Hummus has been a staple in my house since I was a child, and I can hardly imagine my life without it. It’a a great year-round snack, appetizer or sandwich-filler loved by kids and adults alike. In the winter, I like to blend in some roasted beets for a hot-pink variation, or in the springtime I’ll often replace the chick peas with fava beans. I posted a picture of hummus on Instagram a while back and was overwhelmed by requests for my favorite recipe… and was surprised that I’ve never published one! So, by popular demand, I give you my standard hummus recipe, to be tweaked and altered according to personal taste and season.
* While canned chickpeas work just fine for this recipe, I also learned a trick about cooking dried chickpeas from Yotam Ottolenghi which results in an extra-creamy hummus: soak chickpeas overnight, drain, then put in a large pot to boil with plenty of water and a teaspoon of baking soda. Discard any of the skins that float to the surface while cooking. Boil gently until chick peas are tender. Drain, then use according to the recipe below.
Hummus
- 3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (from two 15-oz cans)
- 1 cup tahini
- 4 Tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (plus more, for garnish)
- 2 – 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
- 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp ice water
- paprika (for garnish)
Place chickpeas in a food processor and process until you get a stiff paste. With the machine still running, add tahini, lemon juice, oil, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt. Slowly drizzle in ice water and allow it to blend for about 5 minutes, until you get a very smooth and creamy paste.
Transfer hummus to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If not using immediately, refrigerate until needed, up to two days. Remove from fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika before serving.
