Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi's Basic Hummus

Amazing alchemy to get perfect chickpeas in 20 minutes. But it worked! So.smooth, delicious!

P.S. I added about 1/2 tsp of cumin and 10 olives into the mixture.

I’ve been making hummus for years. The latest recipe I used was from ATK. What intrigued me was the shorter time to cook the chickpeas. I let the chickpeas soak in water 24 hours. Normally, I do it overnight but something came up and I couldn’t make it until much later. I followed your recipe and cooked the chickpeas with baking soda for about 2 minutes. The sides of the pot were so soiled that I felt it was long enough. Ti boil the chickpeas, I set the timer for 25 minutes. I looked at the chickpeas at 23 minutes and they were done. I was amazed. Hummus did come out very smooth and creamy.

This is the best, most creamy hummus I’ve ever had!

Delicious! Here is a tip if you don't have time to make the chickpeas from scratch- Instead of dried chickpeas, get two cans of chickpeas. Drain, rinse. Simmer the chickpeas in water on the stove top for about 8 minutes WITH the baking soda. Drain and rinse. We will get the same luxurious, buttery texture in half the time.

Excellent hummus. I did increase the lemon juice to 6 Tblsp.

Excellent recipe. The hummus freezes well. I find that at least twice the lemon juice is needed.

This is such a luxurious hummus!

I'm allergic to chickpeas. I made with black beans, lentils or kidney beans. They all worked. Of course, slightly different flavor profile depending on the bean. But they certainly are good alternatives.

Lovely recipe but confusing with salt quantity. Ingredient list says pinch of salt, method instructs to add 1.5 teaspoons. I doubled the batch & unfortunately ended up too salty in taste.

Probably sacrilege to say this but I found this hummus a bit dry. Anyone experience that?? Am on a life long quest to match the deliciousness of the Lebanese Taverna (in DC) hummus.

So good. So smooth. Just heaven. Used less tahini (2/3-3/4c) and it was plenty. Thank you!

What a great recipe! i tried it last week but forgot the baking soda bit. It was amazing just the same. Tried it again today with the soda. Hard to believe that total yumminess gets better with the soda but it does. I love how the chickpeas taste just after cooking this way. Now looking for other ways to serve chickpeas from scratch. Your video and the one i saw on instagram were both very encouraging. Thanks so much!
Carolyn

Delicious as written..just make sure to use the amount of salt listed in the steps (1.5tsp) and not the amount in the list of ingredients (a pinch). It had a really balanced flavor, not too bitter or garlic-laden, and the smooth texture is really lovely.

I need a recipe for the pita bread shown in the image! PLEASE! Not greek pita, but chewy stretchy pita I used to get from bakeries in Dearborn, MI. Food 52 is a trusted resource, please help!

From the moment I saw it an YouTube this became my favorite and go-to hummus recipe. Now, for the people commenting on the amoun of tahini, please note that the recipe calls for light roast. Unfortunately, it seems that in most places that kind of tahini is not available, as is the case with the place 5I live. However, tahini not only adds to the flavor, but its fat content plays an important role in texture, so cutting down on it will not give you the same rich and decadently smooth mouthfeel. To avoid troubles with too strong tahini, simply dilute it with some neutral-flavor oil. I use sunflower oil. The ratio I found to work best is 2/3 cup of tahini + 1/3 cup of oil for a total of 1 cup. Additionally, I always add a tsp of freshly ground black pepper and additional 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice so I never had any issues with the final product tasting bland. I hope this helps. Cheers!

Exactly how does this cut hummus making time in half?

This is my go-to recipe for hummus and I'm very happy with it, but I am so happy to see so many ideas for flavor additions in the comments.
I'd like to add one more idea. So many people bemoaned the expense of tahini. Over on 101 Cookbooks, Heidi has a recipe for hummus that swaps walnuts for the tahini in traditional hummus. Someone here suggested using peanut b utter for a completely different flavor and it's great. I like the nut swap idea so much I'll be testing out various options. Pistachios come to mind immediately. Can't wait to get back into the kitchen with a bag of chickpeas.

Processing the hummus in a Vitamix makes it incredibly silky-smooth. Yes, you have to blend a little water into the emptied blender container to remove the last bit of hummus that you can't remove any other way, so you lose a few tablespoons of hummus, but then you have made a delicious sauce or mug of soup.

