Let me ask you a question that I’m pretty sure is rhetorical but here we go anyway: Who doesn’t love hummus? I would bet all the Le Creusets in the world that the answer is no-one. In fact, I have to imagine that anyone with tastebuds has the same love for this delectable dip as I do. I chase down hummus like it owes me money. I’ve submerged homemade bread, carrots, celery, pita, cucumbers — you name it — in almost every type of hummus you can imagine.
I chase down hummus like it owes me money.
Since we’ve now established that hummus is the universal love language, I am about to let you in on a little secret: This is the best hummus recipe and it is so easy to make. It’s better than any store bought container you’ve ever purchased. I’ve made this hummus recipe dozens of times and every time it comes out creamy, thick, tangy, and delicious.
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What ingredients are in hummus?
Chickpeas: Chickpeas are the star ingredient of hummus. When making hummus, you can use either canned or dried chickpeas. This recipe calls for canned, but if you use dried, just note that you’ll have to soak them overnight. Pro Tip: Dried chickpeas triple in size when soaked!
Tahini: If chickpeas are the star, then tahini is the co-star of hummus. Made up of ground sesame seeds, tahini gives the hummus the rich, earthy flavor. (If you find yourself having left over tahini after making this recipe, give these chocolate peanut butter and tahini cookies a try!)
Fresh Garlic: Depending on how much you love garlic (I happen to love it!), start with a small to medium clove and then add more if desired. You don’t want to overpower the other flavors since garlic can be a dominating ingredient.
Lemon Juice: Take the time to squeeze fresh lemons vs. buying it in a container. This piece of advice goes for all recipes. Fresh is just best!
Ground Cumin: Used in a lot of middle eastern cooking, a bit of cumin can go along way!
Paprika: Made from ground peppers, paprika is a popular spice used in a variety of recipes. Use gives the hummus that extra burst of flavor.
Olive Oil: This is a key step in the recipe as it makes the recipe creamy and smooth.
Ice Cold Water: This recipe calls for 1-2 tablespoons of ice cold water. However, if you feel the hummus needs a bit more to smooth it out, add a little more at a time until you reach that rich creamy texture.
A key step in making homemade hummus
Before we get to squeezing lemons and measuring spices, let me share a very key detail in this recipe that helps give the hummus its ultra creamy texture. If you boil the chickpeas in baking soda for about 25 minutes, it softens the chickpeas so they blend easily when you add them to the other ingredients.
The photo below shows how the chickpeas look after the 25 minute baking soda bath. See how the casings are falling off? That’s the exact texture you want before blending.
OK, now we can get to the fun part.
Homemade Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 15oz can of chickpeas
- 1/2 cup of tahini
- 1/4 tsp of cumin
- 1 medium-large glove of garlic
- 1/8 tsp paprika
- 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp ice cold water
- 1 tsp of baking soda (to boil with chickpeas)
- 1 tsp of olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add chickpeas along with baking soda and fill with water so there's at least one inch above the chickpeas. Boil for 25 minutes on a low simmer or until the casings begin to fall off the chickpeas.
- While the chickpeas are boiling, blend the tahini, cumin, paprika, lemon juice, salt, garlic in a blender or food processor.
- Once the chickpeas are softened, rinse them in cold water and add them to your mixture. Add the ice cold water (add more water if needed), and add olive oil. Blend until the chickpeas are fully blended.
- Serve in bowl and drizzle olive oil and paprika on top.
- Find the largest pita chip you can. You'll need it.
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