Hummus
Traditional ingredients for this beige-colored spread include mashed chickpeas, tahini sesame paste, lemon juice, and garlic. Hummus is loved by people all over the world for its sour flavor and nutritional value. It's usually served with a sprinkle of olive oil and used as a vegetable dip or a delicious stuffing for flatbreads like pita. Even now, little is known about its origins, despite the fact that hummus was first mentioned in Egypt in the 13th century.
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 ½ cups (250 grams) cooked chickpeas, 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 large lemon, 1/4 cup (60 ml) well-stirred tahini, see our homemade tahini recipe, 1 small garlic clove, minced, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, Salt to taste, 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) water or aquafaba, see notes, Dash ground paprika or sumac, for serving
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making the hummus smooth and creamy.
- Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process another 30 seconds or until well blended. Open, drain, and rinse the chickpeas. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl, then add remaining chickpeas and process until thick and quite smooth; 1 to 2 minutes.
- Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until you reach the perfect consistency.
- Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Serve hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and dash of paprika. Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.
