It actually took me years to perfect this hummus. Though a very simple dish to make, all the ingredients need to be just right since the magic of this dish is in its simplicity. I’ve had hummus in my travels to Europe and the Middle East, as well as taste testing A LOT of hummus in both LA and New York. I felt like I was on a quest to find out where the magic lied in this popular dip. I realized its a blend (no pun intended) of technique, the right spices and quality ingredients.
A lot of people don’t realize a large part of a good hummus doesn’t have as much to do with the chickpeas but the tahini. Try to find a quality tahini this is runny. I like to taste test it on its own to make sure its not too bitter otherwise that will affect the overall taste of the hummus. MidEast and Tarzani are two Middle Eastern brands that are usually easy to find and are pretty solid choices for a hummus.
My favorite secret to this recipe is my chickpea shortcut. The chickpeas need to be as creamy and tender as possible to make a really smooth hummus. However, contrary to popular belief, you DO NOT need to cook them from scratch. You can simply take a can of chickpeas and boil them for several mins in some lightly salted water. The after affect is going to taste as if you made from scratch without the all the extra time and effort to do so.
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas
- ¼ cup tahini (good quality runny tahini- I recommend a Middle Eastern brand like MidEast or Tarzani)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 tbs lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon)
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp sumac
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp sea salt or flakey salt
- dash of cayenne (optional)
- 2 ice cubes
- Start by rinsing a can of chickpeas and adding them to a pot with about 1 cup of water and a touch of salt.
- Bring to a boil and boil for about 3-5 mins and strain.
- In a large bowl make an ice bath filling it up halfway with filtered water and a few ice cubes.
- Place the drained chickpeas into the ice bath.
- Using your hands, gently massage the chickpeas and allow the skins to peel off, discarding the skins.
- Once you've peeled off the skins, drain the chickpeas and set aside.
- To a food processor, add the garlic cloves and pulse until minced.
- Add in your tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and blend until a smooth paste forms.
- Then add in your chickpeas, cumin, sumac, paprika and ice cubes and blend until very smooth.
- To plate, I like to add any of the following: za'taar sumac, cumin, and/or paprika, olive oil, fresh parsley, kalamata olives, flakey salt, red onion, preserved lemon.
Last but not least, adding a few ice cubes to your food processor is going to add fluffiness of the hummus. Just make you thoroughly blend your hummus until its really smooth.
There is truly something about plating the hummus that is just as fun to make. Putting toppings on hummus brings me the same joy as adding toppings to ice cream. It brings so much added flavor to the hummus. When picking out spices and olive oil, especially in a dish that requires little ingredients, look for the highest quality you have access to, this will bring more life to the dish. Enjoy!
Tried this dish and it came out better than anything I’ve ever had in all my worldwide travels. Especially loved the ice cube tip since it really made a difference.
So glad you loved the dish! 😀