This Middle Eastern dip and spread, Hummus, is made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and garlic. This luxuriously creamy and flavor-packed dip is fully irresistible -- especially slathered over pita chips!A lot of people are hung up on the idea of having ultra smooth hummus, which is not how you'll get it in the Middle East. It has great texture and is far from perfectly smooth. This is because of theskin on the chickpeas. If you're set on having the smoothest possible hummus, you can remove all of the chickpea skins first, but I never bother. Especially if you have ahigh-powered blender, it's amazing how relatively smooth you can get the mixture!
CHICKPEAS: Drain the liquid off the chickpeas, reserving 1 cup. Do not rinse the chickpeas.
COMBINE: Add the chickpeas, 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid (115g), 1 tablespoon garlic, 1/2 cup tahini, 1/3 cup lemon, plus salt and pepper to a large food processor or high-powered blender. Season slowly; it will vary depending on the chickpeas. (I start with 1/2 tsp fine sea salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and increase from there.) (See Note 1)
PULSE: Pulse or blend until very smooth and creamy, about 2-4 minutes (depending on how powerful the blender is and the consistency you're going after). If needed, add up to 1/4 cup more chickpea liquid to get to your desired consistency. Taste and add more salt/pepper if needed.
SERVE: Dollop mixture into a shallow bowl and smooth the top with the back of a spoon to make swirls. Drizzle oil over the swirls and sprinkle with paprika. Enjoy with pita chips or veggies.
Video
Notes
Note 1: Blender or food processor: I prefer to use a blender for this project. The food processor takes longer, and isn't as smooth. For smoothest possible Hummus (that is still quick and not fussy!), use a high-powered blender (like Blend-tec®/Vita-mix®).Note 2: Using dried chickpeas: If you'd like to use dried instead of canned, start with 1 cup dried chickpeas. Follow the directions in the FAQ section of the post.Note 3: Tahini: This is a sesame paste sold in most mainstream grocery stores. Be sure to use hulled tahini (not unhulled or whole seed, which are bitter). Most tahini will separate quite a bit, so be sure to shake the jar or mix the container really well before measuring for this recipe. Not all tahini pastes are made equal -- get a good one! My personal favorites: Mighty Sesame Co. or Soom Foods Sesame Tahini Paste (affiliate links, but not sponsored)