Hummus
Silky smooth chickpea and tahini dip, best with warm pita — a staple across the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan) and Egypt, not any single country's dish.
Vegan
⚠ Contains: Sesame. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
How this varies: Some households add a pinch of cumin to the base, or top with whole reserved chickpeas, a drizzle of extra tahini, and toasted pine nuts — a common Palestinian and Lebanese restaurant presentation.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups dried chickpeas
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, divided
- 6 1/2 cups water, for cooking
- 1 cup (270g) tahini, well-stirred
- 4 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 6-7 tbsp ice-cold water
- 1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- Olive oil, to serve
- Paprika or sumac, for garnish
Steps
- Soak dried chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water with 1/2 tsp baking soda.
- Drain chickpeas. Cook in a dry pot with 1 tsp baking soda over high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring, until the skins begin to split.
- Add 6 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil, and skim off the foam and loose skins as they float to the top.
- Simmer 20-40 minutes until the chickpeas are very soft and starting to fall apart — much softer than seems right.
- Drain, reserving a little cooking liquid. While still warm, process the chickpeas in a food processor until a stiff paste forms.
- Add tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt; process until smooth.
- With the machine running, drizzle in the ice-cold water a little at a time until the hummus turns pale, light, and airy — this is what gives real hummus its signature fluffy texture, not extra blending time.
- Let rest at room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors settle.
- Spread onto a plate, swirl with the back of a spoon, drizzle generously with olive oil, and dust with paprika or sumac.