UPDATED as of August 5, 2011:

Here is my most recent update for super quick hummus in a blender (if you don’t have a food processor to make the thicker hummus, you’ll need to settle for slightly more runny hummus so your blender can blend it, but it is still delicious!)

QUICK HUMMUS IN A PINCH:
1 can garbanzo beans WITH bean liquid (no salt added if you prefer)
(optional) 1 can white beans WITH bean liquid
lemon juice
garlic powder
Tahini
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
One can garbanzo beans WITH bean liquid.

Blend, starting on a medium speed and slowing accelerating speeds. Pulse blender if it gets too thick and stops blending effectively.

Add (if you have it) 1/2 can or more of white navy beans WITH bean liquid. This will make the hummus smoother and creamier.

Blend. Pulse if needed.

Add ~ 1 Tbs lemon juice (the amount you add is up to you, if your blender is having a hard time blending then add a bit more and get the liquid around the blades)

Add ~1 tsp garlic powder.

Add ~1 Tbs Tahini

Salt to taste (I leave the salt out to keep it lower in sodium)

Blend. Pulse if needed.

Serve with pita, veggies, crackers, etc.

….

Here is my basic recipe for homemade humus. As of September 30, 2010

You can add olive oil and salt to yours, but if you’re trying to eat nutritarian style, then you really cut back on added salts and fats. Making your own humus is quick and easy, and you can control just how healthy (low salt, low fat) you want it to be. It is a great spread on a variety of breads and veggies, and it gives you a great, quick, convenient source of bean protein. My kids love it too!

All measurements are approximate, and you should just play around with it until you find a consistency you like. If you want it creamier, then continue to blend it for a long time and slowly add reserved bean liquid.

Basic Humus:
1 can low-sodium garbanzo beans/chickpeas (SAVE BEAN LIQUID….yummm, bean liquid…sounds gross, but it’s good to add) (Ruby calls them Chicken Beans)
1 can low-sodium white northern beans (+ bean liquid)
1 tsp garlic powder (not fresh, I prefer powder in humus, fresh I like for sauteing)
1-2 Tbs Tahini (roasted sesame seeds smooched into a butter, like peanut butter, but sesame instead)

Tahini is packed with calories since it is a nut butter, so use less if you’re watching calories. If you want your humus to be really creamy, then be generous with the tahini! I found tahini in the Asian/Ethnic foods section of the grocery store.

Directions:
Blend beans together first. Start with the whole can of chickpeas, and a half can of white northern beans. Add all the white northern beans for smoother texture if you desire. Add the bean liquid to help it blend better and to thin out the humus. Add garlic and tahini as the blender/processor is blending. Go easy on any lemon or lime juice you might add, start small. Blend, blend, blend, until it is the smoothest consistency. Humus will keep well in the refrigerator for several days—but I would be willing to bet that you eat it all in about two days!

Optional Ingredients: lemon or lime juice, cumin, cayenne pepper for a kick, extra garlic powder for more garlic flavor, 1-2 Tb. olive oil, 1 tsp salt, more Tahini for creaminess, serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top, a sprinkling of paprika (for color) or cayenne (for heat), garnish with cilantro or parsley. OR–just serve it plain, right out of the canister, devouring it happily.

Humus is really best made in a food processor, like the classic Cuisinart Food Processors.

If you are going to make it in a blender, that is fine, but you will need to add all the bean liquid from at least one can of beans, and maybe even more. Also, in a blender you will need to often stop the blender, hit the canister on the side to make the humus slide down to the bottom and pulse it, repeating by stopping and hitting the canister, several times. Just be prepared to stop and hit a lot, and then it won’t bug you as much.

If you’re making it in a food processor, you will need to stop it occasionally (not nearly as much as a blender) and scrape the sides down.

I like to let mine blend and blend so that it is really smooth. I also often add a lot of the bean liquid to make it quite thin and spreadable, blending it very well first.

I prefer the garlic powder because it has a softer flavor, a more garlicky flavor with less of the heat (the spiciness of fresh garlic). If you like the heat, then use fresh garlic–but I think it overpowers the humus flavor.

Adding a little paprika will give it a pretty pink color, and maybe a drizzle of roasted red bell peppers in oil? If you have different flavored oils with special seasoning in them, that can be fun to drizzle on top of a bowl of humus. Pretty looking and tasty!

Humus is delicious with whole wheat pita. It is also good as a veggie dip. I really enjoy using it as a spread on my veggie sandwiches. I’ll take WW bread or pita, generously spread on humus, add sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and whatever else I have on hand (olives?). It is a very tasty, creamy, crisp and crunchy, refreshing and satisfying veggie sandwich.