Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (plus additional to taste)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus additional to taste)
- 3/4 cup tahini
- 3 ice cubes
- 4 to 6 tablespoons ice water
- Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Ground paprika or sumac for sprinkling
- Zaatar for sprinkling
Cook the Chickpeas with Baking Soda
Place the chickpeas in a medium pot and cover with 1 1/2 inches of water. Stir in the baking soda.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the chickpeas for 20 minutes, until they are soft, a number of their skins float to the surface, and a few are starting to break down.
The baking soda helps break down the chickpea skins and makes them way easier to blend smooth.
Prep the Garlic While Chickpeas Cook
Peel the garlic cloves and mince them as finely as you can – or grate them with a rasp. Place in a small bowl and stir in the lemon juice.
Let this sit for 10 minutes while the chickpeas finish cooking; this mellows the garlic so it won’t be too sharp.
Drain and Rinse the Chickpeas
Drain the chickpeas and return to the pot. Rinse with warm water, swishing them around with your hand.
This helps remove any lingering tinny taste from the canned chickpeas.
Pour off the top part of the water – some of the loose skins will come with it, which is what you want. Drain the chickpeas completely.
Set aside 2 tablespoons of the most intact chickpeas for garnish if you like, then immediately transfer the rest to a food processor or high-speed blender while still warm.
Blend the Base
Strain the lemon/garlic mixture through a sieve into the food processor, pressing any solids into the sieve. Add the salt.
If you don’t mind a bigger garlic punch, you can skip straining and just pour it right in.
Blend the chickpeas for at least 1 full minute, until they are as smooth as you can possibly get them at this point. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed.
Add Tahini and Ice for Creaminess
Add the tahini and ice cubes. Blend into smooth, creamy oblivion, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.
The ice cubes help make the hummus light and fluffy while keeping it cold.
Adjust Consistency with Ice Water
The hummus should be similar to thick yogurt consistency; you’ll likely need to add ice water to thin it out.
Put some cold water in a small measuring cup with a spout and add a handful of ice cubes – you need it cold.
With the processor running, stream in about 3 tablespoons of ice water. Keep adding 1 tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
Season and Serve
Taste and add more salt or lemon juice as needed.
Transfer to a serving plate and use a spoon to make a few swooshes and a shallow well in the center. Drizzle generously with olive oil.
Place the reserved chickpeas in the well, then sprinkle with paprika, sumac, and/or zaatar to taste.
Homemade Hummus
Ingredients
~6 servings
- 2 cans chickpeas 15-ounce, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice plus additional to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt plus additional to taste
- 3/4 cup tahini
- 3 ice cubes
- 4 to 6 tablespoons ice water
- Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Ground paprika or sumac for sprinkling
- Zaatar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Boil chickpeas with baking soda for 20 minutes until soft and skins start breaking.
- Mince garlic and mix with lemon juice. Let sit 10 minutes.
- Drain chickpeas, rinse with warm water, remove loose skins.
- Transfer warm chickpeas to food processor. Strain lemon-garlic mixture into processor.
- Blend chickpeas for 1 minute until very smooth.
- Add tahini and ice cubes. Blend until creamy.
- Stream in ice water to reach yogurt-like consistency.
- Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice.
- Transfer to serving plate. Create swooshes and well in center.
- Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle reserved chickpeas, paprika, sumac, and zaatar.
