Hummus is as healthy as it is delicious. Most Americans do not get the amount of vegetables and beans in their diet. More than 90% do not eat enough fruits, vegetables and beans. Most people eat about one cup of vegetables each day and less than one cup of beans a week. Adding recipes with hummus can get most people to the recommended amount of beans to keep them healthy. Just two spoonfuls of hummus dip every day can fulfill the recommended amount of beans for a week.

Helpful Recipes with Hummus:

1. Sesame noodles: Take one quarter cup hummus and mix with a quarter cup of any kind of broth to thin the hummus. Ass two tablespoons red wine vinegar, one tablespoon sesame oil and two tablespoons soy sauce. Toss with six cups of cooked angel hair pasta. Serve with freshly chopped green onions and sesame seeds. To add more substance, add sautéed tofu, chicken and other vegetables to the sauce mixture before you toss with your cooked pasta.
2. Chicken and Rice Casserole: Spray a cooking pan with olive oil spray. Add a layer of cooked brown or white rice. Add a layer of chopped, cooked chicken. This can be chicken breasts or thighs. Add a mixture of Greek yogurt dip and hummus. Mix in sautéed onions,diced tomatoes and cucumbers and add cover the chicken layer with a layer of this mixture. Sprinkle with olive oil and soy sauce. Broil until the food is browned to your desired level.
3. Flatbread Pizza: Drizzle some pitas with olive oil. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and bake your pitas about five minutes or until they are crisp. Mix two tablespoons hummus dip with a half a chopped tomato and half a chopped cucumber. Add one quarter of a chopped red onion and lemon juice to taste. Spread this mixture over the crispy pitas and sprinkle with feta cheese. Pop back in the oven until the cheese is melted.
4. Hummus Croquettes with Chickpeas: Take one can (15.5 ounces) of chickpeas, one tablespoon chopped parsley, two tablespoons hummus and two tablespoons of lemon zest. Put all of of this in a blender or food processor and mix until well blended. It should be the right consistency to form a ball. Season to taste with salt and pepper (if needed) and shape into one and half inch balls. Roll in flour (you can skip this step). Cook in a heated pan of one quarter cup olive oil (medium high heat) until browned. Serve with Greek yogurt dip or sour cream.
5. Hamburgers with Hummus: Take one pound lean ground beef and add a half a cup of hummus. You can also add half a cup of sautéed red onion. Shape the mixture into patties and cook as you normally do.
6. Hummus Flavored Deviled Eggs: Boil eight eggs. Take off the shells and cut them lengthwise Scoop out the yolks and mis with one quarter cup hummus dip, enough olive oil to get the right consistency and mold back into the cut egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika, cool and serve.
7. Pasta Salad with Hummus. Cook some of your favorite pasta for salads such as rotini. Toss with hummus, olive oil, rice wine vinegar and red or freshly ground pepper. You can toss in cooked vegetables like red peppers, onions and zucchini.
8. Mediterranean Chicken Salad: Mix hummus with Greek yogurt and lemon juice. Toss with shredded chicken, minced shallots, chopped tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese and sliced olives. To make this really festive, spoon the mixture into lettuce cups and top with parsley.

Many people love to have hummus at parties where they serve dips such as salsa or guacamole. It is a great addition to many foods and recipes with hummus do not have to be hard to make or exotic. There are many different hummus variations such as basil pesto hummus, spicy hummus and roasted garlic or red pepper hummus.

Recipes with hummus can be as varied as your imagination. The good thing about hummus is that you can use it to lower the amount of fat you eat while adding tons of flavor. Mix it with some of the sauces you already enjoy to create something new and fun for your family. Try adding hummus to some of your favorite recipes.