I have frozen hummus with no effect on quality. It's no more work if I double this recipe, so I always do, and freeze the hummus in 2-cup glass containers.

Thank you for the recipe! The texture of this hummus is fabulous and it was not too onerous to strain out the chickpea skins.
This is a good base recipe to add the flavor you want - I agree with other reviewers that it's a bit bland, but that's not a bad thing if you like to customize, which I do.
Also, I made the recipe as stated and I do agree that it calls for too much tahini - it made the hummus a shade bitter but if your tahini is not so bitter perhaps you can go the full amount. I had to make do with the one and only tahini to be found in a local supermarket (after looking in two others that didn't have it at all in my rural section of the country), so perhaps it wasn't "light" roasted as called for, the jar didn't specify.
Thanks again, now I know how to make my own hummus, I'm freezing some with olive oil on top so hope it defrosts well!

Chris Kimball has a much better recipe on Milk Street that he calls Israeli hummus. Uses soda too but easier and takes great advantage of the aquafaba.

Just made this today. Deeelicious! What a difference from using canned chickpeas. It's a bit fiddly with skimming the chickpeas, but nothing a glass of wine in hand won't soothe. This will be a regular treat.

That makes a lot of humus and it only keeps 1-2 days. You can prepare (and use a pressure cooker or instapot) a large amount of Chickpeas and then freeze them. For those of you who think that techinni is expensive, this is so much more inexpensive than buying prepared humus. A great recipe.

Tahini is too pricey for me. So i'll just roast some sesame seeds and blast it in the mixer with olive oil, lemon juice and little water. Cant wait to try this recipe! Will add cumin and/or zataar because I'm about that spice life :)

This makes a delicious, smooth hummus, among the best I've had. It's a bit thick, but it can be thinned to your preference with a bit of water saved from the cooking, or lemon juice for a bit more tang.

I love this recipe. I never paid attention to proportions before, just made it to taste. Now I think the proportions are important. The first time I made it I used my blender, and had the problem of an over-heated motor and having to scrape down the sides and add liquid to loosen it up. Now I use a food processor. I have it adapted it my taste - a bit more lemon juice, no more than ½ cup of tahini. Also, I cook chickpeas in an InstaPot and don't worry about pealing off the skins, which makes the full 5 minutes of mixing critical to get the silky consistency. At the end I scoop out ½ of the hummus, and to the remaining process in canned chipotle peppers and juices, adjusting the amount for whatever level of heat I want that day. I used to crave a version of chipotle hummus that I bought at Whole Foods. Now I make my own.

I will never again make hummus with canned chick peas! This hummus is simply creamy yummy perfection.

I just made this exactly per recipe in my trusty old food processor and I'm currently eating it warm, straight out of the bowl (I already licked the spatula clean). This is such a treat, thank you!

I was a bit nervous when I finished cooking the chickpeas, since there were still quite a few bits of skin left among the cooked beans that I couldn't quite separate despite my best skimming and sifting efforts. I need not have worried, it turned out incredibly smooth even with those bits still left in there.

Thanks again for the recipe, this will definitely become a new staple in our house!

I used my Vitamix to make this, and even though it's a powerful machine that can take on most things, the thickness of the mix proved quite a challenge and it the motor started to make some unhealthy sounds and give off a burning smell. It heated up and would have cooked the hummus if I'd left it mixing for the recommended 5 minutes, so I had to stop it early. It tasted pretty good, but next time I'll add more water as it turned out too thick for my taste, and it definitely needs serving with some good olive oil - it's a bit bland without that.

This makes a lot. I discovered I can fill two glass refrigerator dishes and freeze one. The hummus is perfect after being frozen and then thawed in the refrigerator.

This is a great recipe, if heavy on the tahini (which is expensive, and you can use less). I love red pepper hummus, and it was always a chore to roast and peel the peppers. Then I realized I could simply cut up a red pepper and saute it in olive oil, and process it into the finished hummus I can't tell the difference. Add 1 or 2 sauteed red (or orange or yellow) peppers to this recipe, and maybe some paprika.

Plastic wrap is completely unnecessary: I won't rehearse the numerous reasons why using less plastic is best for your environment, health and bank balance.

