Hummus with Vegetable Crudités

Soak 1 cup of dried chickpeas in water overnight or for at least 8 hours. Drain well.

Place the soaked chickpeas in a medium pot with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Cover with water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until very tender.

While the chickpeas are cooking, prepare the vegetables. Peel 4 medium carrots and cut into sticks. Slice 1 large cucumber into spears. Cut 2 medium bell peppers into strips. Wash 1 cup of cherry tomatoes. Cut 1 small head of broccoli and 1 small head of cauliflower into florets. Trim 1 cup of snap peas. Clean and trim 8 medium radishes.

Arrange all prepared vegetables on a large serving platter or in individual bowls. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Once chickpeas are tender, drain them, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Allow chickpeas to cool slightly.

In a food processor, combine 3 medium garlic cloves, 1/3 cup tahini, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.

Add the cooked chickpeas to the food processor and blend until thick and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

With the processor running, slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of ice water until the hummus is light and creamy. If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid to achieve desired consistency.

Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl. Using the back of a spoon, create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the hummus, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon paprika and garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.

Toast 2 whole wheat pita breads until slightly crisp, then cut into triangles.

Serve the hummus with the prepared vegetable crudités and pita triangles.