1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
¼ cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
¼ cup well-stirred tahini (try our tahini recipe)
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
½ tsp ground cumin
Sea salt to taste
2-3 Tbsp cold water
Dash ground paprika, sumac, or Za’atar for serving
Whip the tahini and lemon juice: In the bowl of a food processor, (or try making in the Vitamix) combine the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making the hummus smooth and creamy.
Add olive oil and spices: Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and ½ teaspoon of sea salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and then process for another 30 seconds or until well blended.
Add the chickpeas: Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the remaining chickpeas and process them until thick and relatively smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
Thin with water: The hummus will likely be too thick and still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water with the food processor turned on until you reach the perfect consistency.
To finish: Taste and adjust as needed with more salt or lemon. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika, sumac, or Za’atar over the top.
NOTES:
- Storing: Store hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week. Freeze it, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, for up to one month.
- Chickpeas: Use canned chickpeas or home-cooked chickpeas for this recipe. Here is how we cook dried chickpeas.
- Hummus without tahini: For the best hummus, which rivals our favorite store brands, use tahini. However, a chickpea puree without it is still quite delicious. Just add more olive oil. Another option is to use natural, unsweetened, creamy peanut butter in its place.
- If you like garlicky hummus: Increase the garlic by a clove or use roasted garlic.
- Aquafaba for fluffy hummus: This is the thick, starchy liquid in a can of beans (or the bean cooking liquid). You can use this instead of water in the last step of the recipe. Instead of plain water, add a splash of aquafaba at the end. As it whips, it creates an incredibly light and airy texture. Taste your aquafaba first. If it’s too salty, use less salt when making the recipe above.
- Tahini and lemon juice are not creaming: Depending on your food processor, the blade might not come into contact with the tahini and lemon juice. You need to increase the amount of liquid in the food processor, so add the olive oil. If they still do not cream, add a tablespoon of cold water.
- Blender: A food processor is best for making hummus, but a high-powered blender will work. Be sure to scrape the sides down a few extra times as you make it.
