Lebanese Hummus
Silky, restaurant-style hummus made from dried chickpeas cooked until falling-apart soft, whipped with tahini and lemon until light.
The difference between hummus that tastes like a restaurant’s and hummus that tastes like wet chickpeas usually comes down to two things: how long the chickpeas cook, and how the tahini gets treated before the chickpeas ever go in. Both matter more than any garnish on top.
Canned chickpeas will work in a pinch, but they hold their shape rather than breaking down, so you’ll never get quite the same silkiness — if hummus is a regular thing in your kitchen, dried chickpeas cooked until very soft are worth the extra hour.
This makes a fairly neutral, classic base; from here it’s easy to fold in roasted red pepper, extra garlic, or a spoon of harissa if you want a variation.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas — soaked overnight
- 1 tsp baking soda — divided, for soaking and cooking
- 1 cup tahini
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh
- 4-6 tbsp ice water
- 3/4 tsp, or to taste salt
- for serving olive oil, paprika, and whole chickpeas — optional
Method
- Soak the chickpeas
Soak the dried chickpeas overnight in plenty of water with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda stirred in. They'll roughly double in size.
- Cook until very soft
Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then simmer them in fresh water with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for 45-90 minutes, skimming off any skins that float to the top, until the chickpeas are so soft they're falling apart. This step is what makes hummus silky instead of grainy — don't undercook them.
- Blend the tahini sauce first
While the chickpeas cook, blend the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt in a food processor for a full 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. This whipped tahini base is the secret to light hummus.
- Add the warm chickpeas
Drain the hot chickpeas and add them to the tahini mixture. Blend continuously for 3-4 minutes, drizzling in the ice water a tablespoon at a time, until completely smooth.
- Adjust and serve
Taste and adjust salt and lemon. Spread onto a plate with the back of a spoon to create a well, drizzle generously with olive oil, and finish with paprika and a few whole chickpeas if you like.
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A parsley salad in the truest sense — finely chopped herbs with just enough bulgur, tomato and lemon to hold it together.