Don’t even get me started on store bought hummus. Yikes.
I get it. It’s convenient and easy to find. But it’s also chalky and pasty and filled with ingredients that leave you with a terrible aftertaste.
I’m a bit of a hummus snob. My best friend growing up was Syrian, and her mom’s hummus still reigns supreme in my head. While I can’t say I’ll ever have some as good as hers, this is a pretty close approximation.
Hummus should be creamy and nutty and drenched in olive oil. Homemade hummus is so easy and makes an excellent meal prep staple. It is worth the 15 minutes on your Sunday evening to enjoy glorious hummus all week.
There are some methods that get you extra creamy hummus, like soaking and cooking the chickpeas from dried. This is a shorter version that uses canned chickpeas but has some tricks to help you get that creamy consistency.
To start, drain two cans of chickpeas and simmer them in some hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and add cool water. Stir the chickpeas around to remove as many of the clear husks as you can. Discard those and the remaining water. You can skip this step if you are short on time, but it definitely helps the consistency of the hummus.
Add tahini and lemon juice to a food processor and blend until emulsified. Add the chickpeas, olive oil, and salt and blend again until smooth. This may take a couple of minutes. Don’t be afraid to let it go for about 5 minutes or so. If it’s not blending, add some water or olive oil to thin things out. Taste for salt and lemon, adding more as needed to taste.
Serve plenty more olive oil, and top with sumac or parsley. You can eat this with pita or raw veggies, in a salad, on sandwiches or wraps, or with some za’atar roasted veggies and feta. Enjoy!
Classic Hummus
Ingredients
- 2 15-oz cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup tahini first stirred in the jar to fix natural separation
- juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon
- 2 to 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Optional first step for creamier hummus: drain, rinse, and bring chickpeas to a boil on the stovetop. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, rise with cold water, and use your hands to remove the outer layer of some of the chickpeas and discard. No need to be perfect, get what you can.
- Place tahini, and the juice of ½ a lemon in the food processor. Process about 10 seconds until emulsified. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas. Add in olive oil, beginning with 2 tbs, and 1 tsp salt. Add in ½ cup of water slowly. Process the hummus until very smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Taste your hummus, and incrementally add salt or lemon juice as needed. The hummus should be runny and able to be poured without a spoon. Add water to reach desired consistency. Serve the hummus poured into a bowl and garnish with olive oil. You may also top with chickpeas, sumac, or chopped parsley. This hummus will keep for about 5 days in the fridge.
