Hummus

Name: Hummus
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 6 - 8
Ingredients: 400g / 14 oz canned chickpeas (1 can); 1/4 cup liquid from the canned chickpeas; 1 medium garlic clove; 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; 1/2 cup tahini, hulled; 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil; salt and pepper; Pinch of paprika, more olive oil and reserved chickpeas

User Reviews

4.9

228 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
Servings
6 - 8
Calories
186 kcal
Course
Condiments
Cuisine
Middle Eastern

Hummus

Kai Walton

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RECIPE VIDEO ABOVE. EVERYONE should know how to make a great hummus! I usually make this with canned chickpeas but see notes for using dried (stove or pressure cooker). Quick to make, and completely incomparable to store bought. With a decent food processor, the hummus is certainly smooth enough for my taste. But if you want ultra smooth, see the recipe notes!

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Ingredients

Servings

400g / 14 oz canned chickpeas (1 can) , drained (reserve liquid and a few chickpeas for garnish) (Dried Chickpeas - Note 1)
1/4 cup liquid from the canned chickpeas
1 medium garlic clove , minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup tahini, hulled (sesame paste), mixed well before using (Note 2)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Garnish

Pinch of paprika, more olive oil and reserved chickpeas

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Instructions

Extra smooth optional steps: If you want ultra smooth hummus, do one of the extra Smooth Hummus steps below (I rare bother!).
Reserve for garnish: Reserve 10 or so chickpeas for garnish.
Blitz! Place remaining chickpeas, garlic, lemon, tahini and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blitz until it becomes a paste.
Season - Add salt and pepper - if using canned chickpeas, add salt gradually because the saltiness varies from brand to brand.
Thin sauce - Add reserved liquid from can. Blitz for a couple of minutes until smooth - but note you will have tiny little grains in it, it won't be 100% smooth unless you do one of the extra steps below.
Adjust - Adjust lemon and salt to taste, adjust thickness with more liquid. It should be a soft dropping consistency, like ketchup.
Serve the traditional way: dollop a big scoop of hummus on a plate or shallow bowl. Use a spoon to spread it and make swirls on the surface. Top with reserved chickpeas, drizzle generously with more olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.

Optional- easy ways to make ultra smooth hummus (Note 4)

Method 1: Drain chickpease, place in large bowl and fill with water. Grab handfuls and rub between your hands submerged in the water - skins will rub off and float to surface. Skim floating skin off, drain and use per recipe.
Method 2: Tip all contents of can INCLUDING liquid into heatproof bowl. Cover loosely with lid or clingwrap, microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drain then use per recipe (hot chickpeas blitz smoother).

Notes

Chickpeas - I make hummus most frequently using canned chickpeas because when I want it, I want it NOW!! I've found the best brand is Edgell's - they make the smoothest hummus.
To use DRIED CHICKPEAS, use just a touch under 1/2 cup of dried chickpeas (100g / 3 oz) - once cooked it will be around the amount of chickpeas in 1 400g/14 oz can. Cook using either or pressure cooker:
STOVE: soak overnight in lots of water. Pick out anything that doesn't look like chickpeas that floats to the surface. Place in a saucepan with 3 cups of water and simmer on medium for 40 - 50 minutes (depends on chickpea size) until they are very soft. Skim off any skin that floats to the surface. Reserve some cooking liquid to thin the dip as required, drain the rest and proceed with recipe.
PRESSURE COOKER: No soaking required, cover with 3 cups of water and cook 50 minutes on high. Some chickpeas may break because they are so soft - that's totally fine, it means a smoother dip!
TAHINI is a sesame paste and is sold in all major supermarkets nowadays. Some brands have a tendency to separate quite easily so you end up with thick sludge at the bottom and oil / liquid on the surface. MIX WELL before use! It keeps for ages - months and months - in the pantry (not required to be refrigerated).
HULLED Tahini - be sure to use HULLED not unhulled tahini (made with whole unhulled sesame seeds so tahini is darker and richer but more bitter).
Other things to use Tahini for: more hummus, stir through yoghurt with garlic and squeeze of lemon + salt and pepper = quick fabulous dip or sauce or spread. Especially terrific with all things Middle Eastern (see all my recipes here).
SMOOTHNESS - Some food writers seem dead set on achieving 100% smooth hummus which I don't get because a) that's not the way hummus is in the Middle East; and b) 100% smooth hummus is odd. Think - softened cream cheese texture with hummus flavour. It's just not right, you need a bit of texture.
The reason hummus doesn't puree to be 100% smooth is because of the skin. If you have a decent food processor and you use canned chickpeas (which are bloated and soft anyway), the hummus is smooth enough.
But if you want smoother hummus, use the provided optional steps.
HOW TO SERVE HUMMUS: Traditionally with fresh pita bread. I like to cut it into bite size pieces, spray with oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper then bake until crisp (10 minutes @ 350F/180C). Pictured in the post, I've also sprinkled with dukkah - it mostly sticks on the oil. Also pictured in post is a Crudites platter with hummus - carrots (purple and orange), cucumbers, asparagus, baby lettuce, radish, cauliflower - inspired by this recipe from Bon Appetit.
STORING: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Can also be frozen - mix well once thawed to bring it together.
Nutriton per serving, hummus only, assuming 8 servings.
* Originally published May 2014. Updated with recipe video and tidying up the steps plus extra tip for how to make smoother hummus plus using dried chickpeas.