Classic homemade hummus

For those who aren’t familiar with hummus, it’s a blend made of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), tahini (aka sesame butter), fresh lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt. Cumin is also a common ingredient used to flavor this dish. Hummus has been enjoyed for centuries in the Middle East and Mediterranean, where people traditionally eat it with flat bread or as an accompaniment for falafels, eggplant, fish or chicken.

Over the last few decades, the good old chickpea spread has grown popularity in North America and can now be found in almost every grocery store. Different flavors are available such as red roasted peppers, caramelized onions, sweet potatoes, beets and the list goes on. I even saw a lady on Shark Tank making dessert hummus featuring flavors like pumpkin pie, brownie batter and snicker doodle cookies. I haven’t tried them yet, but they seem pretty delightful!

For a very long time, I bought hummus at the store not knowing how simple and absolutely delicious making it from scratch is. Not only that, but it’s also cheaper and healthier, since most store-bought hummus contain GMO ingredients along with other additives and preservatives. I simply LOVE hummus so finding out how to make my own was definitely a game changer.

Hummus is a versatile food and can be enjoyed in different ways. The most common is as a snack or appetizer to dip in pita wedges, crackers, tortilla chips or vegetable sticks. You can also use it as a spread to replace mayonnaise or other condiments inside wraps, burgers and sandwiches. I even use hummus as a base to make my vegan Caesar dressing.

As for the nutrition, chickpeas and sesame seeds are both great sources of plant-based proteins, fibers, minerals (iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium) as well as vitamin B6. Sesame is also super rich in healthy fats. Combined together, these two ingredients offer all 8 essential amino acids to form a complete protein, making hummus a high protein snack.

The perfect hummus should have a smooth and creamy texture, while also being light and fluffy. When I started making my own, I kept ending up with a sludgy spread, so I decided to go on a mission to find out how to achieve that divine perfection.
Here’s the tricks I found:

1. Emulsifying the tahini with garlic, salt lemon juice, olive oil and ice-cold water, before adding the chickpeas. Cold water lightens the color of the tahini and helps make the hummus light and fluffy.
2. Boiling the chickpeas (even the canned ones) with some baking soda until they become extra mushy. Baking soda raises the PH levels of the water, making the chickpeas more solubles so they become tender in a quicker amount of time.
3. Using a good food processor and letting it work a few extra minutes also seems to help achieving that whipped, creamy texture we’re going for.

Feel free to use chickpeas that have been cooked from scratch instead of the canned ones. I tested both methods and it’s always a success, as long as the beans are overcooked. As for the flavors, using quality ingredients is important, especially the tahini as it’s a dominant flavor in hummus. I personally like to add half a teaspoon of ground cumin, but that step is totally optional. Another tip is to let the garlic sit in the lemon juice and salt for about 10 minutes, which will help it mellow and loose its harsh. And of course, fresh-squeezed lemon is a must.

Finally, there are the toppings. For a batch of classic hummus, I recommend drizzling some olive oil on top and sprinkling it with paprika and chopped parsley. But of course, sky’s the limit when it comes to hummus! Olive tapenade, pine nuts, dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers are just a few other examples of delicious garnishes.

Classic homemade hummus

Follow these steps to achieve a delicious light and fluffy hummus, every single time!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack, spread, tapas

Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Servings 8 people (2 cups)

Equipment

• Food processor
•  Fine-mesh sieve

Ingredients

  

• 1 15oz can chickpeas (about 1 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tbsp ice-cold water (or more, if needed)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin (optional)

Instructions

 

• Add the chickpeas to a medium saucepan with water and baking soda. Bring to a boil and let sim for 20 minutes, or until the chickpeas are really mushy.
• In the meanwhile, combine the minced garlic, lemon juice and salt in the food processor and let sit for about 10 minutes. That will allow the garlic to mellow.
• Add the tahini to the mixture and blend until smooth. You might need to stop and scrape down any tahini stuck to the sides and bottom.
• While the food processor is running, slowly add the iced water until the mixture becomes pale and creamy, then slowly add the olive oil the same way. If the tahini was pretty hard to start, you might need to add a bit more water.
• Strain the chickpeas using a fine-mesh sieve, then run under cold water for about 30 seconds. Drain again, making sure to get all the water out.
• Add the mushy chickpeas and the cumin (optional) to the food processor and blend for a couple minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed.
• To serve, add a few scoops of the hummus to a plate or bowl and make a swooch using the back of a spoon. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika and fresh chopped parsley.

Keyword chickpeas, classic hummus, smooth and creamy hummus, tahini