Maybe it’s the return of daily workouts at the gym. Or maybe it’s the frigid temps outside that make me want to hide in my house all day. But whatever it is – I’ve been really snacky lately. Snack, snack, snack – all day long.
When I go through my snack phases, I try my best to make sure there are good healthy snack options available in the house. Otherwise I find myself shaking the bag of chocolate chips into my palm.
For today’s recipe, I was craving hummus but wanted to kick it up a notch. Something kind of like…
Kalamata Olive Hummus Spread
Ingredients:
- 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, rinsed and pitted
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp minced garlic (or 2 cloves)
- salt, to taste
To Prepare: Start by lugging out the food processor – this recipe is as simple as dumping things in and pushing GO!
Chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) are the base for all hummus recipes. Their nuttiness and creaminess lend perfectly to the delicious spread – one of my favorite things to eat!
And speaking of favorite foods, and my go-to choices for every snack/meal/grocery trip – olives and avocados are always at the top of my list. Must be a healthy fats thing. If you put me on a desert island and told me I could only take one food, my head would explode before I could choose between the two. (Okay that may be a tad dramatic.)
Add the olives to the food processor, making sure all pits have been removed. You don’t want to take a hearty bite and chomp down on a rock hard pit – trust me, I’ve done it.
Add the garlic, lemon juice, water, and a pinch of salt. Go ahead and give it a WHIR!
You’ll want to scrape down the sides a few times, and process for about a minute or so each time. If you want your hummus a little creamier, add a little more water. If you let it process long enough, you should have delicious creamy hummus after a few minutes!
Perfect for SNACKING!
Hummus by itself is already delicious, and the kalamata olive addition just makes it so much more tasty.
Pair with crackers or fresh veggie sticks for a delicious snack or appetizer.
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Or spread it onto some fluffy sandwich bread and top with avocado to make the greatest sandwich of all time. (Again, dramatic.)
If I was asked to only take ONE food with me on a desert island, can my answer be…this sandwich?
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.
What would YOU take?
79 Comments so far
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My cell phone. Does anyone else feel that kalamata olives are too salty?
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Amanda Reply:
December 6th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
That saltiness is EXACTLY why I loooove kalamata olives! :-)
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Angie @ Musings of a Violet Monkey Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
Me too!!!
I love salt. A little too much. Perhaps. :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Me three! It’s all ABOUT the salt. :)
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Amber K Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 11:25 am
I do! For some reason I just really don’t like salt.
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I would take peanut butter, no question! :) And that hummus looks amazing… I’ve been enjoying Sabra’s olive hummus over the past week, but yours looks like it blows it out of the water!
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Tricia @ Saving room for dessert Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 9:33 am
Good choice – I vote for peanut butter too!
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Whitney Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 10:10 am
definitely peanut butter!
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Woo I’ve got a party this Friday, and this would be PERFECT!
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i would bring Justin’s chocolate almond butter. absolutely no contest. you’ve inspired me to try making hummus for the first time soon!
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I would take oatmeal if water was around and if not then apples. Those are my two all time favorite foods! The hummus looks incredible. I love olive hummus is has such a great flavor!
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I went to a Greek restaurant in FL a few months ago and they had the best hummus ever! Ever since then, I’ve been craving it but I don’t really like the store-bought kind. And I just bought a big bag of garbanzo beans! So I think I should make some. Thanks for the recipe!
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Yum that spread sounds awesome! Olives pack such a punch in the flavor department I bet this is delicious.
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Oh, and I would take Mama Pea’s peanut butter dough balls with me on a desert island. Pretty sustaining, right? :D
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LOVE this!
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I looove hummus! I guess if I had to choose one food, it’d be the guacamole that Ryan makes. So good. :)
Ever since I got the new food processor, it hasn’t seen much use. I’ll have to soak some garbanzo beans tonight. Or maybe a few nights from now. :)
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YUMMY! I’ve recently turned my boyfriend on to hummus. We’re gonna have to try this one! <3
http://www.bishella.blogspot.com
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This looks delicious! I love hummus and I have always wanted to make my own! :)
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Definitely potatoes. Can’t live without the holy spud!
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I love hummus – and I love kalamata olives. WHY I have never thought to combine the two is beyond me!!!!!! :) What a great idea!!
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That looks yum! There is nothing like homemade hummus
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Yum!
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Probably pizza. I love pizza so much, that my then boyfriend (now fiance) proposed by putting the ring in the pizza box from our favorite pizza place. He cut up the pizza to make it look like a ring. That hummus looks great! I’ve really been into eating hummus sandwiches lately….yum!!!
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
That is adorable!!
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This looks seriously good and super easy. I can’t wait to try this!
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This sounds delightful. Enjoy today’s trip to the gym! Careful walking home! It’s super dark already!
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That is not the greatest sandwich because it’s not on Great Harvest bread!!
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I love that combo!! Looks good!
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What? No peanut butter with you on the island- I am SHOCKED :)
I would have to take ice cream. There isn’t anything exactly healthy about that, but it is my favorite food- as my grandma said- there’s always room for ice cream.
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
I would eat it all on the first day! :)
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As someone who has given this question serious thought… If I am allowed a single food item option, I would say either lentils for their nutritional value and for how filling they are, in addition to being delicious.
If I’m allowed something with multiple ingredients, it would have to be a hearty veggie pizza. I could eat pizza anytime and you could eat it every day and get most of the nutrients you need.
Now, if we’re just talking about something we’re obsessed with, even if we couldn’t eat it every day??? Then cupcakes. Definitely cupcakes. Anyone who has read my blog knows that I have a serious love of fancy pants cupcakes.
