Hummus!

The smoothest hummus recipe ever!!

I’ve made so many iterations of this hummus recipe and have finally gotten it to the point where I’m 200% confident in it. I love an ultra smooth dip with no grainy bits and a lovely flavor throughout. The garlic has to be present but not overpowering, there needs to be brightness from the lemon, and I want a deep savory flavor from the cumin and extra virgin olive oil.

Some of my tricks are:

1. Boiling the canned chickpeas with baking soda for 15-20 minutes. The baking soda makes the water alkaline and breaks down the pectin bonds- allowing the chickpeas to get super soft. This then allows them to blend up super nicely and results in the creamiest end product.

2. I blend the hummus with a few cubes of ice which has been a total game changer. Since ice has pockets of air, this gets incorporated into the hummus, allowing it to whip up and get super fluffy. Plus, the cold temperature helps emulsify the hummus giving in that glossy look and smooth mouthfeel.

3. I always reserve some of the liquid from the canned chickpeas and use that to thin out the hummus instead of water. There’s nothing worse than a thick stodgy hummus, but if you use too much water to get the perfect texture, sometimes the flavor gets compromised. Using the chickpea liquid ensures that the flavor stays strong throughout.

4. I blend the garlic with a bit of lemon at the beginning. This helps mellow out the garlic and give a nicer flavor throughout. Oftentimes, blended garlic gets really strong and can become quite sharp in the hummus.

Use these tips and I guarantee you the best hummus ever!

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas (mine was 570 grams)

1 tsp baking soda

70 grams tahini

60 ml extra virgin olive oil (I sometimes use more)

20-50 ml reserved chickpea liquid

20-30 ml lemon juice

1 garlic clove

up to 1.5 tsp salt (start with a pinch and work your way up)

1/2-1 tsp cumin powder

3 ice cubes

Method:

Drain your chickpeas but have a bowl under the sieve so you can reserve the liquid.

Put your chickpeas in a pot and add in the baking soda. Add in enough water to comfortably cover the chickpeas.

Bring to a boil and let cook for 15-20 minutes.

Drain well. The chickpeas should be very soft and squishy.

At this point, you can take the time to peel the skins or leave them. I never peel the skin and still get super smooth hummus but if you have a weaker blender, you may want to take the time.

In your blender or food processor, put in the clove of garlic and a little bit of the lemon juice. Blitz until chopped up finely.

Then, add in your chickpeas and start blending a bit.

Add in your tahini and olive oil, and blend.

It will be very thick at this point, but add in your ice cubes and blend again.

Start slowly adding in your reserved chickpea liquid 1 tbsp at a time until you get almost the consistency you want.

At this point, start seasoning with your lemon juice, salt, and cumin powder. If you’re happy with the taste and you still find it a bit thick, you can add more chickpea liquid at this point. I start with a little pinch of salt and drizzle of lemon, and then keep adding according to my preference.

The reason why you don’t season after you get the perfect consistency is because then the lemon juice might make it too thin.

Once you’re happy with the flavor and consistency, plate it in a bowl or shallow plate. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and cumin powder. Enjoy!

*a great accompaniment would be my gluten-free seeded crackers!