Hummus

Name: Hummus
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 h 30 min
Total time: 12 h 50 min
Cuisine: Levant
Ingredients: 250 g (1¼ cups) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of water; 1 tsp baking soda, baking soda; 150 g (⅔ cup) tahini, a good, runny one, stirred well; 2 lemons, juiced (about 80 ml / ⅓ cup), plus more to taste; 2 cloves garlic; 8 g (1⅓ tsp) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; ½ tsp ground cumin; 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) ice-cold water, as needed; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; sweet paprika or sumac, chopped parsley, a few whole cooked chickpeas, warm Pita Bread

Ultra-smooth, light and nutty — the way it is made in the Levant

Makes: about 750 g (3 cups)
Hands-on: 20 min
Total: 12 h 50 min
Level: Easy

Truly smooth hummus comes from overcooking the chickpeas with a little baking soda until they almost fall apart, then blending them while warm with plenty of tahini and ice-cold water. It whips up pale, fluffy and creamy, nothing like the dense tubs from the shop.

Ingredients

250 gdried chickpeas (1¼ cups)soaked overnight in plenty of water
1 tspbaking sodabaking soda
150 gtahini (⅔ cup)a good, runny one, stirred well
2lemonsjuiced (about 80 ml / ⅓ cup), plus more to taste
2 clovesgarlic
8 gfine sea salt (1⅓ tsp)plus more to taste
½ tspground cumin
100 mlice-cold water (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp)as needed

To serve

3 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
sweet paprika or sumac, chopped parsley, a few whole cooked chickpeas, warm Pita Bread

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-free
Allergens: sesame, gluten
Origin: Levant

Method

The night before, cover the chickpeas with at least 1.5 L (6 cups) cold water and leave to soak for 12 hours. They will double in size. 12 h
Drain the soaked chickpeas and put them in a pot with the baking soda. Stir over high heat for 3 minutes. 3 min
Cover with 2 L (2 qt) cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam and skins that float up. Simmer until the chickpeas are very soft and crush easily between two fingers with no resistance, 25–40 minutes. 35 min
Drain. Set aside a spoonful of whole chickpeas for the top.
Meanwhile, blend the lemon juice, garlic and salt in a food processor and leave for 5 minutes to mellow the garlic. Add the tahini and blend until thick and pale. Add 4 tbsp of the iced water and blend until smooth.
Add the warm chickpeas and cumin and blend for at least 3–4 minutes, scraping down twice, until completely smooth. Drizzle in more iced water with the motor running until it is light and creamy, like soft-serve.
Taste for salt and lemon. Spread on a plate in a swirl, pour over the olive oil and finish with paprika, parsley and the whole chickpeas.

Why it works

Baking soda makes the cooking water alkaline, which breaks down pectin in the chickpea skins so they soften and dissolve completely, giving a silky purée. Blending the chickpeas while warm and for a long time breaks every particle down. Ice-cold water helps the tahini emulsify into a fluffy, pale cream.

Common mistakes

Undercooked chickpeas: the hummus will be grainy. They should be mushy.
Blending too briefly: give it a full 3–4 minutes.

Variations

From canned chickpeas: Simmer 2 cans (480 g drained) with ½ tsp baking soda in water for 20 minutes until very soft; then proceed.
With spiced lamb: Top with 200 g ground lamb fried until crisp with cumin, cinnamon and pine nuts (adds tree nut).

Make ahead and storage

Keeps 4 days in the fridge with a film of oil on top. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Total time includes the overnight soak. Gluten only from the pita; serve with gluten-free flatbread or lettuce leaves to avoid it.