Hummus, I just love it. The best hummus is lusciously creamy, yet light and fluffy. A heavenly chickpea and tahini medley.
It was always hit and miss when I made hummus myself. I couldn’t figure out what it was. So frustrating! Was it the chickpeas? Should I soak them overnight or just use canned? Is the secret to the best hummus, tahini? Or was it the garlic that was too overpowering?
I went on the internet and opened up a ridiculous amount of tabs to learn everything there is to know about hummus. Several hummus attempts later I’m ready to share all of my tips and tricks with you.
Get ready for fluffy, creamy hummus! Easy methods, 20 minutes and you are ready to dip/dig in!
what is the secret to creamy hummus?
The secret to the creamiest, dreamiest hummus; A few things I learned online and tried out, I put into this recipe:
some things about chickpeas:
- For a creamier texture, boil the chickpeas with some baking soda until they are mushy! You can use chickpeas that are soaked overnight, but I tried as well with canned chickpeas and there is not much difference in taste I have to say. So, to save time, I would say go for canned chickpeas for your hummus!
- When you boil the chickpeas the skins come off by itself. While boiling you scoop out the skins (and the foam) that come floating to the surface (so no peeling needed! WIN!);
- Holding the cooked chickpeas under cool running water, will rinse off the flavor of baking soda . The remaining skins will come off too;
what I learned about tahini
- Good quality tahini is important for the overall flavor of the hummus. I have tried several brands and it makes all the difference. Here in Nicaragua I have to go with whatever there is, but if you have a choice go for high quality (organic) tahini. Apparently Ethiopian tahini is the best; it isn’t bitter like a lot of tahini made with South American sesame seeds;
- Using enough tahini is very important as well. If you want delicious hummus, don’t skimp on it! I use 1/2 cup of tahini per 1 can of chickpeas;
- Mix tahini with ice-cold water. It makes the hummus lighter and fluffier. I can’t figure out why exactly, but I read it in several recipes and I have to agree;
and a few more tips..
- A lot of times my hummus turned out to be bitter and harsh. What I learned to prevent this is to mellow the garlic in lemon juice. Just mix garlic and lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the other ingredients in the blender;
- For the creamiest result, I drizzle a bit of olive oil in the blender while it is running. And when serving the hummus, I swirl a tablespoon of it on top with some sumac or smoked paprika;
- Lastly, always serve hummus at room temperature. It makes for the best hummus experience!
Hummus as it is, is so good already, but let me mention a few great variations and add-ins:
- sprinkle fresh herbs on top and mix some in the hummus. I like to put parsley in mine (1/2-3/4 cup);
- add roasted bell pepper (3/4 cup) to the blender, 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika and/or chipotle for extra smokiness;
- add a few sun dried tomatoes to the other ingredients in the blender (3/4 cup);
- or even a bit of curry paste (1 tsp to the ingredients in the blender);
- sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top of your hummus;
- use roasted garlic instead of raw for a more intense and ‘sweeter’ garlic flavor.
I love hummus! Always have, and most certainly always will. And with this recipes it is so easy to make it. I hope you will give it a try. It is:
creamy – light & fluffy – hearty – garlic infused – and incredibly delicious
Keep this hummus on hand when you need a quick snack or spread on (nut) bread. It is a must-have when you do a mediterranean spread for dinner. And I love it in a pita with falafel and crispy chickpeas.
Hummus
Equipment
- food processor or high speed blender
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (preferably, but if not available sub lime juice)
- ½ cup tahini
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgen olive oil
- 2-4 tbsp ice water
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp extra virgen olive oil (optional)
- ½ tsp ground smoked paprika (optional)
- ½ tsp ground chipotle (optional)
Instructions
- Add chickpeas and baking soda to a saucepan. Cover the chickpeas with a few inches of water, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Scoop off foam and skins to float to the surface.
- In the meantime, add garlic, lemon juice and salt to a food processor or high speed blender and run it until garlic is finely chopped. Let this garlic mixture rest for 5 minutes.
- Drain the chickpeas in a mesh strainer and keep under cool running water get rinse off the baking soda.
- Add chickpeas, tahini and cumin to the garlic mixture in the food processor and run it until creamy. While running the food processor, drizzle in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape down the food processor and blend until the mixture is super smooth. Add more ice water if it is still too thick.
- Now add olive oil to the running food processor until your hummus is silky smooth.
- Taste and adjust if necessary; add more salt and/or lemon juice.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or plate. Optional: add ½-1 tbsp of olive oil and smoked paprika and/or chipotle. Use a spoon to creat swooshes on top.
Notes
did you make this recipe?
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