Hummus (Middle East/Mediterranean)
Hummus generally needs no introduction these days. Here's a quick and easy recipe to make *relatively* authentic Hummus using canned chickpeas and a food processor or blender.
Equipment
- Normal Kitchen Utensils
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 ~15 Oz. Cans of Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
- 3/4 C Tahini (Sesame Paste)
- 1/2 C Olive Oil
- 1/4 C Fresh Lemon Juice About 1 Large or 2 Small Lemons
- 1-2 Large Cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander (Optional)
- Additional Salt and Lemon Juice to Taste
Instructions
- Open the cans of chickpeas and reserve 1/4 C of the water before draining. Add the chickpeas to the blender/food processor. If you would like, set aside a couple Tbsp of chickpeas for a garnish.2 ~15 Oz. Cans of Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
- Add in the tahini, peeled garlic, half the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, cumin and (optional) coriander. Start by adding 2 Tbsp of the reserved chickpea water.3/4 C Tahini (Sesame Paste), 1/2 C Olive Oil, 1/4 C Fresh Lemon Juice, 1-2 Large Cloves Garlic, 1 tsp Salt, 1/2 tsp Cumin, 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
- Blend on high for 3-4 minutes or until the hummus is as smooth as possible. Add more reserved chickpea water to thin it out if necessary.
- If needed, add more salt and lemon juice to taste.Additional Salt and Lemon Juice to Taste
- Serve at room temperature in a dish drizzled with the remainder of the olive oil and topped with the reserved chickpeas. Consider sprinkling with a pinch of paprika or chopped parsley for color.
Notes
While it is traditionally served warm – and this recipe serves it at room temperature – you can just as easily serve hummus chilled (I actually prefer cold). Hummus is awesome pretty much any way it comes.
Where this recipe deviates from total authenticity is in the preparation of the chickpeas. Authentic hummus boils the chickpeas from scratch, but I like the lazy route: canned.
I have also seen some recipes that use ice water, which they say makes the hummus taste fresher, but the chickpea water (aquafaba) has always worked well for me.
Fun fact: “hummus” means “chickpea” in Arabic. While there is no specific proof, hummus is generally believed to have originated in ancient Egypt. It is also massively popular in Greece, all around the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, and pretty much across the world.
You may also be interested to know that the base of hummus must apparently be at least 95% chickpea. If not, it is technically a “Muttabel”. So all those designer roasted red pepper, pine nut, avocado, black bean “hummus” dips technically are not…hummus. (But they are still awesome).