The smoothest, fluffiest hummus is excerpted from “The Mediterranean Dish” Copyright © 2022 by Suzy Karadsheh. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Caitlin Bensel. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House.” All rights reserved.
The smoothest, fluffiest hummus
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS; SERVES 6
Something magical happens when you blend chickpeas with earthy, rich tahini. But my motherin- law Dina, who made tubs of it almost daily, has some tricks up her sleeve for making the best hummus I’ve ever tasted. First, you must cook the chickpeas until very tender (even canned chickpeas can use a little simmer!)—a little baking soda aids in softening the skins and makes them easier to peel. Some think that peeling the chickpeas is an unnecessary step, but what a difference it makes! And, yes, adding ice cubes via the top of the food processor while it’s running is the final key to whipping up this puree into a consistency as smooth and fluffy as freshly churned ice cream.
- 1¼ cups dried chickpeas
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 or 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 or 4 ice cubes
- ¹⁄³ cup tahini paste, plus more as desired
- Kosher salt
- Juice of 1 large lemon (about ¼ cup), plus more as desired
- Hot water (optional)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sumac
- Warm pita bread, for serving
- Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with at least 3 cups water (the chickpeas should be submerged by 3 or 4 inches). Soak overnight.
- The next day, drain the chickpeas and place them in a medium pot. Pour enough cool water into the pot to cover the chickpeas by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and let simmer anywhere from 40 minutes to 1 hour (the cooking time will depend on their freshness), until the chickpeas are cooked through and very tender; as they cook, skim off any foam that forms on top. Drain the chickpeas. Set aside a few spoonfuls of the cooked chickpeas for serving later and return the rest to the pot.
- Add enough hot water to the pot to cover the cooked chickpeas. Add the baking soda and set aside for 20 minutes (this helps loosen the skins).
- Drain the chickpeas in a colander. Take a handful of chickpeas at a time and rub them between your hands under running water to remove the skins, then place the peeled chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the multipurpose blade. (Don’t worry if you don’t remove all the skins, and if you skip this step, your hummus will still taste good; it will just have more of a rustic texture.)
- Add the garlic to the food processor, then puree the chickpeas until a powder-like mixture forms. While the processor is running, add the ice cubes, tahini, ½ teaspoon salt, and the lemon juice through the top opening. Blend until it is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Taste the hummus and if needed, add more salt, tahini, or lemon juice until you reach the taste you’re after. Transfer the hummus to a small serving bowl or plate, and use the back of a spoon to make a wide well in the center. Add a generous drizzle (about 2 tablespoons) of the olive oil, sprinkle to taste with the sumac, and add the reserved chickpeas to the middle. Enjoy with warm pita bread. (The hummus can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)
Variation:
Shortcut: Canned-Chickpea Hummus If you don’t have the time to soak and cook dried chickpeas, you can use 3 cups of canned chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed. Even though canned chickpeas do not need cooking, boiling them in water to cover by at least 2 inches for 20 to 30 minutes will soften them and produce a creamier hummus (this is a cheater’s way to imitate the results of cooking chickpeas from scratch). From there, peel the chickpeas and follow the recipe as written.