Appetizer

Middle Eastern Hummus

A silky smooth Lebanese chickpea dip made with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. This versatile mezze is served with olive oil and can be enjoyed as a dip, spread, or side dish.

Liam Henderson

Cook Time

Servings

reviews

Easy

Difficulty

Instructions

Soak and cook chickpeas

Soak chickpeas overnight in water with baking soda. Drain, rinse, and cook in fresh water for 45-60 minutes until very tender and skins are loosening. Reserve some cooking liquid.

The baking soda helps soften the chickpeas and makes the hummus extra creamy.

Prepare tahini sauce

In a food processor, blend tahini with lemon juice, minced garlic, cumin, and salt. Process for 1 minute, scraping sides. The mixture will seize up initially, then become smooth and creamy.

Mixing tahini with lemon juice first creates a better emulsion and lighter texture.

Blend chickpeas

Add drained hot chickpeas to the tahini mixture. Process for 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides. Add ice water gradually while processing to achieve ultra-smooth texture.

Processing hot chickpeas produces creamier hummus - don't let them cool down.

Adjust consistency

If hummus is too thick, add reserved chickpea cooking liquid or ice water 1 tablespoon at a time while processing. The hummus should be smooth and spreadable.

Hummus thickens as it cools, so make it slightly thinner than desired final consistency.

Serve

Transfer to a serving bowl, create a well in the center, and drizzle generously with olive oil. Garnish with paprika and parsley if desired. Serve with warm pita bread.

Hummus tastes best at room temperature - remove from fridge 30 minutes before serving.