and the skin comes right off. Place the skinned chickpea in the food processor, and the skins in the trash.
3. Pulse until the chickpeas are in sandy looking. 
4. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt, and blend until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
5. Slowly add the chickpea juice (I use about 1/4 - 1/3 cup) to the mix until the mixture is the texture you like and completely smooth.  
6. I like to chill the hummus for an hour or so. To serve, top with olive oil, and sprinkle with paprika.  Serve with crackers, pita bread or veggies.