Hummus

Hummus

Hummus, the Middle Eastern delight. I love it. Long before I found out hummus was super easy to make, I bought it from stores. Some were delicious, others we not. Then one day I decided to make my own hummus. My first hummus was OK, but not great. But I continued to make it over and over again, each time playing with the amounts of ingredients, adjusting them and writing down the changes I did, and having the family taste test it.

Then one day—bingo! My hummus turned out better than before and the tastes were just right. Try it. And please say goodbye to store-bought hummus. You can make it yourself and trust me, no store brand will beat your own brand!   This is a failproof recipe that will yield a smooth and creamy hummus, that can be  prepared in no time and which only calls for a few ingredients to put it together. Enjoy!

Hummus

Process the ingredients until smooth.

Hummus

Pack the hummus onto a plate and swirl the top.

Hummus

Drizzle with olive oil.

Hummus

Sprinkle with paprika.

Hummus

Serve with pita toasts. Enjoy!

Hummus with Pita Toasts

Serves about 6

Note 1: Instead of paprika, you can sprinkle your hummus with chopped fresh parsley or with toasted pine nuts.

Note 2: I often add a few tablespoons of plain yogurt to the hummus for a lighter color and creamier texture. Yogurt adds a refreshing taste, too. It is optional.

Note 3: Add a pinch of powdered cumin to your hummus for additional taste. It is also optional.

Ingredients

One 15-oz (425 g / 1 + 1/2 cups) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or 1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt
Olive oil
Paprika

Directions

If using canned garbanzo beans, drain but reserve some of the liquid. You will use it later. Some canned chickpeas have a smoother skin, so it is optional to peel them (I personally never bother to peel).

If using dried chickpeas, boil them in a pot filled with water until tender, about 1 hour or so (some varieties cook longer than others). You should obtain about 1 + 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid. You will use it later. If you want, peel off the skins of the cooked chickpeas, but it is not mandatory.

Place garbanzo beans, garlic, tahini, and lemon juice in a food processor. Process until pureed and smooth, adding some of the reserved juices from the can or some of the cooking liquid, to loosen the mixture. (If you, by mistake, threw the can juices or cooking liquid away, do not worry, add some water to the processor instead). Season with salt, to taste. Taste, and if you wish, adjust the amount of tahini, lemon and garlic, to taste.

Spoon the  hummus onto a hummus plate (I bought mine from a Middle Eastern store – hummus looks beautiful on that place), or a regular shallow bowl. Level with a spoon, swirling the top with the back of the spoon. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some paprika on top.

Serve with pita toasts (recipe follows).


Pita Toasts

Note: Instead of coarse salt you can use garlic salt for garlicky taste. Or, you can season the pita with Italian seasoning, or sprinkle dried herbs of your choice on top. You can also sprinkle them with Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

Six 6-inch (15-cm) pita breads
1/3 cup olive oil
Coarse salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).

Brush one side of the pita rounds with the olive and sprinkle with salt. Cut each pita into 6 wedges.

Arrange the wedges in one layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake until golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool and serve with hummus.

15 Comments

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  1. Genius! That is easy, and looks so good! I must try!

  2. Always wanted to make Hummus… Thanks for sharing the recipe…

  3. I love your swirl! And I want a hummus plate, I eat enough of it to warrant it’s own dish!! 😀

  4. I love humous! And your presentation is great!

  5. Lovely Farida.
    I find that if I soak beans – any kind – over night that this reduces the cooking time. It works for chickpeas too. And it cuts down on use of electricity / gas – for those who are “Thinking Green!” and their utility bills.
    Betty

  6. We just absolutely love hummus in our house and have been making our own for a long time. I love how you presented this with the oil and the pitta toasts. We use tinned chickpeas for ours purely for the fact that, as Betty says above, it cuts down on the gas use.
    Julia

  7. i love hummus And love making it too! it goes superbly well with Indian dishes too… i love ur pics for this post!

  8. Thank you for all your comments.

  9. I used to make hummus at home (never, ever would consider buying it) and even peel each garbanzo to get the finest texture, until I realized one way to save myself a heap of work: Baking soda! It softens the beans so much, no need to peel them anymore!

  10. TASTEOFBEIRUT – I am assuming baking soda goes in the soaking water. Right? Then you drain and cook the beans in clean water. Thank you:)

  11. Merci pour toutes vos recettes.

  12. Feride is a woman, who makes everything just easy. I tried before hummus but never knew it can turn out so delicious at no time. You shared and I made 🙂 Thanks a lot!

  13. This was the first time I have made homemade hummus, and it was beyond delicious. I found I had to add increasing amounts of lemon juice to get the taste right, but with a processor it’s incredibly easy (even with canned chickpeas that aren’t shelled it still tastes great!)

    Thanks for the recipe.

  14. I just made Hummus using a similar recipe. I added a Smoked Paprika instead of regular one. That made a world of difference. Also, i added a fresh squeezed juice of 2 lemons in order to achieve the desirable taste. I noticed that hummus tastes better on the 2nd day. So make it in advance.

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