Hummus is deceptively delicious. How can a beige paste be so amazing? But once you taste it, you’ll be hooked. Store-bought hummus is fine, but you won’t believe how good homemade hummus can be.
Basic Recipe for Homemade Hummus
First, you’ll need to make sure you have a good food processor. It should have at least a 3-cup capacity for all this goodness you’re about to make.
You’ll also need:
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs tahini (see below) or unsweetened natural peanut butter
Now, if you just blended chickpeas, olive oil, and tahini, you’d technically have hummus. But it wouldn’t taste very good. That’s why you need to grab a lemon (not bottled lemon juice), some fresh garlic cloves, and salt. You can play around with the proportions until you get a flavor you like, but start with a tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 clove of garlic, and a teaspoon of salt.
Dump everything in the food processor and blitz it for at least 5 minutes to get that creamy consistency. Taste it and decide if you’d like more lemon, garlic, or salt, then give it one final pulse.
That’s it! Scoop that good stuff into a bowl and then into your mouth with pita chips, fresh veggies, or whatever strikes your fancy. Traditionally, hummus is served with a drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of smoked paprika, as well as chopped parsley. That’s totally optional, though. You’ll eat it too fast to notice the difference!
The Secret Ingredient
Well, it’s not so much a secret, since we’re telling you what it is. But the key to making delicious hummus at home is tahini. You can think of tahini as sesame peanut butter. It’s a paste made from sesame seeds and a small amount of oil. You can buy it at the store, but it’s better (and cheaper!) to make it yourself.
Ingredients:
1 cup of hulled sesame seeds
3-4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
All you need to do is blitz the seeds in a food processor and gradually add oil until you get a thin, smooth paste. You can toast the seeds in a saucepan for a few minutes before blending, but that’s not essential.
Store the tahini in the fridge in an air-tight container, like a mason jar. If the oil separates, just stir it up before using.
Optional Tips and Tricks
If you want to take your hummus to the next level, there are a few things you can try. Some of them take a bit more time and effort, but it’ll be worth it.
For creamier hummus, pinch the skins off the chickpeas before they go in the blender. Yes, this will feel like it takes forever, but put on a podcast and get to work.
Another potential upgrade is cooking dried chickpeas instead of using canned. If you have an Instant Pot, this step is an absolute breeze.
Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors and design your own signature hummus. Personally, I like to add black garlic powder and cumin to mine. You can also use a pinch of harissa or ras el hanout. Roasted red peppers or jalapenos are awesome in hummus. Try stirring in finely chopped preserved lemons or black olive. Top it with pesto. Go nuts, literally. The worst thing that’ll happen is you make a weird-tasting dip and have to go back to the drawing board.
Kat Sweet
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