How to prepare the best homemade hummus

Hummus is a typical chickpea paste from the Middle East that has different variations depending on the country, but it basically consists of chickpeas, tahini and lemon juice. It is seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and salt, everything that is added later are extras that are not part of the main ingredients.

No commercial hummus comes close to what we can prepare at home, and the secrets to success are within everyone’s reach. The first massive flaw is sacrificing real ingredients for lower quality ones. Using peanut paste is not the same as using tahini (sesame paste). It is also not the same to use extra virgin olive oil than some cheap oil, such as sunflower or soybean. And finally, there are little details in the cooking of the chickpeas that make the difference.

The preparation:

The day before, soak the chickpeas with a little baking powder for at least 8 hours in plenty of water, since they will expand to double in size through hydration, and don’t keeping them in the fridge. After that, discard the water, rinse and transfer the chickpeas to a deep pot with enough water to cover them and a some baking soda again.

When the water starts to boil, a foam will form on the surface that we will keep while cooking. Lower the heat and let it cook until we can easily crush a chickpea with a fork. This can be up to two hours.

When the chickpeas have cooled down, reserve some to use them later as decoration and process the rest together with the tahini, the lemon juice, some salt, one or two cubes of water and a little of the cooking water. The end result should be smooth and creamy, we do not want a liquid sauce nor a solid paste. It can get lighter by adding a bit more of the cooking water, so it is better to add little by little and rectify until you get the right consistency.

The serving:

To present it as in Lebanese restaurants, serve on a plate by forming a ball in the center and then gently press with the outer part of a spoon from the center to the edges, while rotating the bowl with the other hand. In this way, we get a hummus bowl just like in the picture, where we generously pour extra virgin olive oil and the chickpeas that we had previously reserved. Paprika, chopped parsley or sumac are also usually used to decorate the serving.

Tips and tricks:

1. Of course it’s possible to use a can of chickpeas to simplify the work, the result is not the same, although it is good enough when you need to save time.
2. Both when hydrating and boiling the chickpeas, adding a little baking powder or bicarbonate of soda helps them to be more tender.
3. As also happens with other legumes, it is advisable not to salt the cooking water, since otherwise the chickpeas won’t be tender.
4. Even if it’s unlikely that anyone would want to follow this advice, I will leave it there: to obtain a very creamy hummus, get rid of the skin of the chickpeas once cooked, one by one. The effort has an additional reward: the legume will be less indigestible, which you will highly appreciate the following day…
5. When blending the ingredients, add one or two ice cubes to achieve a creamier and lighter colored hummus.
6. Although it’s usual to add a clove of garlic (without the germ) when blending the ingredients, this is only optional.
7. Usually the hummus is served with different garnish in the center, from mushrooms to fried meat, the possibilities are very wide and varied.