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
I love this well thought out answer. Also love lentils as a nutritional choice – so much better than rice!
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I’m a snack monster, too!!!!
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Looks great! I did see a kind of “hummus” made with peas before, and that looked like something I have to try as well!
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Oh wow – I’ve never seen that. I’m intrigued…
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I am an olive lover, so this looks wonderful!
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Ohhh that hummus looks amazing! I love all olives, especially, kalamata!
I don’t know what I would take with me…I just LOVE food too much to pick one thing. Maybe pineapple…then again if it was an island it may already have them so I guess I’m back at square one! ;-)
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I love hummus, but I just cannot manage to like olives!
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This has to be my favorite kind of hummus. I love the bold saltiness of Kalamata Olives and pair it with the smooth and creamy hummus, that’s brilliant.
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ohh yummmm. love olives. love hummus. love avocado. love this recipe. :)
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I’d bring peanut butter. And bananas!
Kind of boring, but yummy.
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That looks realllllyyyy good! I want.
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MMMM I definitely agree – hummus and avocado sandwiches are the best!!
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Yuuuuum!!!
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No drama there! Hummus and avocado is a match made in heaven. :-)
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Honestly, I would take hummus. I eat a serious amount of hummus. My friends all make fun of me because every time we go to a restaurant, I order it.
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
I do too. We should eat together more often! :)
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I have all of those ingredients! I’m making this RIGHT NOW! Yeah!
Also, I’ll take my fly rod to the desert island… food and entertainment all in one!
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Karen @ Gravy Training Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 12:31 am
Ok so I did actually make this and it was awesome! Just as I suspected :D I also did a post about it with a picture and everything! Thanks for another great recipe!
Kalamata Olive Hummus Post
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 9:37 am
Awesome – so glad you liked it! :)
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That hummus looks fantastic! I’ll have to keep this recipe in mind for our next party. I could probably eat guacamole everyday, so that sandwich looks right up my alley.
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This looks delicious! I am adding it to my list of things to make.
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I loooooove kalamata olives. Tough question…I think I’d say a giant jar of peanut butter, and or nutella!
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I would take greek yogurt!! My all time fav. No plan yet for how to keep it cold though ;) That does look like an absolutely yummy sandwich!!
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I made this immediately after reading your post, and it is delicious! I added some fresh rosemary because I had plenty on hand. Your recipes never disappoint. Thanks so much!
I’m with you on taking olives and avocado to my desert island … plus some nut butter!
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Ooooooh ROSEMARY – yum! Good idea!
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That sandwich looks amazing. Oh the goodness! I can only imagine how good that tastes. I may just have to make that for lunch tomorrow. And dinner, and snack…I’ll stop. Looks great!
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That hummus looks absolutely delicious. Love love love Kalamata olives. By the way, I recently discovered the secret behind extra smooth hummus: remove the skins from the garbanzo beans! Still to try this at home but sounds like it would be the perfect way to achieve the same smooth and creamy hummus you usually only get from store-bought hummus.
Sophia
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
I have NEVER heard that! Sounds like a project for a rainy day. Awesome – thanks!
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mmmm I’m a huge fan of making my own hummus! I’ve never tried it with olives, so thanks for the idea! PS I do the “shaking chocolate chips into my palm” thing too =D
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Glad I’m not alone… :)
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omg. I would take this sandwich. Avocado and kalamata olives are two of my favorite foods ever. I cannot believe I have been going through life without this sandwich.
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Eat slowly – your head might explode. This sandwich is the BOMB.
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Looks divine. I just made my weekly batch of hummus on Sunday… but I might just have to whip up another batch so I can try this one. I love hummus, and olives – and yet, never thought to put them together. Sounds fabulous.
~
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This is my husbands FAVORITE snack. Although he always wants it with pita bread……it’s a vice. haha
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Ooo this is perfect for my mom! She loves hummus and is on an olive kick lately. Thanks for sharing, Emily!
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Hummus is so good. I made some Sunday and have eaten most of it! I’ve used the same tahini you have bc I prefer organic, but I don’t like the consistency.
I’d take chocolate.
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
I agree, it’s a bit grainy.
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I would probably take my husband with me… although that sandwich is a close second :)
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Im ashamed to say that I lived in Greece for a month and think olives are the most terrible food on earth. I know…I know.
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
CRIMINAL!
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Do you refrigerate your tahini? I always buy it from the bulk bins so i never know what to do with it :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
I don’t, and I actually looked at the jar yesterday just to make sure. Doesn’t say it anywhere on there.
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Not really related to this post, but I wanted to let you know that I made your black bean burgers for dinner last night and they were delicious! I just finished a leftover burger for lunch…yum!
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Emily Malone Reply:
December 7th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
That’s great! I’m glad you liked them. :)
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I can take that sandwich also, or at least one just like it. I love hummus and home made hummus is even better but I do have one problem with it; I don’t make it enough so buying a giant jar of Tahini that will probably go bad before I can use it all always seems sad to me. Do you know of any good substitutes or something that might taste just as good? Or anything else I can use Tahini for?
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AM Reply:
December 8th, 2010 at 7:30 am
It lasts longer if you refrigerate it and only use a clean dry spoon in it/tahini covered spoon
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This looks so delicious!! Thanks :) I can’t think of what I’d take – each thing I choose I then think, “no I’d get sick of it”. maybe bananas?
Heidi xo
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What a delicious delicious recipe – absolutely scrumptious photos :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Latest: Fresh Fruit Tart
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