Lemon Parsley Hummus & Empowering Individuality

Most of my reflections come to mind while in the process of preparing the recipe. Every so often, though, they happen when getting feedback from my tasters. My husband, Darren, is my most avid taster and his words are the inspiration for this reflection. 

While snacking on this lemon parsley hummus with pita chips, he said: “Wow, this is an innovative hummus flavor. I taste it as a whole, yet I can also call out each ingredient separately , and their flavors pop at different times. I first get the zing of the lemon, then the herbal notes of the parsley, then the garlic and a hint of cumin.”

This got me thinking about the adage: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

The beauty of a group of people working together is that each brings their special talents and unique qualities to the table, and the collective collaboration results in something far more innovative than what one could have contributed on their own.

What I want to point out, though, goes back to what Darren said about being able to taste each of the ingredients separately. Yes, what a team creates as a whole is usually far greater than what any member could have contributed alone. However, we also need to let each person shine as an individual—appreciating and acknowledging what makes them special. In doing so, each person feels accepted for who they are, which is what empowers them to bring their best self to the collective, enabling them to contribute something great.

We can simultaneously empower both the brilliance of each individual member of a team AND the innovative results of the collective.

And the last thing I’ll say on the topic is that you don’t have to love the individual to appreciate what they bring to the group. A perfect example is that Darren hates parsley, but he loves it in this hummus recipe! 

Lemon Parsley Hummus

(Gluten-free and Dairy-free)

Ingredients:

1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup tahini, well blended*

½ cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil

1 lemon, zested and juiced

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin, toasted

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a high-powered blender and process until smooth and creamy. 

Notes:

* If the oil has separated out from the sesame seed paste in the jar of tahini, put the entire jar into a high-powered blender before measuring out the portion for this recipe.