There is a reason why this simple chickpea dip is the default spread when a café offers a vegan sourdough bread dish. Originating from the Middle East, it is arguably the most famous condiment in the world and I can’t get enough of it.
That’s probably also why I detest bad hummus, which includes most found in your regular grocery store and want to convince you that self-made hummus is way superior, because it is simple to make, cheaper and most importantly, waaaaay more delicious. This is a simple guide on how to make the best hummus.
Key Aspects Of Good Hummus
Chickpeas
First things first, the best flavour and texture will come from using dried chickpeas, so I recommend using them, but not everybody has the time to prepare them properly, so I will provide you with some quick tips on how to get the most out of canned ones.
Using Dried Chickpeas
- Soak them in salted water over-night and drain them.
- Boil them in water with a teaspoon of baking powder until they are soft and you can easily mash them with your fingers.
Using Canned Chickpeas
- Drain them
- Place them in a pot of boiling water, add a teaspoon of baking powder and cook until soft.
After the cooking process, drain and rinse them thoroughly under cold water before continuing. You will see that the chickpeas will lose some of their skin (see picture below) and if you want the smoothest results, remove it from the ones who have their skin still attached.
Other Ingredients
The rest of the ingredients can be seen below and I want to give you some tips for some of them
- Tahini: Buy it from your local Middle Eastern or Turkish store and order it online if there is none nearby.
- Lemon: Use fresh lemons
- Ice cubes: This will make your hummus incredibly smooth and creamy, so don’t skip them
- Seasoning: Cumin, salt and garlic cloves
Some recipes also use olive oil, and so do I, but depending on how I plan to serve and use the hummus, I vary the timing of including it:
- When serving the hummus on a plate for dipping, I only drizzle it onto the plate of blended hummus
- When using it as a sauce base, or in a wrap, I add it during the blending process
Blending
Add all the ingredients to a powerful blender and process until smooth:
- scrape down the sides regularly
- add cold water if needed to adjust the consistency
- taste the hummus a few times and adjust the seasoning to your liking
- As explained above, optionally pour in olive oil, while blending
Dishes, Serving and Storage
The hummus will keep good in the fridge, for a week, if sealed in an airtight container. You can use the hummus for the following:
- Dip: serve on a plate with sumac (or smoked paprika) and eat it with fresh vegetables, some flatbread or even crackers
- Use it as a base for a creamy sauce, like in this orzo dish, for hummus pasta or for cooking vegetables in it.
- Spread it on bread or wraps
- Eat it with a spoon
The Recipe
Hummus
Zutaten
Kochutensilien
Method
- If you are using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight and drain. Boil them in a pot of water with a tablespoon of baking powder until they are soft and can easily be smashed with your fingers (at least 1h 15min). If you are using canned chickpeas, drain them and cook them in the same way for 15 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the cooked chickpeas thoroughly under cold water and, optionally, remove their skins to get the smoothest results.
- Put all ingredients, except the water and olive oil, into a food processor and start blending. If hummus is not served on a plate for dipping, add the olive oil while blending.
- Scrape down the sides 2-3 times, and add water to adjust the consistency, if needed. Regularly taste your hummus and adjust the seasoning.
- When serving on a plate, add the sumac and drizzle some olive oil onto the hummus.
