This hummus recipe delivers ultra-creamy results using canned chickpeas and a baking soda boil to eliminate peeling. The technique relies on ice water and patient blending to achieve a pale, smooth texture without overnight prep.
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Place the chickpeas in a medium saucepan and add the baking soda. Cover the chickpeas by several inches of water, then bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling, reducing heat if necessary to prevent overflow, for about 20 minutes, or until the chickpeas look bloated, their skins are falling off, and they’re quite soft. In a fine-mesh strainer, drain the chickpeas and run cool water over them for about 30 seconds. Set aside (no need to peel the chickpeas for this recipe!).
Meanwhile, in a food processor or high-powered blender, combine the lemon juice, garlic and salt. Process until the garlic is very finely chopped, then let the mixture rest so the garlic flavor can mellow, ideally 10 minutes or longer.
Add the tahini to the food processor and blend until the mixture is thick and creamy, stopping to scrape down any tahini stuck to the sides and bottom of the processor as necessary.
While running the food processor, drizzle in 2 tablespoons ice water. Scrape down the food processor, and blend until the mixture is ultra smooth, pale and creamy. (If your tahini was extra-thick to begin with, you might need to add 1 to 2 tablespoons more ice water.)
Add the cumin and the drained, over-cooked chickpeas to the food processor. While blending, drizzle in the olive oil. Blend until the mixture is super smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as necessary, about 2 minutes. Add more ice water by the tablespoon if necessary to achieve a super creamy texture.
Taste, and adjust as necessary—I almost always add another ¼ teaspoon salt for more overall flavor and another tablespoon of lemon juice for extra zing.
Scrape the hummus into a serving bowl or platter, and use a spoon to create nice swooshes on top. Top with garnishes of your choice, and serve. Leftover hummus keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
Written automatically by CookOS, not by the creator.
Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week. Stir before serving if oil has separated on top.
food processor or high-powered blender · medium saucepan · fine-mesh strainer
Written automatically by CookOS, not by the creator.
Yes, if using canned chickpeas. The baking soda causes their skins to fall off during a 20-minute boil, creating a smoother final hummus without manual peeling. If using pre-cooked chickpeas, you can skip this step.
Add ice water gradually while blending—usually 2 to 4 tablespoons total. Blend for about 2 minutes after adding chickpeas and oil, scraping down the sides as needed. If tahini was very thick, you may need extra water.
Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Stir before serving if a thin layer of oil has separated on top.
Yes, cook 1 cup dried chickpeas until tender (no overnight soak needed with the boiling method), then proceed with the baking soda step using 1½ cups cooked chickpeas.
Tahini is essential to hummus flavor and texture. Substitutes like nut butters will produce a different spread, not true hummus.
