Do you love Hummus as much as I do? I know you do because … common who doesn’t.
In this post, I will share with you a quick way as well as a sophisticated way to make Hummus. Hummus from canned chickpeas and Hummus from dried chickpeas. Spoiler alert: Of course dried chickpeas are by far more superior in both texture and taste!  So why even bother and making your own Hummus? Store bought Hummus often contains ingredients that don’t belong in Hummus. For example: sugar, vinegar, glucose syrup … WHAT?! So making it at home is the only way that ensures excellent quality!

Here are some facts for you. The word “Hummus” means chickpea in Arabic. Chickpeas have been cultivated throughout the Middle East for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Mesopotamia. Legend has it that Saladin used to prepare his own Hummus – he knows what’s up.

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Basic Hummus Recipe

Tahini paste is the second essential ingredient in Hummus. You can find the right quality tahini paste at middle eastern supermarkets. Go for Syrian or Lebanese brands.

Make sure to let the Hummus rest for 30 mins before serving. You can keep Hummus in the fridge for up to 3 days. Before digging in, make sure to take it out at least half an hour before to allow it come to room temperature.

Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes (+12 hours of soaking dried chickpeas)
Cook time: 1 hours – 1 hour 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 50 minutes

ingredients: 

250 g (1 1/4 cups)	Dried chickpeas    OR
500 g (2 1/2 cups)	Canned chickpeas
2 Tablespoons	Baking Soda
3	Lemons (about 100 ml)
2-3	Garlic cloves
1 Teaspoon	Salt
1 Teaspoon	Ground cumin
250 g (1 1/4 cups)	Tahini paste

Directions: 

Dried chickpeas

The night before:
1. Soak the chickpeas in 3x as much water, plus 1 tablespoon of baking soda over night, or for 12 hours.

The next day:
2. Rinse the chickpeas very well under running cold water, pick out any discoloured ones.

3. Drain and add the chickpeas plus 1 tablespoon of baking soda to a large pot. Cook over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes stirring constantly. This softens the skins of the chickpeas.

4.Add 3x as much water to the pot and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that surfaces to the top. Lower heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 hour. The chickpeas should be very tender and completely falling apart. Drain; set aside to cool.

Canned chickpeas

1. Rinse chickpeas very well under cold water. Add the chickpeas plus 3x as much water to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1/2 an hour or longer. The chickpeas should be very tender and completely falling apart. Drain; set aside to cool.

Hummus

1. In a food processor add the lemon juice, garlic and salt, and pulse till the garlic is completely dissolved (about 1 minute). 

2. Add the chickpeas and process until mixture is completely smooth (around 4 mins).

3. While the food processor is still running add the cumin, then slowly stream in the tahini. Thin with ice cold water for a looser consistency. The hummus should be very smooth and easy to spread. 

4. To serve dollop desired amount into a shallow bowl. Using the back of the spoon make a well and drizzle the center with extra virgin olive oil. You can garnish hummus with almost anything from fried chickpeas to minced meat (hummus b-lahmeh) to tomatoes and parsley.