I’ve tried making hummus at home a few times, but this version is by far my biggest success. It is incredibly smooth and very mildly accented with garlic. I will tell you the tricks to achieving both of these benefits! And even though you’ll cook dried chickpeas to make this recipe, it is still surprisingly easy and makes a batch large enough for a party or for pushing off on your sister. I would much rather eat this hummus than any sold in stores and most served in restaurants. I seriously cannot wait to get started on my next batch. I have some good ideas for hummus dippers too!
The night before you want to make your hummus, add 2 cups of dried chickpeas to a large bowl, and fill the bowl with water, covering the chickpeas by at least 2 inches. Let the chickpeas sit out for 8-12 hours until they have swelled to about twice their size.
Pour the bowl of chickpeas and water into a large pot. Add more water so the chickpeas are covered by 2 inches once again, and stir in 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Bring the chickpeas to a boil, then reduce the chickpeas to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and let them cook for 1 hour until they are tender. The chickpeas might create a lot of foam towards the beginning, so use a mesh strainer to skim that off, and discard it. When the chickpeas are done, drain them, but reserve the cooking liquid.
While the chickpeas cook, squeeze 1/3 cup of lemon juice into a small bowl. Grate 4 garlic cloves over a microplane, and add the paste to the lemon juice, along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir, and let the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes. During this time, the garlic will mellow out considerably. If you taste it at the beginning of the 10 minutes, your hair will stand up straight. Taste at the end of the 10 minutes, and you’ll want more.
Set a mesh strainer over a food processor, and pour the garlic mixture through. Push on the solids to release as much of the flavorful liquid as possible, and then discard the solids.
Add 2/3 cup of tahini to the food processor, and turn it on. While it’s running, add in 1/4 cup of very cold water, a little bit at a time, until the mixture is smooth.
Add all but a small handful of the cooked chickpeas to the food processor, along with 1/4 teaspoon of cumin. Process the mixture for about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until it is smooth. To thin the hummus, add a few tablespoons of the chickpea cooking water at a time, and process again. Once you have the consistency you want, work on flavor. Season with salt, and add more cumin and lemon juice as needed.
To serve, spoon some hummus into a bowl, making a well in the center. Drizzle it with olive oil, and top it with some of the cooked chickpeas and a sprinkling of za’atar spice mixture or other spices of your choice. Serve with toasted pita, and scoop away to your heart’s content. For another hearty dipper, cut some vegetables into large chunks (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) and roast them with olive oil, salt, and pepper at 425° F until they are charred and just tender. YUM
This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit magazine.
Shopping list:
- Dried chickpeas- 2 cups
- Baking soda- 1 teaspoon
- Garlic- 4 cloves
- Lemons- ~3-4
- Tahini- 2/3 cup
- Cumin
- Salt
