5 Ingredients or Fewer

Zahav's Hummus Tehina

by:
May 31, 2021
5
30 Ratings
Zahav's Hummus Tehina
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Prep time 9 hours
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Makes about 4 cups
Author Notes

Chef Solomonov writes, "The secret to great Israeli-style hummus is an obscene amount of tehina, as much as half of the recipe by weight, so it's especially important to use the best quality you can find. Unlike Greek-style hummus, which is heavy on garlic and lemon, Israeli hummus is about the marriage of chickpeas and tehina." Note: The original recipe makes a much larger quantity of Tehina Sauce (the garlic, lemon, tahini, and salt mixture in steps 3 and 4), which is wonderful to have on hand if you want to scale up—it will keep for a week refrigerated, or it can be frozen for up to a month. Here we're using the single batch of Tehina Sauce developed by Bon Appétit. Recipe adapted slightly from Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking, by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015) and Bon Appétit (September 2015). —Genius Recipes

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Zahav's Hummus Tehina
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dried chickpeas
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda, divided
  • 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 1/3 cup (or more) fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
  • 2/3 cup excellent quality tahini (a.k.a. tehina—Chef Michael Solomonov loves Soom Foods, available on Amazon)
  • 1/4 teaspoon (or more) ground cumin
  • 1 splash Olive oil, for serving
  • 1 handful Chopped parsley and paprika, for serving (optional)
Directions
  1. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of the baking soda and cover with plenty of water. (The chickpeas will double in volume, so use more water than you think you need.) Soak the chickpeas overnight at room temperature. The next day, drain the chickpeas and rinse under cold water.
  2. Place the chickpeas in a large pot with the remaining 1 teaspoon baking soda and add cold water to cover by at least 4 inches. Bring the chickpeas to a boil over high heat, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pot, and continue to simmer for about 1 hour, until the chickpeas are completely tender. Then simmer them a little more. (The secret to creamy hummus is overcooked chickpeas; don't worry if they are mushy and falling apart a little.) Drain.
  3. Meanwhile, process garlic, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until coarsely puréed; let sit 10 minutes to allow garlic to mellow. 

  4. Strain garlic mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on solids to release as much liquid as possible. Return liquid to food processor; discard solids. Add tahini and pulse to combine. With motor running, add 1/4 cup ice water by the tablespoonful and process (it may seize up at first) until mixture is very smooth, pale, and thick. Add chickpeas and cumin and puree for several minutes, until the hummus is smooth and uber-creamy. Then purée it some more! Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, lemon juice, and cumin if you like. 

  5. To serve, spread the hummus in a shallow bowl, dust with paprika, top with parsley and more tehina sauce if you have any left, and drizzle generously with oil.
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Genius Recipes

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

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106 Reviews

James H.
James H. December 27, 2023
i've been making this hummus ever since he released his book. i also make i own tahini which is a no brainer if you've gotten an extra 15 minutes. i have made with canned and dried, for me the dried is better, but if in a pinch the canned works fine. depending on the canned beans i usually watch the salt and i usually increase the lemon and garlic just a smidge. the recipe is spot on the way it is written so there's very little tweaking if any is needed. serving this slightly warm with fresh pita, oh my gentle jesus. also keys to making this ethereal is paprika it with a quality one as well as a good olive oil.
 
Judith B.
Judith B. June 29, 2023
Weird--this is oddly similar to the recipe I've used for a few years, which is one I found on the Soom (of tahini fame) website. In any case, one trick I've learned from Soom is to remove the skins from the chickpeas after they've been cooked (and if you use canned, which I often do, boil them in some water for about a half hour and remove the skins). It's a minor pain, but it makes for the creamiest hummus I've ever had.
 
Juliette H.
Juliette H. October 28, 2022
Amazing! I make with canned chick peas and no baking soda. It's the best hummus I've ever had. I put it on pita bread and mix with a spicy red pepper sauce and then add alphalfa sprouts on top. It's soooooo good. Perfect for lunch or a midday snack. Everyone I've ever introduced to it is addicted, just like an am. This hummus makes it that much better. 🥰
 
Robin F.
Robin F. May 31, 2022
Hands down the best hummus I have ever made from scratch. Worth the time.
 
