Guacamole Hummus

After spending the afternoon at Boston Rescue Mission, I was looking forward to heading home and watching the Super Bowl with Bret.  Since I was gone most of the day, Bret whipped up some fantastic grilled buffalo chicken tenders.  I wanted to have something cool and creamy to contrast with the spicy chicken tenders so I decided to try my hand at guacamole hummus.  This was a recipe that I flagged from the May 2011 issue of Everyday Food.

First, I gathered my ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3 cups fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Lemon wedges

Like making hummus, the preparation was super simple.  I combined the chickpeas, cilantro, garlic, and avocado in the food processor.  I pulsed until everything was finely chopped. With the food processor running, I added the olive oil in a slow, steady stream and then added the lemon juice.  I then added one tablespoon of water at a time, until the guacamole hummus was not chunky and the mixture was smooth.  I seasoned the guacamole hummus to taste with salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges.  I opted for serving this with cucumber and celery stick for a very green-themed and healthy snack, but you can also serve with tortilla or pita chips.

Um, this was an awesome and healthy dip.  It tasted just like guacamole but had such a thick creamy texture.  It only required one avocado and none of the mashing.  I like a little chopped red onion and jalapeno in my guacamole so I think I'll add that to the guacamole hummus the next time I make it.

While guacamole is an already pretty healthy snack, adding the chickpeas added some protein to make it even healthier.  Tell me, what are you favorite healthy snack foods?