Classic hummus, a vegetarian recipe from Lebanon

Name: Classic hummus
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Lebanon
Ingredients: 250 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (or 500 g cooked); 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 150 g good-quality tahini; Juice of 1½ lemons; 1 or 2 garlic cloves; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp salt; 100 ml iced water; Olive oil, paprika and parsley, to serve

Method

Drain the soaked chickpeas and cook them in a large pan of water with the bicarbonate of soda for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they crush with no resistance. Skim off any skins that float up.
Drain, keeping a few whole chickpeas for garnish. Let them cool slightly.
In a blender or food processor, blend the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt for 1 minute. It will seize and then turn pale, which is normal.
Add the chickpeas and cumin and blend for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides.
With the motor running, pour in the iced water in a thin stream and blend for another 2 to 3 minutes until very smooth and fluffy. Add a little more water if it is too thick.
Taste and adjust the lemon and salt. Spread on a plate, make a well in the centre, and top with the reserved chickpeas, olive oil, paprika and parsley.

Iced water and a long blend are what give hummus its airy, restaurant-style texture. Chickpeas cooked at home with a little bicarbonate of soda are far softer than tinned ones.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

Frequently asked questions

What does the bicarbonate of soda in the cooking water do?

It attacks the chickpea skins and speeds up softening, so they crush with no resistance after about three quarters of an hour. The loosened skins float up to be skimmed off, which makes for a far smoother puree.

Why blend the tahini on its own before the chickpeas?

Whipped with lemon and garlic, tahini thickens and pales: that is the emulsion forming, and it is meant to happen. Building that base first gives a much lighter puree than blending everything at once.

Can tinned chickpeas give the same smoothness?

Close, but not quite: chickpeas cooked at home with a little bicarbonate are far more tender. With tinned ones, blend longer, add the ice water in a thin stream, and warm them slightly before they go into the blender.

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Classic hummus

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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