Strange but Good: We'll Put Hummus on Almost Everything

Folks tend to be staunchly opinionated about hummus: Yes tahini, no tahini. Yes lemon juice, no lemon juice. Home-cooked chickpeas or straight from the can (and don't get 'em started on whether or not to peel the chickpeas). But everyone is a little more relaxed when it comes to what they're eating the hummus with and on. While we squabble over whether a hummus made without chickpeas is truly hummus, we can all agree: Hummus very, very good on just about anything. We asked our community for their most creative ways to eat it:

• Spread a thick layer of hummus between two slices of bread and griddle it à la grilled cheese (or put it in a panini press, if you have one). The oil in the hummus will make the bread crispy and flavorful.
• Stephanie G likes to spread hummus on a flour tortilla, followed by a layer of mashed avocado and topped with a layer of mashed cooked sweet potatoes—and then rolls it all up. 
• Use hummus as the base for a creamy salad dressing like drbabs: Just thin it with a bit of oil and lemon juice or vinegar and drizzle away.
• It also makes a great base for pasta sauces, says Rebecca Firkser | Spices and Spatulas, especially paired with kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and spinach.
• And you can use it as a pizza topping on a pre-baked crust. Top it with feta, fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, cooked sausage or chicken, olives, and herbs, like charlenecara does. The same would work on a baked potato (like skittles does).
• Kerry Grisley mixes it with a Japanese mayonnaise (like Kewpie) and serves it with vegetable nori rolls filled with cucumber, carrots, bell peppers, and Japanese-style omelets, and pickled ginger.
• And Kristen W. maintains that hummus is good on just about any sandwich under the sun. Many members of our community use it instead of (or in addition to!) mustard and mayonnaise on their sandwiches.
• Amysarah adds it to the egg yolk mixture when making deviled eggs. (She says she does this with just about anything smear-, spread-, or dollop-able, either instead of mayo, or in addition to it.)
• You can even use hummus to make fritters! Droplet mixes them with breadcrumbs (you could also use cooked grains), cheese, and herbs, forms them into patty shapes, and pan-fries them.
• Add things to your hummus! Janixes recommends swirling in mashed pumpkin.

Photo by James Ransom

What's your favorite way to eat hummus? Share your ideas (and any strong hummus-related feelings) in the comments.