Do you have trouble digesting hummus? Or do you just want to maximize the nutrition hummus can offer? Give raw sprouted hummus a try!

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Hummus is a staple food in our household. We eat it on sandwiches, with chips, as veggie dip – it’s our absolute favorite! My mom loves hummus too, but unfortunately, she can’t digest it properly. So what’s her trick to keep enjoying hummus? No, it’s not Beano. 🙂 She makes her hummus with sprouted chickpeas instead and eats it without any trouble at all!

Why does sprouting chickpeas help with digestion? When beans are sprouted, enzymes are activated and break down complex nutritional structures, like proteins, fats and carbohydrates. By doing so, enzymes are essentially predigesting the nutrients to make them more easily digestible and assimilated by our body. Not only is your digestion going to be easier, sprouted chickpeas are also more nutrient-packed than dry or cooked chickpeas, because the germinating beans are at the peak of their nutritional value. They’re rich in fiber, calcium, protein, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A and C. Nutritious and delicious!

Are you ready for a garlic hummus recipe that will blow your mind?! You have no idea just hummus we love it! 😉 It’s raw, it’s sprouted, it’s living food and absolutely delectable!

Total time: 2-3 days (allow time for sprouting)

Preparation Time: 20 min

Ingredients and materials:

• 4 cups of sprouted chickpeas (about 2 cups of raw chickpeas*)
• 1.5 cups of olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 4 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. Braggs Aminos
• 1 tbsp. kelp powder
• 1 pinch cayenne
• Mason jar
• Cheesecloth or sprouting lid
• Vitamix or high powered blender

* Where can you find raw chickpeas? The best option here is to purchase them in bulk. Make sure they are not dehydrated (or canned or cooked!). Our favorite local option for raw chickpeas is Weaver Street Market that offers a great deal for raw chickpeas in bulk. If you venture into Weaver St. to get some, the label won’t say that they are raw, but they are, and they will sprout! (As a general rule in any store, just make sure the label doesn’t say “dehydrated” or “dried”.)

 Steps:

Sprout the chickpeas:

• Rinse about 2 cups of raw chickpeas in filtered water.
• Soak them in filtered water overnight (8-12 hours) in a Mason jar. Fasten some cheesecloth on with the metal ring or use a sprouting lid.
• Drain out the water in the morning. Rinse the chickpeas with filtered water morning and night for about 2 days until they have a small tail. Make sure the jar is placed upside down diagonally between rinses so that the water drains off properly.

Make the hummus:

• Mix all the ingredients in a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix.

That’s it! Now you can enjoy your hummus on pita bread or dip a carrot in it. Give this sprouted hummus a try and let us know what the verdict is! We also have a Foraged Narrowleaf Plantain Hummus Recipe you may enjoy!

Helping with digestion is just one of the many reasons sprouting is beneficial. If you are thirsty for more information on the benefits of sprouting, read our post on the Top 5 Reasons for Growing Sprouts at Home. If you’re excited about indoor gardening, you can also check out our ONLINE video workshop “Sprouts & Microgreens: Homegrown Living Foods”.

Happy Sprouting, y’all!

Christelle & Cristina

Related: Top 5 Reasons to Grow Sprouts & How to Grow Them, How to Grow Sprouts & Microgreens indoors