In our house, hummus is an absolute staple. Obe’s father was Lebanese so he grew up eating a lot of Middle Eastern dishes, and I have always been a bit of a bean freak (especially after being a vegetarian throughout my teenage years). Now, I typically make a batch every week, never really using a recipe but always using the same basic formula and a couple of neat tricks that make it extra-delicious. Our two-year-old daughter gobbles it up, it’s a great source of protein and healthy fat, and it truly has a ton of uses!
When Chris from the Denver Public Library reached out to us to see if we wanted to do a cooking video, hummus was the first thing that came to mind. Not only do I love sharing recipes with people, but I love teaching lesser-known techniques that help make cooking easier, so I’m thrilled to be able to share this simple recipe as well as the video tutorial with everybody!
So, if you’ve ever made hummus before you might be wondering - why is there baking soda in this recipe? This is a trick I learned a few years back (from the great and wonderful Yotam Ottolenghi) that has actually been rather life-changing. When you add baking soda, it makes the water more alkaline which in turn breaks down the pectic bond in the skins of the chickpeas. Cook them long enough and they will start to fall apart, which makes them absolutely perfect for yielding the creamiest, dreamiest hummus you will ever make.
Hummus
Ingredients:
1 cup dried chickpeas (yields about 3 cups, cooked)
1 tsp (or so) baking soda
3/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
the zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Directions:
Place dried chickpeas in a medium pot and cover with water. Agitate the beans to loosen any dirt/debris. Tilt the pan so all the chickpeas nestle into the bottom corner, then pour the water off. Rinse the beans in this way one or two times more, then cover with water again, at least 1/2 an inch or so above the beans. Place pot on stove over high heat and bring water and chickpeas to a boil. Add baking soda. Let water boil for a couple minutes and use a slotted spoon to skim off any grayish or white foam that may appear on the water’s surface.
Reduce heat to lowest setting and cover pot. Allow beans to cook until they have visibly broken down (the water will turn a dark, toasty brown color and the beans will begin to split into pieces). Cooking time can vary a bit depending on the chickpeas and how fresh they are, but I find 2 1/2 hours is usually perfect.
Reserve about a cup of the cooking liquid and set aside. Drain chickpeas and place in food processor. Add remaining ingredients and puree together in the food processor. Once mixture is uniform, leave the food processor on and slowly drizzle in a little of the reserved cooking liquid, until the hummus reaches the consistency desired. I like mine a little on the thin side (remember that it firms up a bit once you cool it down in the fridge) so it’s very creamy and spreadable, so typically I end up using about 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then continue to blend for two or three minutes, until the hummus is luxuriously smooth and creamy. Transfer to a container with a lid and store, sealed, in the fridge. Hummus will last upwards of a week.