Sorel P.
Sorel P. May 23, 2022
I didn't have time to soak the chick peas overnight. I soaked them during the day for about 4 1/2 hours and this still came out delicious.
 
Sorel P.
Sorel P. May 23, 2022
clarification, i used canned chick peas so maybe i didn't need to soak them overnight since they are already soaking in the can. Also i added 1 extra garlic, which i pre-peeled.
 
Lily
Lily August 23, 2022
You don't have to soak canned beans because they're already cooked. We soak dried beans to reduce the cooking time, but it's not really necessary. Dried beans can be cooked directly; it just takes longer.
 
babswool
babswool April 27, 2021
I made this hummus tonight with canned chickpeas but the question I have is how do you determine the amount of canned chickpeas to the 1 cup of dried peas after they are cooked. I approximated double so used 2 cups of canned chickpeas. Is that right? I also started with step 2 and boiled the canned chickpeas to make them very soft and skimmed off the skins that rose to the surface of the boiling water.

I thought it was light on the garlic as I like garlicy hummus. Next time will try adding more.

It came out deliciously smooth and creamy. Will definitely make it again.
 
Lily
Lily August 23, 2022
One cup of dried chickpeas is about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas, which is the equivalent of two 15 ounce cans.
 
Lucy K.
Lucy K. April 26, 2021
I used canned peas as well, but followed the instructions otherwise and man was it good..the best I've had.. fresh parsley from the garden? can't go wrong.
 
dj
dj October 22, 2020
I've been making quick Hummus for years using canned chick peas. I tried this recipe and will never go back. It's slightly more labor intensive but once you get the hang of it, it's really easy. BEST. HUMMUS. EVER
 
draya3
draya3 October 24, 2020
I SO agree with you! And when it's still warm, it is the tastiest thing ever!
 
susan
susan May 31, 2021
I have to agree with you. So worth the little extra effort. Every time I make it I get nothing but compliments. This is the best hummus ever.
 
Therese
Therese September 2, 2019
I have made this recipe at least 20x and my family loves it. And I cut lots of corners but it’s still so good. I get my tahini at TrAder Joes and use their canned chickpeas as well. I don’t strain. I just throw the garlic, lemon juice and salt in the food processor fo a couple of minutes and then add the tahini. Today I tripled the batch because my kids love hummus and we just came back from a trip where we ate hummus at just about every meal and don’t want to stop. Unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared for my big hummus endeavor and ran out of fresh garlic and lemons. Luckily I had some jarred garlic in the fridge and bottled lemon juice that I keep for emergencies. It was still so delicious. I yelled out fresh hummus is ready and the kids came in from all parts of the house to load a plate with hummus and carrots. Honestly, I think jarred garlic and bottled lemon juice are now part of my short cuts for this recipe. It’s that good of a recipe.
 
claudia
claudia May 15, 2019
I would never ever put cumin in my hummus! Otherwise the recipe looks great!
 
Roger B.
Roger B. May 15, 2019
I’ve put cumin in hummus on many occasions. It adds a dimension of flavor and aroma (roast before you grind it) that is special. Our guests rave over this little surprise they never expected in our hummus. Try it - open your taste buds and your mind to a higher level of flavor and sophistication.
 
carol
carol April 26, 2019
Great fun easy recipe. I used to live near Zahav. Fabulous food. I also enjoyed the comments, thanks for the entertainment.
 
cyndilurks
cyndilurks October 5, 2018
I made this for the second time today & it is definitely worth the effort. I had a horrible time with my chickpeas overflowing the 4 quart pot I used to cook them, so I was wondering if they will still overflow an 8 quart pot? They were like a loose paste all over the lid & sides of the pot, and I was very glad that my burner pan has a very easy-to-clean surface from all the overflow. Nevertheless, the hummus turned out very smooth, creamy and delicious.
 
