Avocado Hummus

When buying avocados, I tend to go a little overboard. Instead of being rational and taking a moment to think realistically that there are only so many nights in a week that we can eat guacamole, I get carried away and before I know it I have multiple avocados all going ripe at the exact same time.

Rewind to about a month ago when I saw an ad for "new avocado hummus" in my Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer. I jetted to the store to buy it, and sure enough it was a delicious refreshing spin on hummus. I couldn't tell whether it tasted more like guacamole or hummus, and that was not a bad situation to be in. I used it to top bean burgers and turkey sandwiches, and used it as a dip for everything from crackers to chips, and when it was all gone it was a sad moment.

Now, with one too many ripe avocados on hand in the kitchen, I decided to take the plunge and make my own avocado hummus. It turned out great, and I have a new favorite use for my extra avocados! The avocado adds an irresistibly creamy quality and a richer, brighter dimension than usual. It also makes it much more versatile than a traditional hummus because it is essentially a hybrid of guacamole and hummus -- as I mentioned above, it's just as easily eaten with a burrito as a sandwich, and as naturally with tortilla chips as pita chips. It looks like I don't have any reason to curb my avocado buying habit!

Avocado Hummus:

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 cloves garlic

1/2 medium Spanish onion

1 lime, rolled and sqeezed

1 t. cumin

1 T. hot sauce

2 t. salt

Directions:  Food process the first five ingredients together until completely smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the cumin, hot sauce, and salt, puree again and taste. Adjust and add any seasonings to taste.