Until a few years ago, hummus was one of the most well-kept secrets of the middle East. It’s now eaten and loved all around the world.
It’s healthy, delicious, and it goes well with everything! Spread it on bread and sandwiches, eat it with fresh veggies (like carrots, celery, and tomatoes), serve it with salads and felafels, taste it with crisps, even try to dip your fruit in it – I am not crazy, try it with apple slices and you’ll see what I am talking about!
I discover hummus at a friends’ house in London more than ten years ago now (time flies!). I saw it at the centre of the table, surrounded by breadsticks. It looked like sad peanut butter. I had absolutely no idea what it was, and I could barely pronounce its name.
I was (and still I am) a terribly curious person, I closed my eyes, and I suspiciously gave it a try.
Oh my! Acid lemony notes, warm chickpeas purée, the unusual flavour of cumin, beloved sesame seeds all combined in a silky paste.
Hummus quickly became the best buddy to go to parties and buffets with. As all exceptional things, it’s difficult to remember how life was before it.
Long-lasting true love only came later, I must admit. During lockdown, I had the luxury to look for activities to fill my time with. After falling in love with Ottolenghi, I thought to give homemade hummus a try. I thought it’s now or never.
You might have heard it before, but please believe me when I say: homemade hummus is out of this world.
You can’t absolutely compare it with store bought. It’s worth your time plus it takes less time than what you might think.
In my head I always plate hummus in a fancy way with a few intact chickpeas and coriander for decoration. In reality the hummus barely makes it out from the food processor as I always devour it.
I am now completely addicted to it and I am so glad to share with you my healthy and easy hummus with just a few ingredients.
Other recipes call for cumin and salt, I omit them because I don’t want anything to distract me from the full taste of tahini. Feel free to add them for an extra kick. I exaggerate with the lemon juice as I am Italian after all. I only add olive oil and paprika on top when I have guests for dinner. Don’t like garlic? You can take it out my vampire friend, but you don’t know what you are missing out on.
Experiment with the ingredients and find your perfect balance but watch out for water. I recommend following the exact quantities I report below to have that famous silky texture.
As a hummus-addict I must add three words of wisdom:
One, try to eat your hummus slightly warm. It will reveal all its flavour.
Two, don’t attempt making hummus at home without a food processor. I tried and I hated myself for the month to come (scraping chickpeas from the kitchen wall).
Three, if in a rush you can use canned chickpeas or even better the huge ones in a glass jar. It will be our secret and I won’t tell anyone.
Hummus
Course: Starter4
servings10
minutes20
minutesUntil a few years ago, hummus was one of the most well-kept secrets of the middle East. It’s now eaten and loved all around the world.
Ingredients
250 g dried chickpeas (or 500 g high-quality canned chickpeas)
2 tbsp baking soda
1 and half lemon
250 g tahini paste
2 – 4 garlic cloves
150 ml cold water
To decorate: 1 tsp of paprika and 2 tbsp of oil
Method
- Soak the dried chickpeas in cold water overnight. Tip: add a spoon of bicarbonate of soda (this will soften the skin and simplify the removal)
- Boil the chickpeas with a teaspoon of baking soda for around 25 minutes. Keep an eye on them and remove the white foam. Drain them.
- Optional: if you have nothing better to do, remove the skins. This will make the hummus creamier and it is a very soothing activity, best stress release ever.
- Add the other ingredients to the mixer, except for water. Keep aside a few chickpeas for decoration.
- Mix for around 5 minutes and slowly add the cold water until you get a delicious, smooth paste….enjoy!
Notes
- You can also add a teaspoon of cumin if you like it
- Enjoy hummus with veggie dips, pita bread, falafel, or even apple slices.
Fun facts: Hummus comes from Arabic and apparently it literally means ‘chickpeas’. The oldest recipes are recorded in Egyptian cookbooks from the 13th century. Despite love for hummus has no borders, it’s also a controversial dish whose origins are contended between Lebanon and Israel.
What about you? How many times a week do you eat hummus? What do you eat it with?
