Perfect Lebanese Hummus from Scratch

About This Recipe

Most hummus fails because of two mistakes: using canned chickpeas without peeling, and not blending long enough. Perfect Lebanese hummus is silky, light, and nutty. The secret is peeling the chickpeas, a long blend with ice-cold water, and the right ratio of tahini to everything else.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 250 gdried chickpeas(soaked overnight (or 800g canned))
• 1 tspbaking soda(for cooking dried chickpeas)
• 120 ghigh-quality tahini(runny, light coloured)
• 3 tbspfresh lemon juice(plus more to taste)
• 2 smallcloves garlic(grated to a paste)
• 1 tspfine salt
• 4–6 tbspice-cold water
• 3 tbspextra-virgin olive oil(to serve)
• 1 tspsweet paprika(to serve)
• pinchsumac(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the chickpeas

   Cook soaked chickpeas with baking soda (which softens them faster) in fresh water for 45–60 minutes until very soft — much softer than 'al dente'. They should break apart when pressed between fingers. Drain, saving the cooking water.

2. 2

   Peel the chickpeas (the secret step)

   While still warm, rub chickpeas gently between your hands — the skins slip off. Skim off and discard skins. This step is tedious but transforms the texture from grainy to silk.

   If using canned chickpeas, rinse and gently roll in a clean towel to remove skins. It's much easier.

3. 3

   Blend tahini and lemon first

   Process tahini, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor for 1 minute until it becomes thick and pale. This step 'breaks' the tahini and makes the final hummus fluffier.

4. 4

   Add chickpeas and blend long

   Add chickpeas and blend for 4–5 minutes total, adding ice-cold water a tablespoon at a time. The cold water keeps the temperature down and makes the hummus lighter and fluffier. Season with salt.

5. 5

   Plate and dress

   Spread in a wide bowl, making a well in the centre with the back of a spoon. Fill with olive oil, paprika and sumac. Serve with warm pita bread.

Variations

• •

  Musabaha: serve warm whole chickpeas in the hummus with lemon and cumin.

• •

  Red pepper hummus: add 2 roasted red peppers to the blend.

• •

  Beetroot hummus: add 2 roasted beets for colour and earthiness.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent skin forming. Serve at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions