The Best Hummus (Easy!)
This 15-minute Hummus recipe has knock-your-socks-off flavor! Nutty, garlicky, lemony bliss. I have discovered the secret for hummus with the perfect creamy texture that does NOT require the annoying step of picking out chickpea skins. It's a miracle! Make this as an appetizer or as a staple condiment, you will find yourself putting it on everything. Serve it with pita, alongside kebabs, or even on your next sandwich!
Servings: 10
Calories: 74kcal
Ingredients
For boiling:
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas also called garbanzo beans
- 1 cup water for boiling the chickpeas, save 1 tablespoon
- 2 cloves garlic for boiling the chickpeas
Add to the food processor:
- 1 tablespoon cooking water
- 1/2 cup tahini* stirred up very well
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup lemon juice fresh squeezed (1 very large lemon, or 2 small)
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (use 1 tsp if all you have is table salt)
- black pepper to taste
- 4 ice cubes (about 2 tablespoons water per ice cube)
Optional garnishes:
- extra chickpeas to garnish
- high quality olive oil to garnish
- parsley or dill to garnish
- smoked paprika to garnish
- sumac to garnish
Instructions
- Boil the chickpeas: In a small pot, add 1 can chickpeas with all it's liquid, 1 cup of water, and 2 smashed cloves of garlic. (Smash the garlic cloves with the side of a chef's knife.)
- Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a medium simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the chickpeas have softened a bit.
- Strain (save some of the cooking liquid!): Set a colander or a strainer over a bowl. Pour the chickpeas and garlic into the colander, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
- Add the drained chickpeas and boiled garlic to a food processor.
- Prep: Stir the tahini really well. Juice a lemon until you have 1/4 cup. Smash 1 clove of garlic with the side of a chef's knife.
- To the food processor, add 1 tablespoon cooking liquid, 1/2 cup well-stirred tahini, 1 additional clove of FRESH (not boiled) garlic, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 and 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Blend the chickpeas and tahini on low until it has reached a chunky, not quite smooth texture.
- Add 2 cubes of ice. Blend again until the ice is melted.
- Add 1 more cube of ice. Blend until smooth. Taste it. If your hummus is the perfect texture, stop now.
- Add another cube of ice, if necessary (don't add so much ice that it becomes runny!) Blend until smooth.
- Taste it again. Add more kosher salt, pepper, lemon, or even another tablespoon of tahini if necessary.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with extra chickpeas (open a new can), olive oil, fresh parsley or dill, and if nothing else, I really love to sprinkle with smoked paprika and sumac.
- Make the Za’atar Pita: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with pita bread slices. Brush the top of each pita with a small amount of olive oil, just enough to coat. Sprinkle with kosher salt, then top with a few shakes of Za’atar seasoning, to taste. Bake at 350 for about 5-8 minutes, until the pita is slightly crisp on the edges but still tender in the middle.
- Serve the hummus with fresh veggies like carrots, cucumbers, celery, bell peppers, radishes, or snap peas! Crackers of any kind, sourdough toasts, and pita chips or pretzel chips are good too. Use it as a spread on Laura's Veggie Sandwich for an amazing lunch!
Notes
*The quality of your tahini and chickpeas have a huge impact on this recipe. If you are lucky enough to live near a middle eastern specialty store, buy chickpeas sold in a jar, not a can. You need about 9-10 ounces (or 1 and 1/2 cups) of chickpeas (NOT including canning liquid) for this recipe. I used the tahini that was available at my store, but you can read more about the best tahini's on the market here.
Nutrition
Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
