Hummus

Hummus (/ˈhʊməs/, /ˈhʌməs/; Arabic: حُمُّص, 'chickpeas'; full Arabic name: ḥummuṣ bi-ṭ-ṭaḥīnaArabic: حمص بالطحينة, 'chickpeas with tahini'), also spelled hommus or houmous, is a Middle Eastern dip, spread, or savory dish made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. The standard garnish in the Middle East includes olive oil, a few whole chickpeas, parsley, and paprika.

Everyone needs a great hummus recipe! Creamy, earthy, utterly addictive.

Made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon, olive oil and garlic, it’s a great standby pantry dip for unexpected guests or midnight munchies! Creamy and smooth, it’s completely incomparable to the thick, sour store bought hummus.

Hummus recipe

Whenever I’m planning gatherings, I like to keep the stress levels down by using a combination of some store bought things and some homemade things for pre dinner nibble platters. I buy cured meats, olives and crackers (though these homemade gourmet crackers are in high demand in my circles).

But I always put hummus on the “make” side of the list.

Though there really are some great dips at supermarkets nowadays, hummus is not and never will be one of them. It’s too sour, it’s too thick, it lacks the signature creaminess of real hummus.

The first time you try homemade hummus will be a game changer. I absolutely swear to you.

And it’s so darn EASY.

I want to tell you that I always make hummus with dried chickpeas that I’ve soaked overnight and cooked until tender but that would be bollocks. The truth is, hummus is the sort of thing I want to make right now and that means grabbing a can of chickpeas. At best, I’ll pressure cook the chickpeas – which means waiting one whole hour. But it’s better than waiting until tomorrow. 😉

There’s only one thing that you may not have in your pantry right now but it’s available at all major supermarkets nowadays here – tahini.

Tahini is just sesame paste, and if you don’t use it, then it’s not hummus. I’m not saying it won’t be tasty, but it just won’t be hummus. 🙂 It lasts for ages in the pantry, and it’s a great standby for all those Friday evenings when the clock ticks over to 5 pm (4 pm?) and you’re ready to put your feet up with some nibbles and a glass of wine…. (I literally just described what I’ll be doing in 2 hours).

Be sure to use HULLED tahini, not unhulled. Unhulled tahini is made using sesame seeds, hull and all, which makes the sauce richer but more bitter.

How to serve Hummus

As for how and what to serve with hummus? Well, how about like THIS…. I mean, truly. If there was ever a way to get excited about eating loads and loads of veggies, this would be it!!! Thank you Bon Appetit, for the beautiful inspiration. 🙂

But of course, there’s always the option to stick with the classic – serving with flatbreads, or crispy baked store bought pita bread. I like to cut them up, spray with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until crispy.

If you want to get a bit fancy, try sprinkling with a bit of dukkah too (it’s a spice mix with seeds that’s sold at supermarkets nowadays).

Using hummus in dishes

Hummus is also a popular sauce options for Middle Eastern wraps such as Shawarma and Doner Kebab. Smear flatbreads with a generous dollop of hummus before piling on the marinated meats and fresh salads!

I make the consistency of my hummus the way it is served in the Middle East which is much looser than the dip you buy in stores. The consistency is more like a very thick ketchup. But it is much thinner than the store 

Hummus

Prep: 5 mins

Total: 5 mins

Dip

Middle Eastern

Tap or hover to scale

EVERYONE should know how to make a great hummus! I usually make this with canned chickpeas but see notes for using dried (stove or pressure cooker). Quick to make, and completely incomparable to store bought. With a decent food processor, the hummus is certainly smooth enough for my taste. But if you want ultra smooth, see the recipe notes!

Instructions

• Extra smooth optional steps: If you want ultra smooth hummus, do one of the extra Smooth Hummus steps below (I rare bother!).

• Reserve for garnish: Reserve 10 or so chickpeas for garnish. 

