Each month in Well Stocked, our staff shares unfussy recipe ideas that you can call upon any day of the week. Because yes, our editors love to cook, but sometimes we need to get dinner on the table 12 minutes ago. That’s when we look to pantry and fridge staples that can quickly morph into delicious meals. This month it’s all about store-bought hummus.
The other day I was waist-deep in trivia, rapid-firing questions back and forth with friends. It was then that I found out the single largest serving of hummus was over 23,000 pounds, accomplished by chef Ramzi Choueiri and a group of students from Al-Kafaat University in Lebanon. Wow. Set on a colossal ceramic plate crafted by a local architect and supported internally with steel tubes, this event set a Guinness World Record, solidifying the country’s enthusiasm for the dip.
That kind of devotion for the dish makes total sense considering how useful it can be at home. Of course homemade is wonderful (and of course we have a favorite hummus recipe). But in this case, store-bought is also fine—often even great. A container keeps in the fridge for weeks and can form the base of nourishing beef dinner bowls, sizzled dolmades, and loaded halloumi and vegetable flatbreads. But that’s far from all it can do. Read on to see all the ways our editors are putting store-bought hummus to use.
A quick Caesar dressing
When I need a speedy route to a dairy-free Caesar, I grab a container of hummus. Whisk it up with grated garlic, nice olive oil, Dijon mustard, a splash of Worcestershire, and acid in the form of lemon juice or white wine vinegar. I like to add chopped anchovies or capers for a little extra salty zing. Leave it on the thicker side and it’s a perfect dip for carrots and celery; thinned with a bit of water it’s a deeply flavorful dressing, ideal for hardy greens like kale or chicories and DIY croutons. It’s also excellent tossed with tuna or pasta for an even heartier salad. —Rebecca Firkser, Test Kitchen editor
Tuna hummus plate
80% of the time, I’m making hummus—the homemade stuff is always the fluffiest—but for the remaining 20% (when I can’t be bothered), the prepared section of Sahadi’s in Brooklyn Heights is a reliable standby. I’ll swoosh a couple of heaping spoonfuls onto a large plate, and pile on a drained jar of oil-packed tuna, wedges of jammy eggs (6½ minutes, you know the drill), cubed avocado or cucumber, and a healthy squeeze of lemon. Pita chips are a must. Extra points if you dust za’atar on top. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking
California veggie sandwich
Come June, farmers market produce starts to get good—crunchy green cucumbers, buttery avocados, and the cutest gem lettuces you ever did see. Whenever I have a fresh produce haul in hand, I sandwich it all together between two slices of wheat bread smothered, and I mean smothered, in hummus. As a California girlie, I love a veggie sandwich, and in the summer months, it becomes my hyper-fixation lunch. The creamy hummus creates a satiating meal, but also has a practical purpose, holding slices of cucumber in place so they’re not slipping out with each bite. —June Kim, executive editor
Two-minute pasta sauce
The container of hummus always in my fridge is most often deployed for sandwiches and snacks. But on a recent evening, I turned it into a two-minute pasta sauce. I was inspired by Christian Reynoso, a chef and author whose recipes I love. I ran with the idea and streamlined the method out of unabashed laziness: scooped the hummus into a bowl, mixed it with olive oil and lemon juice, added hot spaghetti and a bit of pasta water, tossed, tossed, tossed, and topped it with also-store-bought zhug (Trader Joe’s has a good one). Thanks to the hummus, it was creamy and filling and, above all, quick. Next time maybe I’ll crumble some feta on top. —Emma Laperruque, cooking director
Mayo-less BLT
As a lifelong mayo-phobe, I gleefully skip past most dishes that include the stuff. I don’t crave deviled eggs or tuna salad—but have you seen a BLT? One made with toasted, grainy sourdough bread, piled almost too high with thick slices of heirloom tomatoes, crispy bacon, and tender leaves of lettuce? Why must it be slathered in mayo? I respect the role the condiment plays: adding much-needed moisture and fat. But hummus can do the same job. A layer of the creamy dip transforms my dry and underseasoned sandwich into a craveable one. I often take a cue from Amanda Shapiro’s saladwich and mix a healthy squeeze of mustard into the spread. It’s my very own special sauce. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior cooking editor
Nina Moskowitz
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