Creamy Hummus

I am no hummus expert and I don’t plan on being one, but I will gladly smother this stuff on anything. Can you be an expert on that?

Cookie + Kate’s recipe for the best hummus has so much wonderful information already set up that I 100% recommend going to her blog to follow the entire recipe and read up on her tips. For ease, I’ve documented my own steps taken while using my Ninja Blender.

Making hummus from scratch requires a few more steps than grabbing the container out of the fridge and diving in, but I will say I have never felt so satisfied after following this lengthy process. I think Cookie + Kate’s recipe provided great and informative tips, especially when it came to describing the visual cues of the hummus after adding a different ingredient.

End result = creamy, thick, lucious hummus that I can’t ket enough of.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can of chickpeas, strained
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp of fine salt
• 1/2 cup of tahini paste
• 1 – 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 to 4 tbsp of ice water
  + pitas for dipping, duh.

Start by taking the can of chickpeas and baking soda and put them in a medium sized pot. Fill until there’s a couple inches of water above the chickpeas, bring to a boil, and then lower to medium heat for about 20 minutes. The skins of the chickpeas will peel away and they will become ultra soft and slightly mushy, but this helps the hummus get super smooth in consistency. Drain and run under cold water for a few seconds. Set aside.

While chickpeas are boiling away, place the garlic clove, lemon juice and salt in your blender and blend until garlic becomes finely minced. Let this stand for up to ten minutes; it will mellow out the sharp acidity of the garlic. Also put a couple ice cubes in a glass of water at this point and set aside.

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Next, add the tahini paste to the blender and blend until the mixture becomes thicker in texture. Be sure to scrape down excess on the sides of the blender too! This next step is really fascinating: while the mixture is blending, add 2-3 tbsp of the ice water and watch the mixture turn to a light, cool beige. It will be super creamy and almost look fluffy compared to before.

Add the ground cumin, the chickpeas, and at least 1 tbsp of olive oil. Check the mixture — if it’s too thick, add another tbsp of ice water and olive oil and blend until at a consistency you’re happy with. Always taste and adjust your seasoning if needed!

Scrape the hummus from the blender into a bowl and allow to chill in the fridge for about an hour. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, some paprika or sumac (never tried this myself, but I heard it’s just the thing). Serve with warm spiced pita chips or carrots and oh yeah, try not to eat it all at once — it’s good for one week!

Peace and good eats,
-A❁