Hummus was one of the very first recipes I ever blogged about, and it continues to be a favorite recipe on my site. Making your own hummus is easy and affordable, and the resulting flavor is far superior to those tubs of store-bought dip. When you peel the chickpeas before blending, a light, silky texture emerges that is simply irresistible.
Hummus is an absolute staple in our home cuisine. Rarely a family gathering goes by without a dish of hummus at the table. This simple food is tasty, filling, heart-healthy, vegetarian, dairy free and gluten free. What could be better?
Since first posting this recipe, I have refined my hummus-making technique quite a bit. Peeling the chickpeas is a must, but I always found it to be a very tedious process. The owner of a local falafel joint shared his secret for peeling lots of garbanzo beans at once, and I’ve been using it ever since. This simple trick using baking soda works like a charm! I decided to update my recipe with this new technique, and I even added a video to help walk you through the steps- check it out down below the ingredient list.
Hummus has been a mainstay of the Middle Eastern diet for centuries. It is eaten as both an appetizer and a main course, usually served with hot baked pita bread and a bowl of olives. Hummus is often paired with fresh fried falafel and sometimes shared alongisde ful mudammas in a dish known as hummus ful. In Western countries, it tends to be served as an appetizer or snack dip alongside vegetable crudités, pita bread or chips.
A decade ago hummus was relegated to the health food stores, an oft-overlooked dip with a niche audience. The dip has gained massive popularity in the past few years, and now can be found at most major grocery stores in varying flavors. From roasted pepper to spicy jalapeño to white bean basil, you can find a variety of hummus choices on market shelves. Venture into making it yourself, and you’ll discover even more possibilities– like creamy avocado cilantro or exotic peanut hummus. Once you master the technique, you can come up with your own delicious ideas!
Hummus is very nutritious… and if you make it yourself, it’s affordable too. You can make about three times the amount of hummus for the price of one store-bought tub, and it tastes so much better made fresh. As long as you have a food processor, nothing could be easier. Of course, you could mash it the old fashioned way with a mortar and pestle, but it will take some serious elbow grease. I highly recommend the processor if you have access to one.
I sometimes add roasted garlic to my hummus instead of plain garlic. The roasting adds depth to the garlic’s flavor, and just a hint of sweet smokiness that I find delicious. It’s also easier on the digestive system than raw garlic. I have provided instructions for roasting garlic in a previous blog. Use raw garlic if you prefer a stronger, sharper garlic flavor.
Keep in mind that all ingredients are “to taste.” The key to great hummus is tasting often and adjusting the flavors as desired.
Hummus tastes best when made with cooked chickpeas instead of canned. To learn how to prepare the chickpeas, check out this post: How to Soak and Cook Chickpeas.
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Video by Entice Films
Classic Hummus
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups canned OR soaked and cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans
- 1 tablespoon baking soda (optional - to help skin the chickpeas, then rinsed away - see instructions below)
- 1/3 cup tahini paste
- 8 roasted garlic cloves , or more to taste (you may substitute 1-3 fresh garlic cloves if you prefer a stronger sharper flavor)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice , or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil , plus more for garnish
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt , or more to taste
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Paprika and fresh minced parsley for garnish optional
NOTES
Instructions
- If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them first. If cooking the beans, follow my soaking and cooking instructions here. Drain the beans after cooking and let them return to room temperature.To make this hummus ultra creamy, you should peel the cooked chickpeas. While this step is optional, I do recommend it for creamy results. To peel and remove the chickpea skins easily, place them in a skillet with 1 tbsp baking soda and stir, coating all the beans thoroughly with baking soda. Heat up the skillet over medium, stirring the beans constantly, for 2-3 minutes until the beans are completely heated throughout and the skins begin to separate from the beans.
- Pour the hot beans into a large mixing bowl, then immerse them in 3-4 changes of cold water, agitating the beans with your hands to release the skins. Loose skins should float to the surface where they can easily be discarded with each batch of cold water. When most of the skins are gone, proceed with the recipe.
- Another way of skinning the chickpeas (which takes a lot longer) is to take each chickpea and gently squeeze to remove the skin, then discard the skins before processing. While this step is not completely necessary, it will ensure that your hummus turns out very smooth and creamy.
- Reserve about 15-20 whole chickpeas for garnish. Outfit your food processor with a blade attachment. Place chickpeas, tahini paste, roasted garlic, lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper into the processor. Process the mixture until it becomes a smooth, creamy hummus.
- Taste the mixture and add more salt, lemon juice, or garlic to taste. Process again to blend any additional ingredients. If the texture seems too thick, add lukewarm water and continue to process until desired consistency is reached.
- Transfer hummus to a shallow bowl and create a well in the center with a spoon. Garnish with reserved chickpeas, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of paprika and minced fresh parsley. Serve with pita, crackers, or fresh vegetables for dipping.
Dave says
How long will this keep for in the fridge?
Jean von B says
Tried your hummis recipe out on my boyfriend. Have been summarily advised that I should NEVER, and I do mean NEVER, purchase store-bought hummis again!! LOL! It was a huge hit! Thanks Tori!
Tori Avey says
Yay! Thrilled you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back Jean!
Barry Scott says
Awesome recipe, again. Sallyanne dresses it with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, sliced black olives and feta cheese. Whoa, it’s the first thing goes at our parties.
