Smoothest Hummus & Useful Tips
Hummus, our humble but magnificent gem of the Middle-East, became a world famous meal, thanks to its nutritious taste and versatile pairings. You could find it in a Kebab restaurant as a spicy Mezze starter, or you could see it as spread on a sourdough bread for a healthy avocado toast. There are limitless variations with different spices, herbs, colors and toppings.
Ingredients
- 200g dried Chickpeas or 400g boiled Chickpeas
- 80g Tahini
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Dry Coriander
- 2 cloves of Garlic (optional)
Instructions
- First let’s talk about the chickpeas. Please use the dry ones! Soaking overnight is so easy and by boiling it yourself you will have full control on the softness of the chickpeas. Canned ones are only acceptable in an emergency like a surprise guest or a midnight munch!
- While soaking them overnight, use the water at least the double volume of the chickpeas. More is safer if you have a big pot of course. We don’t want to see dry bits over the water level in the morning.
- Adding a teaspoon of baking soda to the soaking water will make your water more alkaline, resulting in a much easier peel of the chickpeas later. Which is very crucial for a smooth hummus.
- In the morning throw away the soaking water. Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly and start cooking with fresh water. Don’t add salt while boiling because it would make all kinds of beans tougher. Cook them for nearly an hour, checking their softness. We don’t want them solid, we want them to be mushed between your fingers easily.
- After cooking them, here comes the best part. Peeling the skins of chickpeas. This is so important for a creamy and luscious hummus. I know it is a bit time consuming but do you remember the grainy hummus that you’ve made before.
- By the way don’t throw away the cooking liquid, aquafaba. After we peel the chickpeas we will boil them inside the water again. Because we want them to be hot for blending it smoothly. After that you may discard the aquafaba or you could use it as a vegan egg white substitute!
- Blending is easy but the order is important. First we want to puree the chickpeas perfectly with liquids. Add the lemon juice and olive oil. If you want to add the garlic, I’d advise you to cook it with the chickpeas before just to remove the sharpness a bit.
- If your blender is strong you could add two pieces of ice cubes. It will work like whetstones and crush the chickpeas really nicely. Or you may add two tablespoons of cold water which will give your hummus a lighter color and a fluffier texture.
- After adding the salt and spices we could blend it while adding the tahini. You should add the tahini last because it will emulsify the hummus and make it hard. We want to blend the mixture to the smoothness we want before adding it because there will be no turning back. Check the texture. Add a bit of cold water or tahini, if you want the texture to be more runny or solid.
- Put the hummus on a plate, drizzle some olive oil on top. Garnish according to your liking. Some chickpeas, chopped parsley, maybe some pita for dipping. It is your imagination. Enjoy!
Notes
How did the tradition of Humus start? It is a Middle Eastern classic for sure but the exact origins are still unknown. The earliest record for a similar chickpea based paste is going back to the 13th century’s Egypt but it is not much like the Hummus that we know. There is no tahini inside and it has vinegar instead of lemon juice.
If you want to hear more about hummus you could check our Hummus Podcast
Now let’s get to the recipe! This one is the classic, authentic way of making the smoothest hummus. But of course the possibilities are endless with this great blank slate of deliciousness!