3cupscooked chickpeas, peeled (from 1 to 1 ¼ cup dry chickpeas or quality canned chickpeas) See recipe notes for more instructions on cooking and peeling chickpeas
1 to 2garlic cloves, minced
3 to 4ice cubes
⅓cuptahini paste
½tspkosher salt
juice of 1 lemon
hot water (if needed)
extra virgin olive oil
sumac or cayenne for a little heat
Instructions
Add chickpeas and minced garlic to the bowl of the food processor. Puree until a smooth, powder-like mixture forms.
While processor is running, add ice cubes, tahini, salt, and lemon juice. Blend for 4 minutes or so. Check, and if the consistency is too thick still, run processor and slowly add a little hot water. Blend until you reach a desired silky smooth consistency.
Spread in a serving bowl and add a generous drizzle of EVOO. Add a few chickpeas to the middle, if you'd like. Sprinkle cayenne pepper on top. Enjoy with warm pita wedges and your favorite veggies.
Notes:
If starting with dry chickpeas: allow extra time for soaking (overnight) and cooking (2 hours)
To cook dry chickpeas: soak chickpeas in plenty of water overnight (water needs to be at least double the volume of chickpeas). When ready, drain chickpeas and place them in a medium sized cooking pot. Cover with water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours.
If using canned chickpeas: make sure they are drained and rinsed. It helps if you also give then a quick 20-minute simmer in a bit of water so they soften well (dry them before use).
To peel chickpeas (cooked or from a can): cover cooked chickpeas in hot water and add 1 and a ½ tsp baking soda. Leave for a few minutes. Take a handful of chickpeas and rub under running water to remove the skins. Place peeled chickpeas in a bowl.
Need to thicken your hummus more? If for some reason, you ended up using a bit moreliquid than you should have, cover and refrigerate the hummus for an hour or so before serving. It should thicken up a bit. Otherwise, another trick I used to do is to add 1 to 2 tablespoon of Greek yogurt to hummus to also add some creaminess (you would have to blend it again in the food processor). But with this recipe (and tips mentioned above) I have not needed to do this.