Lama says
I really love your recipes with the explanatory photos. I see you have a passion for Middle Eastern recipes. Will you please come up with a delicious, easy recipe version of deconstructed grasp leaves or stuffed zucchini or stuffed egg plants? (using the beef meat version?). Please! I don’t have the patience to roll grape leaves or hollow out then stuff zucchini or eggplants with a meat/rice stuffing. I have always thought to myself there must be a quick and efficient way to make these, albeit using some deconstructed method. Thank you kindly 🙂
Tori Avey says
Lama, that’s an interesting idea. I’ve done deconstructed stuffed cabbage, but not the stuffed zucchini or eggplant. I don’t think the deconstructed grape leaves would work, since the leaves themselves don’t have much texture or bite to them on their own– but the zucchini or eggplant might be doable. I’ll keep it in mind!
Marge says
Great stuff in here, Tori!! I consider myself a hummus queen and am constantly tweaking my recipe. I recently started roasting the garlic but I will switch to your wonderful way. Thanks so much for the explicit instructions! I use no oil but a lot of the cooking water from the beans to loosen it. I use Maldon salt, cumin & coriander. I also include the zest of the lemons, a recent tweak. The hummus is to die for and much better and cheaper than Sabra or any brand. I start by soaking 1 pound of chickpeas and using 4 cups for my recipe and have 2 cups in the fridge which are great to throw into practically anything. I use the cooking water and freeze the rest in ice cube trays to use as a marinade enhancer. I have to give away 1 pound to friends to avoid having to throw any out. It lasts 8 or maybe 9 days and I eat it with veggies only and lost 10 pounds as a result of eating so many veggies (cukes, radishes, daikon, red or green cabbage (smear on a leaf and roll; surprisingly great), jicama, and, new great one for me, kohlrabi (crunchy and delicious), and mini tri-color peppers. It’s more of a meal for me than a snack. Love it! I’d be happy to share my recipe. Just ask!
Tori Avey says
Marge, kohlrabi is my husband’s favorite! Please feel free to share your recipe, I’m sure others would love to take a look.
Gail says
do you have a recipe for baba ganoush … but not the red tomato=y kind?
Tori Avey says
Yes I do Gail, here’s a link: http://theshiksa.com/2011/06/22/classic-baba-ghanoush/
Shell says
Hummus I think is the bomb!! I first tried when a friend brought chips and hummus to the beach omg!! I so lime it on a pretzel
Faye says
It’s good that you include the olive oil in the well at the end, the Israeli way; you might try making the hummus without blending olive oil into the mixture.
Instead of paprika, Aleppo pepper (semi-hot) is also good sprinkled on top.
Tori Avey says
Great suggestions Faye!
Eva says
I’m going to try it with the roasted garlic plus one or two raw cloves. I love garlic. 😉
Gretchen says
WOW, this is the best hummus I ever tasted! I never tried it with tahini paste before and it made a big difference in the flavor. Thank you for sharing!
Ember Rosemoon says
I made hummus with black beans and Cannellini beans that turned out quite good. Have never used tahini in any of my hummus as it is expensive and a bit hard to find where I live. I once took some quite garlicy chickpea hummus to a potluck. People complained it was too garlicy but ate up mine because the other hummus brought to the party was just too bland. I am a garlic freak.
aleks says
My first try came out a bit bland, tomorrow I’ll be doubling the garlic!
Tori Avey says
Aleks, you can also try using fresh garlic instead of roasted, it will give a sharper, stronger garlicky flavor. Enjoy!
Jason C says
I almost always use peanut butter in place of the tahini. I always have too much left over and never use it in time and I feel bad wasting a whole jar of tahini.
Laura Klorman says
What is Tahini? I’ve never heard of it. Where do I buy it at?
Tori Avey says
Hi Laura! Tahini paste can usually be found in the same section as the peanut butter. It’s sold in jars. It’s made from sesame seeds pulverized into a nut-butter texture. If you can’t find tahini at your grocery store, your local health food market or Middle Eastern store should carry it. Enjoy!
Bookworm says
I’ve never used cumin or cayenne in mine but I think it might take it in a nice direction.
Sergio75 says
Dang girl knows how how to cook making me hungry
Rachel Goldberg says
<3 this! More vegetarian recipes please!
Orly says
I usually use little more lemon in mine. Never tried it with roast garlic only plain, the roasted sounds good.
Tori Avey says
Hi Orly! The roasted garlic makes it more mild/digestible, the raw garlic is a bit sharper. Both are good, but I prefer it roasted. Others like it raw because the flavor is stronger. This is definitely one of those recipes where ingredients should be adjusted “to taste”– some people like a little more lemon, others more garlic, others more spice. Adjust to taste and enjoy!
Debbie Mesner says
Hi honey, love your blog. Long time reader, first time commenter. This looks so good. I was starting to feel guilty spending $5 on a tub of Sabra, and really it doesn’t taste as good as the hummus at the Arab restaurant in my town. You inspired me, can’t wait to whip some up fresh this weekend!
Tori Avey says
Debbie, you will love making your own! It’s so easy and tastes so much better than store-bought.
Miri says
yum I like adding roast pepers to mine, try topped with harisa sometime
Teresa says
Can you make this without the tahini Tori? I don’t like tahini but I love all the other ingredients!
Tori Avey says
Teresa, yes you can make it without the tahini, but it honestly won’t be as yummy or creamy. Hummus without tahini isn’t really hummus, it’s more like a dip. You also may not need as much liquid for the texture.
David K says
Looks great, didn’t realize how easy it was. Guess I’ll have to get off my lazy tookus and make some on of these days.