Runner G.
Runner G. October 15, 2021
Same thing happened to me! No matter the flame, the liquid kept overflowing - what a mess! Next time, I'll make the "quick" version and use canned chickpeas.
 
Pkkell
Pkkell August 9, 2018
My office is close to Zahav, so I feel blessed beyond compare.
 
Michelle A.
Michelle A. June 2, 2018
I just made this with Goya canned chickpeas and Ziyad brand Tahini. I thought it was delicious! I used canned for convenience this time. Peel the skins off the chickpeas for a smoother consistency.
 
Richard N.
Richard N. May 22, 2018
I have made this recipe about a half dozen times over the past year... and I just love it. Everytime i serve this it gets great reviews. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
 
Roger B.
Roger B. April 29, 2018
Ive made this twice with mixed results. I even used Soon Tahini as recommended, but to no avail. I’ve been making “Lebanese” Hummus for 40+ years with rave reviews but I can’t get any raves for this one. To make a smooth hummus is not difficult. To switch recipes (I even bought the book) didn’t result in a miracle for me.
 
Farah
Farah July 28, 2018
Can you please share your Lebanese hummus recipe and how to make hummus smooth? I have really been struggling with this. Would be very grateful. Thanks!
 
Roger B.
Roger B. April 27, 2019
I’ve now made this recipe several time and it has come out very well. Accolades from all my guests. I still prefer my “Lebanese” Hummus recipe because I have made it for so many years. The Soon tahini paste is very good but far too expensive for this “peasant” style dish and not the least bit necessary for a great hummus. On another note, it is embarrassing to see the ranting on about the name associated with a recipe. I called mine “Lebanese” to give die credit to my Lebanese friend who showed me how to make it. He may have called it something quite different where he was raised in Germany. Please stop the needless bickering and enjoy the foods on this wonderful website.
 
Valerie
Valerie October 13, 2020
I never peel the skins but I do run the food processor for several minutes. My hummus comes out extremely smooth. I make one cup of chick peas at a time and just use a regular pot. Once it comes to a boil, I skim the heavy foam off, set a timer for 40 minutes and I turn the fire down low, put a lid on and let it simmer. If you have the heat too high the garbanzos fall apart. I then scoop them out with a strainer spoon and then I strain the last bit just to make sure I get ALL the garbanzos. I don't throw the liquid out. It is useful for soups.
 
Hmmm
Hmmm April 3, 2018
Could you use iced chicken/vegetable stock instead? What would an equal amount of miso paste instead of salt do?
 
Syl
Syl April 1, 2018
Tempest in a teapot over origin of hummus🕉🔯✝️
 
Beth
Beth March 21, 2018
First full day of spring and we're having a snow storm, so I decided to make this hummus (I happened to have a jar of Soom tehina I bought on a recent visit to Philadelphia where I went to Solomonov's falafel place, Goldie's). And you can't just make hummus, so I made pita, too. Best snow day!! The hummus, well, it's heavenly. My next door neighbor is Lebanese, and when I was all done, I invited her and her kids over. She said this recipe nails it. And it does. Thank you!!
This is the pita recipe I followed (to the letter) and it was perfect. And great that it is cooked in a cast iron skillet (and not a 700 F wood burning oven).
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/232719/chef-johns-pita-bread/
 
draya3
draya3 March 21, 2018
I couldn't agree more with your comment! I especially love it when it's still warm, right out of the food processor. And thank you for the pita recipe. I think I have some new priorities for tomorrow!
 
Roger B.
Roger B. April 27, 2019
I’ve been dying to make pita at home. Thank you for the referral to the website where you located a successful recipe.
 
Edna O.
Edna O. March 3, 2018
Hummus is a healthy comfort food. I respect its Arab or Jewish outstanding culinary origin. I am looking forward to try this lemon juice garlicky recipe. Afterall, it is definitely a very healthy, free and simple recipe. Thanks to Chef Solomonov for his kindness to share his "Hummus Garlic-Infused. Lemon Juice recipe. Please, kindly keep sharing your healthy recipe.
Thanks in advance!
Very respectfully,
E. Ocasio-Medina
Puerto Rico, USA