I halved the recipe and used 1 can of chickpeas. My only problem was the sharpness of the raw garlic. I'll maybe use a bit less or roast it next time. Adding ice water to the thick mixture really works and brings it to the perfect consistency. This was the first time I'd used tahini. I used a brand that was organic, had only sesame seeds as the ingredient, and was imported from Israel. Not bad for a first try.

Delicious! went a little light on the tahini but still fabulous!

Re peeling chickpeas: I think middle eastern women didn't sit there peeling chick peas. There was other stuff to do, it will not break your dish.
Re the food processor on for 5 minutes: do it. It is not overkill.
Hummus should not be gloppy and tight, it should have a little movement. Add a little of the chick pea cooking water if you need to loosen it. Other add ins: lemon zest and a bit of cumin. Keep it simple.

What a fantastic recipe this hummus. And so healthy. I can't wait to make this.

I attempted this recipe and failed dismally. I used organic unhulled tahini which had a brown colour so felt I was a little off track from the beginning. Re reading the recipe I wanted to know do you really leave your food processor motor running for 5 minutes as stated in the recipe ? Maybe this was something critical that I omitted but I fear for the heart beat of my magimix - 5 mins sounds terminal.

No such thing as too much hummus.

My favorite especially when you add some candied lemon.

For a different take - try adding a spoonful of olive tapenade and scooping with tortilla chips. Brilliant cross-cultural blend. I make tapenade with canned black olives and pimento stuffed green olive, garlic and a little olive oil. Better and cheaper than store bought tapenade.

How long does tahini last once jar is opened?

I do freeze half of it, airtight. Thaw, stir in fresh olive oil, it's still delicious.

I wouldn't freeze it. It might not taste as good. I'd rather make less and have fresh.

What is the best way to freeze some of it?

I don't know about this 'keeps for 3 days' stuff. I've made this many many times now, full recipe. 1/2 goes in the freezer (survives beautifully) the rest gets packed in an airtight glass container for the fridge. Delicious all week long!

Since this recipe only lasts 3 days or so, I would tend to want to make the amount I could use up in that time. If I was having a party, I would make the larger amount. This recipe is obviously useful when you're having a large group over.

There are lots of comments about the amount of tahini. And Alton Brown's recipe. I checked out his recipe to compare. I'm not advocating one or the other. I think it's personal taste. But here are a couple of observations that I made:

Alton Brown's recipe uses olive oil and Tahini whereas the above recipe uses only Tahini. Many commercial versions of Tahini have a lot of added oil. And most likely the added oil is not even sesame oil. So I think it is hard to compare the two recipes. The olive oil would add a different flavor. By using only tahini, you are getting some extra oil, but you are also getting a stronger Tahini flavor if you use only the Tahini.
Alton Brown also uses baking soda to cook his chickpeas. Many chefs in India also use it with their bean recipes.
The chickpea skin issue: I'm not sure if you have to peel them. The Indian cookbooks I have read don't seem to worry about peeling them.....


I think it comes down to personal taste. I like Tahini and I would like to try this recipe as is, but perhaps for some using only Tahini is too strong a sesame flavor. I think for the average person about 1/4 of this recipe is the amount to go for.....

One comment I would say about this recipe and all recipes in general: I always worry about recipes where some of the ingredients are hidden in the instructions. This recipe has salt in the list of ingredients WITHOUT the amount. You have to read the directions and then you're finally told that it's 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. I think the way most of us use our cookbooks is that for the first couple times we make a recipe, we do read the instructions but after we get used to the recipe, we just look at the list of ingredients. It's kind of a pain to have to keep referring to the directions. I have seen recipes where very important ingredients are hidden in the directions and not included in the list at the top. It's very easy to make a mistake and leave them out in that case.

Is it a sin to use canned chick peas? Some of us bitches are busy up in here.

How important is tahini to hummus? Can I still make it without it?

I add cumin to mine!

The recipe can't be right. As many have noted, way two much tahini. Something must be wrong in transcription of the fractions.

I just made this and WOW this is the creamiest hummus I've ever made. I cut the recipe in half (as it only keeps for 3 days) and I used way less tahini because it just seemed like a lot. I think I used half the amount. I added some cayenne for a kick. This is truly genius! That baking soda is CLUTCH

After spending time in the Middle East, I love a good hummus and this was so much better than any store bought hummus! Delicious and so light, everyone liked it. I made my own tahini and added roasted garlic to soften the bite of raw garlic. Will make again.

