How to make Hummus

Read on for helpful Kitchen notes

I usually never measure when I make hummus.  I just dump the ingredients in and taste as I go.  The recipe above is pretty basic and how I made it yesterday, but you should be prepared to taste as you go, and ask yourself, “do I want more salt?  what about a bit of garlic?  could it use more lemon?  what about a bolder chili flavor?  how about fresh parsley? a bit of paprika instead of chili powder? or how about a creamier version with more olive oil…” etc. etc.

For the best result, use chickpeas that are cooked from dry beans.  This is the most important tip to making good hummus.  Canned beans will leave a metallic flavor to the hummus.  I cook my chickpeas in a pressure cooker with a Tablespoon of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, and a piece of an onion on high pressure for 45 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally.  You could also soak the beans overnight, rinse well then cook on a stove top or in a crock-pot until tender, following the directions on the bag of chickpeas.  When I add the chickpeas to the food processor they usually are coated in a bit of cooking liquid.  If you are using canned chickpeas, rinse them before adding to the food processor.  The juice from a can has an awful flavor.

Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds.  It is sold in cans or in glass jar.  If at all possible, avoid the cans and purchase a glass jar from an international foods market.  I store the the tahini in the refrigerator so that it lasts longer. As with any high-fat content ingredient it will spoil.  It will be firm when taking it out of the refrigerator, just give it a good stir before using.  This is also important for re-incorporating the sesame oil back into the hummus.  Tahini is what gives hummus its unique flavor.  The more you add, the stronger the flavor.  Most recipes use double this amount, but this is the way my family likes hummus.  The hummus a most grocery stores has a dulled down flavor.

Olive oil or Sesame oil should be high quality and can be used interchangeably.  Most recipes call for double the amount I am using here.  I prefer to make the hummus low-fat and use olive oil to grill the pita bread.  In many mid-eastern restaurants they often add extra olive oil when serving.  Again, I like to save my calories for the pita bread.

Lemon juice is present in most recipes.  Today I did not have fresh lemons on hand so I added less.  When I can get lemons from a local tree I will add double the amount in the recipe.

For seasoning, today I used sea salt, chili powder, cumin & chicken bouillon.  You may prefer to add a bit of garlic powder or onion powder.  I did not need to add additional onion or garlic because I cooked the chickpeas with fresh onion and garlic.  Sometimes I use chipotle powder – not authentic, but delicious.  If you want very pure ingredients omit the chicken bouillon.  I like the flavor boost it provides.

There are so many wonderful variations on basic hummus.  I will be posting the ones we prepare as I make them.  Some of our family favorites are cilantro jalapeno, roasted red pepper, black bean and spicy Serrano.  Sort of a Mexican – Mid-eastern fusion, but it works.

I’m categorizing this as both a side dish, and a main dish.  Because of the high protein content of chickpeas we are content eating this for dinner with bread, tabbouleh or a fresh salad.  If I have time, I make falafel to go with it.

Thanks to Leila’s Mom for first introducing me to hummus many many years ago!