The Best Hummus

My son is a big fan of hummus and we have been eating more of it lately as a healthy snack. People who love this Middle Eastern diet staple are sometimes a bit fanatical about insisting it be prepared in the authentic traditional way using only traditional ingredients. As with all recipes, I say, make it the way you like it and apologize to nobody for it. 

This is a very simple basic recipe to which you can add different herbs and spices of your choice. I sometimes like hummus with an extra lemon kick, so I add very finely chopped lemon zest to the bowl. I find this works particularly well when using hummus as a vegetable dip. I also personally love to add a little toasted sesame oil to my hummus even when using tahini because of the uniquely nutty flavor it imparts. I also make a spicy version by adding crushed chili paste to the mix. Experiment with your own variations and develop your own favorite versions. The amounts of garlic and other ingredients can be adjusted to your taste as well.

You can use canned chickpeas but if you do, try and get them with no salt added. As with many canned foods these can be high in sodium and it is always best to season hummus yourself to control the amount of salt.

When cooking dried chick peas you have to do a little planning ahead, as you will need to soak them overnight or at least for 12 hours in plenty of water. One cup of dried chick peas will make a good sized batch of hummus, enough for at least 4 people to share. Cover the chickpeas with 3 to 4 times the volume of water to chickpeas and add a tablespoon of baking soda to the water. This will help to soften the chickpeas.

Chickpeas do not cook quickly, even after soaking and again, you will be seasoning the hummus in the final preparation so NO SALT in the cooking water. Rinse the chickpeas after their soaking stage and very gently simmer in unsalted water for 1 to 2 hours until they are very soft and creamy at the center with no grainy texture at all. Change the cooking water half way through the cooking time and skim any foam off the top as they cook as this can affect the final taste. When fully cooked, strain in a colander let the chickpeas cool down for 20 minutes before continuing with the preparation of the hummus. Some recipes suggest saving a little of the cooking water to mix in at the end if you want a thinner consistency to the finished hummus which is an excellent idea.

2 cups cooked or canned (no salt added) chickpeas

1/2 to 1 clove of minced garlic (or to taste)

1/3 to 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)

1/4 tsp cumin (or to taste)

juice of one large lemon

salt to season to taste

1/4 tsp pepper (optional)

Add the cooked chickpeas to a food processor and process until very creamy. Add the other ingredients and lend in well. Traditionally served with drizzled olive oil and chopped parsley.