Hummus
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Last Updated on May 29, 2023 by Heather Reseck
Homemade hummus simply tastes better when made with home-cooked beans, plus it’s extra creamy when made with hot home-cooked chickpeas.
“Hummus” is the Arabic word for chickpeas. Smooth, warm hummus is a popular breakfast choice in Tel Aviv.
Make-ahead tip: Cook 1 recipe of Instant Pot Chickpeas. Use all the chickpeas to make a double recipe of hummus. Freeze some for future meals.
This recipe is adapted from J.M. Hirsch’s Israeli Hummus which was published in Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Magazine.
How to Make Hummus
For the creamiest hummus, start with hot cooked chickpeas
Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid.
Process the chickpeas and salt for 3 minutes in a food processor until very smooth.
Add the tahini and process for 1 minute, until creamy. Scrape the sides of the food processor.
Add the chickpea liquid and lemon juice and process until mixed. Scrape the sides and process again. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with reserved chickpeas. If desired, sprinkle with parsley, paprika, ground cumin, or sumac.
Variations:
- Hummus with Garlic: Add 2 peeled garlic cloves of garlic with the chickpeas.
- Hummus with Canned Chickpeas: Substitute 2 (15½-ounce) cans of chickpeas for the cooked chickpeas. Heat the chickpeas and liquid in a saucepan until hot. Reduce salt to ¼ teaspoon. Add ½ teaspoon ground cumin.
Tips for Making Hummus Smooth and Creamy
- You can choose either a food processor or a blender. The blender makes it smoother, but some blenders struggle since the mixture is thick.
- Hummus is creamier and smoother when made with hot well-cooked chickpeas, and when the tahini is added after the chickpeas are smooth.
- Room temperature tahini works the best.
- Hummus thickens as it cools. Thin with water to the desired consistency
How to Serve Hummus
- Pita Bread: Serve with or in pocket bread.
- Hummus Rollups: Spread on a tortilla. Sprinkle with shredded carrots, sprouts, and shredded lettuce. Roll up to create hummus wraps or rollups.
- Spread: Spread on crackers or bread.
- Dip: Use as a dip for vegetables or pita chips.
- Mayonnaise Substitute: Use hummus as a substitute for mayonnaise on sandwiches.
- Mediterranean Pizza: Spread hummus on pizza crust and top with roasted vegetables and sliced kalamata or black olives. Heat through.
- Quesadillas: Spread hummus on half of a tortilla. Top with roasted or leftover vegetables and fold the tortilla in half. Cook in a skillet until lightly browned on both sides.
How to Store Hummus
- Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 1 week
- Since this makes a large batch, freeze some of the hummus if you are not likely to use it all in a week. It can be frozen for up to 6 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator.
Hummus
Ingredients
- 3 cups hot cooked chickpeas
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sesame tahini sesame seed butter
- ¾ cup hot chickpea liquid aquafaba
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- Paprika and/or ground cumin for garnish optional
- Chopped parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of chickpeas for garnish; set aside.
- Process the remaining chickpeas and salt in a food processor for 3 minutes, until very smooth.
- Add the tahini and process 1 minute, until creamy. Scrape the sides of the food processor.
- Add the chickpea liquid and lemon juice and process until mixed. Scrape the sides and process again. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with reserved chickpeas. If desired, sprinkle with parsley, paprika and/or cumin.
- Serve warm for the best flavor. Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 6 months. Makes 3 cups.
Notes
- Hummus with Garlic: Add 2 peeled garlic cloves garlic with the chickpeas.
- Hummus with Canned Chickpeas: Substitute 2 (15½-ounce) cans chickpeas for the cooked chickpeas. Heat the chickpeas and liquid in a saucepan until hot. Reduce salt to ¼ teaspoon. Add ½ teaspoon ground cumin.
- You can choose either a food processor or blender. The blender makes it smoother, but some blenders struggle since it’s thick.
- Hummus is creamier when made with warm chickpeas that are very soft and when the tahini is added at the end.
- Smaller chickpeas make the hummus creamier.
- Room temperature tahini works the best.
- Hummus thickens as it cools. Thin with water to desired consistency.
- Make-ahead tip: Cook 1 recipe of Instant Pot Chickpeas. Use all the chickpeas to make a double recipe of hummus. Freeze some for future meals.
- Pita Bread: Serve with or in pocket bread.
- Hummus Rollups: Spread on a tortilla. Sprinkle with shredded carrots, sprouts, and shredded lettuce. Roll up to create hummus wraps or rollups.
- Spread: Spread on crackers or bread.
- Dip: Use as a dip for vegetables or pita chips.
- Mayonnaise Substitute: Use hummus as a substitute for mayonnaise on sandwiches.
- Mediterranean Pizza: Spread hummus on pizza crust and top with roasted vegetables and sliced kalamata or black olives. Heat through.
- Quesadillas: Spread hummus on half of a tortilla. Top with roasted or leftover vegetables and fold tortilla in half. Cook in a skillet until lightly browned on both sides.
