Mediterranean · Snack · Easy
Hummus
Rome's most famous pasta. Silky egg and Pecorino sauce clinging to every strand, studded with crisp guanciale. No cream, ever.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Hummus, in 5 ideas
- Ice water is the magic ingredient. It lightens the texture and makes the hummus fluffy instead of dense. Add it slowly until it looks like soft-serve.
- Good tahini matters more than good chickpeas. It should pour like peanut butter, not sit like cement. Stir the jar well before measuring.
- Simmer the chickpeas with baking soda. It sounds fussy but it breaks down the skins completely. This one step takes hummus from good to restaurant-level.
- Serve it at room temperature. Cold hummus tastes muted. Let it sit out 20 minutes before serving so the flavors wake up.
- Make it a meal. Top with spiced ground lamb, roasted vegetables, or a jammy egg and serve with warm pita. Hummus is a canvas.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup tahini, well stirred
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 3 to 4 tbsp ice water
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp baking soda (optional, for extra smooth)
- Paprika and whole chickpeas, to serve
How to make it
Directions
- If you have 20 extra minutes, simmer the drained chickpeas with the baking soda in water for 15 minutes until the skins loosen and the peas are falling apart. Drain and rinse. This is the silkiness hack.
- Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to a food processor. Blend for 2 full minutes until thick, pale, and completely smooth. Scrape down the sides.
- Add the chickpeas and cumin. Blend for 4 to 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down twice. It will look grainy at first. Keep going.
- With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil, then the ice water one tablespoon at a time until the hummus is light, fluffy, and pourable.
- Taste and adjust: more lemon for brightness, more salt for depth. It should taste seasoned, not bland.
- Spoon into a shallow bowl, swirl the top with the back of a spoon, and finish with olive oil, paprika, and a few whole chickpeas.
Blend for 5 minutes minimum. Most homemade hummus is under-blended. Set a timer. When you think it is done, give it 2 more minutes.