How to make the simplest and smoothest homemade Hummus

What is Hummus?

It’s a dip, spread or savoury dish made from cooked and mashed chickpeas blended with tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice and garlic. It is popular in the Middle East and the Mediterranean, as well as in Middle Eastern cuisine around the globe. It can also be found in most grocery stores in North America and Europe.

Who invented Hummus?

Short answer: somewhere in the Middle East. There is no clear winner here, “everyone from the Lebanese to the Turks to the Syrians have tried, but there’s little evidence for any theory. Most of the ingredients have been around for centuries: the chickpea dates back more than 10,000 years and tahini is mentioned in 13th-century Arabic books” [BBC]

But there is a winner for making the largest plate of hummus: Lebanon, who holds the Guinness record, weighing 10,452 kg.

How to make creamy and smooth Hummus? (like the best, Sabra)

We’ve tried Hummus in many countries, at least 10-15, and it’s hard to find one as smooth, creamy and tasty as Sabra (the company held a 60% market share for hummus sales in the United States). However; after trying several recipes ourselves, this is the one we like the most.

Ingredients

  • 400 gr. of drained chickpeas
  • 12 spoons of water (if you use canned chickpeas, use that one)
  • 8 teaspoons of tahini
  • 3 spoons of lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1 spoon of olive oil
  • Garlic (1 clove, peeled and crushed)
  • (Optional) Paprika

Method

There is one essential trick for a smoother hummus: remove the skin of the chickpeas. The is not fun, so people don’t tend to do it. There are two tricks for this:

  1. Drain and rinse them in a colander with a lot of cold water until clean. Let them dry for a while to then gently rub them with a towel for approximately 30 seconds. The peels should come off easier than before.
  2. Warm them in the microwave with 1½ teaspoons baking soda for every 2 cups (400g) of chickpeas for three times, which should help to loosen the skin a lot. Then rinse and rub them vigorously between your hands and using cold water.

Add the chickpeas and the water (better if it is from the same can) to the food processor and run it for around 2 minutes. Add the tahini, lemon juice, salt, garlic and olive oil and blitz for another 3 minutes. Add more water while processing if needed. Try it and add more lemon or garlic to taste.

Some people recommend processing the tahini and lemon first. We didn’t notice the difference but it could be something to consider.

How to serve

Pita bread (Photo by Nancy Hann on Unsplash)

Spread your hummus onto a plate and top with your favourite spice. Traditionally, it is topped with olive oil, smoked paprika and a few whole chickpeas.

Carrots, celery and specially Pita bread are the best fit for your hummus.

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