Food for Health: Instant-pot Hummus

tammeyg
Jul 20, 2020
3 min read

Delicious and creamy hummus! This is definitely my go to snack. My favorite thing to slather it on? Raw cauliflower! Which makes for a power-packed anticancer snack! However, hummus prices at the grocery store can be a bit startling. Let me show you how you can make this magic bean dip for a fraction of the price and in almost no time.

What is so healthy about hummus?

Hey, I am glad you asked!

It is packed with protein! There are 11 grams of protein-packed into the 3/4 cup dried chickpeas called for in this recipe
Those who regularly consume chickpeas have higher intakes of fiber sure but did you know they also have higher intakes of folate, potassium, iron, vitamins A, E, C, and magnesium. More on magnesium later
Research says that hummus might offset blood sugar spikes (winning!)
Science says the unique nutrient makeup of chickpeas could be why regular eaters of chickpeas and hummus have lower BMIs and waist measurements
And science says Chickpea Lectin Inhibits Human Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis Through Cell Cycle Arrest

That is a whole lot of healthy news!

So what's the deal with magnesium?

Science Daily reported that up to 50% of the American population is magnesium deficient. Magnesium deficiency can result in symptoms such as:

Muscle twitches and cramps
Fatigue
Muscle weakness
Numbness and tingling in the extremities
and more (see Medical News Today article)

Science Daily also reported that low magnesium levels make vitamin D ineffective. Now I don't know about you, but when I was diagnosed with cancer, we also found my vitamin D to be very low, and low vitamin D is highly correlated to breast cancer, check out this read from the Cleveland Clinic.

Ok, so hummus tastes great, makes a great snack, is packed with protein, delivers amazing nutrients, tastes great, and is easy to make! What's not to love? Oh... and did you know there is such thing as a dessert hummus? Let me know if you want my cookie dough hummus recipe.

Wishing you much happy healthy cooking!

Instant-pot Hummus

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Dried Kabuli Sierra Non-GMO Garbanzo Beans
1/8 tsp Baking Soda
3 cups Water
1 tsp Alessi Fine Sea Salt (my absolute favorite!)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 minced Garlic Clove (or more... because garlic...)

Optional:

Red Pepper Flakes
Freshly Ground Pepper
Parsley
Paprika

Don't already have an Instant-pot? I love my Crock-pot 8-Quart Multi-Use XL Express Crock

Directions:

Add the chickpeas, water, baking soda, and salt to the Instant Pot. Cover and press the manual button. Set the timer for 45 minutes. Make sure the valve is set to “sealing.”
When the timer goes off let the pot sit for 5 minutes. Then move the valve from “sealing” to “venting.” Set a colander on top of a bowl. Drain the liquid from the chickpeas into the bowl. Reserve this liquid for later.
In a blender or food processor add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid. Add in the chickpeas last. This will help it to blend easier. Blend until creamy. Add in more reserved liquid as needed (I ended up adding in quite a bit because I wanted it creamy).
Season to taste. Add optional toppings as desired.
Store hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week (if it lasts that long!).

Pro-Tip:

The baking soda helps dissolve the "shell" of the chickpea making your hummus nice and smooth.

Notes:

You can add tahini, and that would add additional nutrients and healthy fats... I just never remember to buy it... simply replace the liquid with tahini until you get the consistency desired.

References:

The Nutritional Value and Health Benefits of Chickpeas and Hummus: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5188421/
Chickpea Lectin Inhibits Human Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis Through Cell Cycle Arrest: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29623820/
Low magnesium levels make vitamin D ineffective - Up to 50 percent of US population is magnesium deficient: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180226122548.htm
How can I tell if I have low magnesium? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322191
Vitamin D: What Is Its Role in Preventing Breast Cancer? Why you need it and who's likely deficient: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/vitamin-d-what-is-its-role-in-preventing-breast-cancer/
Cruciferous vegetables intake is inversely associated with risk of breast cancer: a meta-analysis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22877795/