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Hummus is such a simple and perfect side dish, isn’t it?
It goes very well with pita bread, carrots, and cucumbers. But you can also use it in sandwiches and salads, as it pleases you.
The perfect hummus should be creamy, but light and smooth.
Hummus is not only delicious but highly nutritious. It provides a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Some of the vitamins are A, E and C, and minerals, such as manganese, copper, and iron. It is also a source of protein and fiber.
The best part of this recipe is that it is unbelievably easy to make. All you need besides the ingredients is a food processor.
What is Hummus?
Popular in Middle Eastern cuisine, Hummus (also spelled as hommus or houmous) is a vegan dip or spread. Its name means “chickpeas” in Arabic.
It consists of a blend made with cooked chickpeas, tahini lemon juice, garlic and salt. The usual garnish includes olive oil, parsley and paprika. But it is easy to find some versions that include cumin, also.
It is usually served cold, so the nutty flavor, given by the tahini, fresh notes of lemon and the garlicky taste of the hummus are enhanced.
The origin of hummus has been debated for years and many, such as Lebanese, Turks and Syrians have claimed its creation.
Homemade Classic Hummus Recipe Ingredients:
A little bit about the ingredients I used for this recipe. The exact measurements are described in the recipe form below.
Chickpeas: The base! Ideally you cook chickpeas from scratch, but to make it simpler and faster, the canned chickpeas work really well.
Tahini: Choose a good tahini, because the recipe requires a good amount of it, which means it will impact the flavor.
Olive Oil: It is not used in a great amount, but it impacts the flavor and texture. So, choose a good one also! It is good to use it on top of the hummus as a garnishment and for the taste.
Lemon: It gives brightness to the recipe and helps to control the harshness of the garlic. I explain a bit more in the Tips and Tricks section.
Cumin: It helps with the seasoning and gives an extra layer of flavor.
Baking soda: It helps with the chickpeas cooking process. I explain a bit more in the Tips and Tricks section.
Cold water: It helps with the process of turning chickpeas into a paste and also with the texture of the hummus.
Salt: It enhances the flavor.
Tips and Tricks:
There are some secrets (at least they were to me) that help with the preparation of hummus and also with the texture, that I’ll be sharing with you!
One very important thing when making hummus is to use chickpeas that have been cooked to a point where they are tender and mushy.
So, with that being said, the first trick is related to the boiling process: add a tiny bit of baking soda during the boiling process of the chickpeas to increase the pH of the water.
This will help the peel to come off easily, which helps the chickpeas to become soft, which will give the hummus an incredibly smooth texture.
The cold water also helps with the consistency and fluffiness, besides giving hummus a light and fresh color.
Another trick is to use a good quality of hummus and lots of it – ½ cup tahini per 400g can of chickpeas!
The last tip is to mince the garlic, mix it with the lemon juice and let that blend rest a bit for a few minutes.
This process will help bring down the harshness, pungent and sharp flavor of the garlic.
It has something to do with the inhibition of an enzyme of the garlic, which is responsible for the harshness, and pungent flavor.
This enzyme is deactivated by the acidity of the lemon juice.
How to make Hummus:
First, rinse the canned chickpeas and boil them with baking soda for about 20 minutes or until they are mushy.
While the chickpeas are boiling, mince the garlic and squeeze the lemon to get the juice, and add these two ingredients in a cup or bowl. Let them rest for a bit.
Once the chickpeas are ready, rinse them with cold water and put them in a food processor with the other ingredients, except the water.
Start with the food processor and blend the ingredients and during this process add the cold water.
Blend it until obtaining an ultra-creamy, smooth texture, and adjust the flavor if needed.
Hummus is ready!
Garnish it as you like.
In the batch in the picture, I added smoked paprika, sesame seeds, and chili flakes, with a drizzle of olive oil.
Classic Homemade Garlic & Lemon Hummus
Easy perfect classic hummus: creamy, but light and smooth. It goes very well with pita bread, some vegetables, such as carrots and cucumbers, but you can also use it in sandwiches and salads, as it pleases you.
- 400 g chickpeas (, rinsed and drained)
- ½ cup tahini
- 1 lemon (, juice )
- 2 medium-to-large garlic cloves (, minced)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2-4 tablespoons ice water
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Ideally you will start from scratch, cooking the dried chickpeas with baking powder, until they are very soft. If you don’t have too much time, it’s ok, you can cook canned chickpeas also – I usually rinse them before boiling them with baking soda. For the canned chickpeas, I usually let them boil for 20min, after the boiling process starts.
- While the chickpeas are boiling, prepare the garlic with the lemon juice. Mince the garlic and squeeze the lemon to get the juice, and add these two ingredients in a separate recipient. Let them rest for a bit – remember we’re doing this to bring down the harshness flavor of the garlic.
- Once the chickpeas are ready, wash them in cold water. You can remove the peel that come off of the chickpeas, but it’s not necessary.
In a food processor, add the chickpeas, tahini, the mix lemon juice-garlic, salt, cumin, olive oil, and blend them together. While blending, add the cold water. Blend it until obtaining an ultra-creamy, smooth texture.
Taste it and adjust as needed – you might like it more lemonish or saltier. Blend it after every adjustment.
You may also want to check the following recipes:
- Butter Bean Zucchini and Eggplant Dip – Simple and Delicious!
- Hummus with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil
- How to make Homemade Olive Tapenade
