Yummiest hummus

The tastiest good-for-you dips

If you want a snack that's delicious, satisfying, and nutritious, hummus is a great choice. Unlike creamy and cheesy dips, it has protein, fiber, and other goodies and is relatively low in fat and calories—if you pick the right one.

The Middle Eastern purée is a simple combo of mashed chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, and tahini (sesame-seed paste with a creamy,peanut butter-like consistency). But when our trained tasters put store-bought versions of hummus to the test, we found big differences in flavor.

After three days of testing 10 hummus dips from popular brands like Sabra and Tribe as well as store brands from Costco, Target, and Trader Joe's, we found that none of the dips have the fresh lemon and garlic flavors of homemade hummus. However, a few, including two very tasty Cedar's versions, came pretty close. See the Ratings (available to subscribers) to find which ones were tastiest.

We also learned that you can't always shop by brand or price. Some brands, such as Tribe Classic, had two kinds of hummus, one noticeably yummier than the other. And the top- and bottom-scoring dips cost about the same. Hannah Classic from Costco was the cheapest per serving at 19 cents, but it comes in a whopping party-size tub, so buy it only when you're feeding a crowd. Like a lot of refrigerated foods, hummus has a pretty short shelf life. And it doesn't freeze well, so you shouldn't stock up.

For the freshest hummus, make your own. The following recipe yields about 2 cups: In a food processor, blend 2 garlic cloves, 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons water for 30 to 60 seconds. Add a 19-ounce can of chickpeas (drained), alternating with ⅓ cup tahini. With the motor running, add ¼ cup olive oil. Purée until smooth, adding more water if needed. Stir in ¾ teaspoon salt.

This article first appeared in the July 2011 issue of ShopSmart magazine.