International Hummus Day: Try these homemade recipes loaded with spicy and savory ingredients

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International Hummus Day falls on May 13 each year. 

The occasion was founded in 2012 by Ben Lang, co-founder of Innovation Israel and his friend Miriam Young. The day came after World Nutella Day was established and became popular. 

The main ingredient in hummus is chickpeas. 

Several spices and seasonings are added to the mix to compliment the flavor of the legume. 

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Hummus, which originated in the Middle East, is a fairly heathy choice for snacking. Hummus contains healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, which have lots of benefits, like boosting heart and brain health. 

This fat is essential for the human body but is only obtained through food. 

Hummus comes in many different flavors.  (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Additionally, the dip is a great source of fiber and protein. Just be cautious of how much hummus you are consuming in a given day, because too much fiber may lead to digestive issues. 

Hummus is commonly paired with vegetables, crackers, pita and pretzels.

Although all hummus has a chickpea base, it can be made in a variety of flavors. Spicy, buffalo and Mediterranean are three options that you can make. 

The following are recipes to make spicy, buffalo and Mediterranean hummus from scratch for International Hummus Day.  

How to make hummus smooth?

For the lightest and fluffiest hummus, remove the skin from the chickpeas. Add the beans to a bowl of ice-cold water and let the thin layers of skin peel off. 

As tedious as it may seem to make sure hundreds of chickpeas are peeled, it’s worth it. Most of the skin should come off in the cold water, though, and you should only have to peel a few.

The main ingredient in all hummus variations is chickpeas.  (Donato Fasano/Getty Images)

Spicy hummus recipe

Ingredients for spicy hummus:

• 2 cans of chickpeas
• 6 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons of Tahini
• 3 fresh garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon of chili powder
• 1 tablespoon of cayenne
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Optional: jalapenos

Recipe for spicy hummus:

Begin by adding fresh lemon juice and Tahini to a food processor. Include peeled chickpeas and skinned fresh garlic cloves and blend in the processor until smooth. Add chili powder, cayenne, cumin, red pepper flakes and olive oil and blend until the ingredients are combined. 

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite pita bread or chips or atop a chicken salad.

Tahini is a staple in hummus dip, no matter what the flavor.  (Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

For an extra kick or crunch, add slices of fresh jalapeno and fold in after the hummus has blended.

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Buffalo chicken hummus recipe

Ingredients for buffalo chicken hummus:

• 2 cans of chickpeas
• 6 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons of Tahini
• 3 fresh garlic cloves
• 1 chicken breast
• ½-1 cup of buffalo hot sauce

Recipe for buffalo chicken hummus:

Begin by adding Tahini and freshly squeezed lemon juice to a food processor. Add two cups of peeled chickpeas. Don’t forget to use the ice-cold water trick to ease the peeling process. Add three skinned garlic cloves and blend until smooth. Once smooth, add buffalo hot sauce and blend until ingredients are combined.

It’s recommended that you taste the hummus here and decide whether you need more buffalo sauce. If so, add gradually, blend, taste and repeat until you get the level of heat you’re hoping for. Remove the hummus from the processor and set aside in a serving bowl or container.

You've probably heard of buffalo chicken dip, but did you know you can also make buffalo chicken hummus? (Fabian Sommer/picture alliance via Getty Images)

While you can cook chicken a number of ways, it’s recommended for this recipe that the meat be shredded rather than chunky. For the perfect shredded chicken, cook the breast whole in a pot of boiling water on a stovetop. 

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the water and shred it with a fork.

Add the shredded chicken to the hummus mixture and fold in. Serve with your favorite pita bread.

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Mediterranean hummus recipe

Ingredients for Mediterranean hummus:

• 2 cans of chickpeas
• 6 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons of Tahini
• 4-5 fresh garlic cloves
• ¼ c chopped parsley
• 10-12 Kalamata olives
• 1-2 diced Roma tomatoes
• ½ diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with bold taste

Roma tomatoes are an added ingredient for Mediterranean hummus.  (David Talukdar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Mediterranean hummus recipe:

Add fresh lemon juice and Tahini to a food processor. Then, add peeled chickpeas. It’s important for the texture of the hummus that the lemon juice and Tahini go into the processor first. Add garlic cloves, chopped fresh parsley and blend until smooth.

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Remove the hummus mixture from the food processor and add to a serving bowl. Fold in diced Roma tomatoes, red onion and Kalamata olives. You can either slice the olives or keep them whole for this recipe. 

Top with two tablespoons of bold-flavored olive oil and let the oil sit atop the hummus. Serve with your favorite pita bread and slices of cucumber to complete the flavors for a true Mediterranean hummus.