• Blitz! Place remaining chickpeas, garlic, lemon, tahini and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blitz until it becomes a paste. 

• Season - Add salt and pepper - if using canned chickpeas, add salt gradually because the saltiness varies from brand to brand. 

• Thin sauce - Add reserved liquid from can. Blitz for a couple of minutes until smooth - but note you will have tiny little grains in it, it won't be 100% smooth unless you do one of the extra steps below. 

• Adjust - Adjust lemon and salt to taste, adjust thickness with more liquid. It should be a soft dropping consistency, like ketchup.

• Serve the traditional way: dollop a big scoop of hummus on a plate or shallow bowl. Use a spoon to spread it and make swirls on the surface. Top with reserved chickpeas, drizzle generously with more olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.

Optional- easy ways to make ultra smooth hummus (Note 4)

• Method 1: Drain chickpease, place in large bowl and fill with water. Grab handfuls and rub between your hands submerged in the water - skins will rub off and float to surface. Skim floating skin off, drain and use per recipe.

• Method 2: Tip all contents of can INCLUDING liquid into heatproof bowl. Cover loosely with lid or clingwrap, microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drain then use per recipe (hot chickpeas blitz smoother).

Recipe Notes:

1. Chickpeas - I make hummus most frequently using canned chickpeasbecause when I want it, I want it NOW!! I've found the best brand is Edgell's - they make the smoothest hummus. To use DRIED CHICKPEAS, use just a touch under 1/2 cup of dried chickpeas (100g / 3 oz) - once cooked it will be around the amount of chickpeas in 1 400g/14 oz can. Cook using either or pressure cooker: STOVE: soak overnight in lots of water. Pick out anything that doesn't look like chickpeas that floats to the surface. Place in a saucepan with 3 cups of water and simmer on medium for 40 - 50 minutes (depends on chickpea size) until they are very soft. Skim off any skin that floats to the surface. Reserve some cooking liquid to thin the dip as required, drain the rest and proceed with recipe. PRESSURE COOKER: No soaking required, cover with 3 cups of water and cook 50 minutes on high. Some chickpeas may break because they are so soft - that's totally fine, it means a smoother dip! 

2. TAHINI is a sesame paste and is sold in all major supermarkets nowadays. Some brands have a tendency to separate quite easily so you end up with thick sludge at the bottom and oil / liquid on the surface. MIX WELL before use! It keeps for ages - months and months - in the pantry (not required to be refrigerated).HULLED Tahini - be sure to use HULLED not unhulled tahini (made with whole unhulled sesame seeds so tahini is darker and richer but more bitter).Other things to use Tahini for: more hummus, stir through yoghurt with garlic and squeeze of lemon + salt and pepper = quick fabulous dip or sauce or spread. Especially terrific with all things Middle Eastern. 

3. SMOOTHNESS - Some food writers seem dead set on achieving 100% smooth hummus which I don't get because a) that's not the way hummus is in the Middle East; and b) 100% smooth hummus is odd. Think - softened cream cheese texture with hummus flavour. It's just not right, you need a bit of texture. The reason hummus doesn't puree to be 100% smooth is because of the skin. If you have a decent food processor and you use canned chickpeas (which are bloated and soft anyway), the hummus is smooth enough.  But if you want smoother hummus, use the provided optional steps. 

4. HOW TO SERVE HUMMUS: Traditionally with fresh pita bread. I like to cut it into bite size pieces, spray with oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper then bake until crisp (10 minutes @ 350F/180C). Pictured in the post, I've also sprinkled with dukkah - it mostly sticks on the oil. Also pictured in post is a Crudites platter with hummus - carrots (purple and orange), cucumbers, asparagus, baby lettuce, radish, cauliflower. 

5. STORING:Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Can also be frozen - mix well once thawed to bring it together. 6. Nutriton per serving,hummus only, assuming 8 servings.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 74gCalories: 186cal (9%)

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