Traditional hummus has tahini, a paste that serves to bind the hummus. For this lemon black olive hummus recipe, though, we’ve replaced tahini with low-fat yogurt to get the calories down without compromising the taste of the hummus. (If you don’t like yogurt, just use 2 tablespoons of tahini.)

14 oz. (2 cans) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 lemon
4 tbsp olive oil
1 oz. pitted black olives (and a little extra for serving)
1 tsp paprika
1 oz. low-fat plain yogurt

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend on high for thick paste. Add a little water or yogurt if the hummus is too thick. Transfer hummus in a serving bowl. Drop handful of olives on the hummus. Serve with vegetable crudités, pita triangles or chips.

Quick tip for you: Hummus isn’t only great as a dip; it’s actually a wonderful vegetarian sandwich spread! Spread a thin layer of hummus on a slice of bread, put a few lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes and then another slice of bread and voila – a hummus sandwich! Or, you can use hummus as filler for roasted peppers or even mix it with couscous.

• Chickpea is also called garbanzo bean. Garbanzo bean is the name used for this member of the pea family in many Spanish speaking countries.
• Chickpeas are among the earliest vegetables to be cultivated – in fact, remains of chickpeas found in the Middle East is believed to date back 7,500 years.
• Chickpeas are the most widely eaten legume worldwide. The leader in world chickpea production is India. Pakistan and Turkey are second and third, respectively.
• Chickpeas have high protein, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus and iron content. Chickpeas also contain folate and zinc. A 100 grams of boiled matured chickpeas have 164 calories, 7.4 grams of dietary fiber, 2.6 grams of fat (0.27 grams is saturated fat) and 8.9 grams of protein.

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