Simple Homemade Hummus
Homemade is better than store-bought. Period. While convenience is understandable, you’d be surprised how easy it is to whip up with a few ingredients. Not to mention the gratification of making it yourself — without added preservatives.
The key is high quality tahini. That’s the secret sauce, literally. Tahini is a velvety, luscious paste, with a delightfully nutty flavor derived from ground sesame seeds. We love it, here and beyond.
I often serve hummus with olive oil, paprika + za’atar. In this recipe a Persian-ish twist with dried mint, paprika + sesame seeds as a nod to the tahini inside. Feel free to get creative here: Crispy chickpeas. Mushrooms + thyme. Herby Schug. Pine nuts, preserved lemon + parsley. Olives + feta… and so on.
Ultimately hummus is wonderful as is — all you need is warm bread to swipe and grab the creamy goodness in a generous bite.
Ingredients —
1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas, or a 15-ounces can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Juice from 1 – 2 lemons, adjust to taste
1-2 medium garlic clove, finely chopped and mellowed in lemon juice
3/4 cup excellent quality tahini (i.e. Soom Foods or Seed & Mill)
4 tablespoons ice water, more as needed
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste
Toppings (optional)
Drizzle of high quality olive oil, a sprinkle or two of paprika, 2-3 pinches of crushed dried mint.
Preparation —
Chop garlic very finely and smash into a paste using the tip of a knife. Then place garlic paste in a small bowl and cover with enough lemon juice to submerge. Let mixture rest so the garlic flavor can mellow — approximately 10 minutes.
In a food processor or high-powered blender, add all of the ingredients and blend until the mixture is thick and creamy – about 1-2 minutes.
Scrape down any tahini stuck to the sides and bottom of the processor as necessary. Then taste, and adjust as desired — I almost always adjust the salt and lemon juice to achieve the most balanced flavor.
Scrape down the sides of the food processor again, and blend until the mixture is ultra smooth and creamy. Add more ice water by the tablespoon if necessary for creamy texture and desired consistency.
Spread the hummus on a plate. Using the back of a spoon create “swoosh” patterns or channels for the toppings to spread across. Top with garnishes of choice, and serve with warm pita, crackers or raw chopped vegetables such as bell peppers, cucumbers and carrots.