My hummus was so dense it burned out my food processor! I switched to my immersion blender until I was concerned it was overheating. The only thing I did differently is that my chickpeas soaked for a few days, not just one. Could that have caused it to be so heavy?

Way too much tahini, better to add it to taste. I never add baking soda to beans. It's just not necessary and it affects the taste. Hummus is something that each person has to tweak to their liking. I love the taste of olive oil in mine and I've often subbed out a small amount of almond or cashew butter for the tahini. Absolutely hauntingly delicious! It takes a while to get it where you want it, so keep experimenting and trying out & comparing recipes. Have fun along the way because luckily, chickpeas are not expensive!

I wish I had paid more attention to the comments first! Dried chickpeas are definitely the way to go and this hummus was certainly smooth - but like some other comments noted it was way too much tahini for me. Next time maybe 1/3 cup (or less) tahini to 1lb chickpeas. But I did appreciate the reminder that home made hummus is SOO much better than store bought!

I just made this...did not have 1.125 cups of tahani, but it was SMOOTH...I even had a tub of store-bought hummus, and it was as smooth. And, best of all, mine's cheaper, made by me, and not processed in a store. Just very good

I made this recipe exactly as written, (with an 18-hour soak) and it is the lightest, smoothest, airiest, tastiest hummus I have ever had. I am completely obsessed and will now have to purchase bulk dried chickpeas to keep up with the addiction.

look on this link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCY3SzyX0oQ

I have to second Alton Brown´s recipe - 1/3 cup is more than sufficient! Too much tahini in this recipe! I also learned from a Lebanese woman to soak the (dried) garbanzos for two days - her hummus is made in a blender and super aerated! Try that too!

First time ever making hummus and used this recipe because it came so highly recommended on these comments. I followed the recipe exactly, and while the texture is gorgeous, all I taste is tahini and baking soda - so much so that I've been guzzling water in the hours since I ate it.
Any suggestions of what might have gone wrong, or is the amount of tahini too much, as other posters have suggested?

My (well, Alton Brown's) recipe calls for 1 lb of chickpeas, and only 1/3 cup of tahini.

Why so much tahini in this recipe above?

The classic recipe, in our Lebanese family anyway:
1 can Garbanzo beans (however, I cook my own chick peas, time permitting)
3 T Tahini
lemon juice to taste (lots, at least 1 lg lemon)
salt to taste, 1 t or more
1 bud garlic
some water (from bean pot if you cook your own)

No oil needed! My grandmother would drizzle some on top when she served a dish of hummus. Also, she'd sprinkle on some paprika or finely minced parsley.

About the baking soda discussion, I always presoak the chick peas (and all other beans) with a pinch of baking soda, then rinse, then cook in new water. It degasses the beans for sure.

I was surprised at the Food 52 recipe, in that there was so much tahini. Lots of calories. I loved the creaminess, though. Still, I prefer the classic hummus recipe above, and like it best when it's made with the warm chick peas out of the pot and served while still warm and fragrant.

Why no olive oil in the making of it? Just curious? I put in a ton also in addition to the water. What is the classic recipe?

The skins float right off and can be rinsed away through a salad spinner or any strainer with large holes. Comes out amazingly creamy.

I followed this recipe exactly and LOVE it plain or with avocado and spices (https://food52.com/recipes/29482-avocado-hummus). The tahini was not overpowering at all, as others have suggested. In the future, I will use the liquid from the chickpeas instead of or in addition to ice water. I removed a lot of the skins, but not all - I don't find it necessary. I prefer the thicker smooth consistency myself. My chickpeas cooked in just under 20 minutes - awesome. I will never use canned again. Thank you for sharing!

woops--forgot to check the new comments box!

the great thing about this recipe is that the baking soda makes it really easy to remove the skins. i found i needed a lot more liquid to achieve a good texture to the purée but made a marvelous discovery. while skinning the cooked chick peas i left the liquid in which they cooked in the pot. after cooling i saw that it had thickened like a demi-glace! of course this was from the starch in the chick peas. i used some of this liquid to thin out the purée. it was absolutely delicious. i still have some left over in the fridge and plan to add it to amanda's "dan barber short ribs" this weekend!

If you remove the skins from the chickpeas before you grind them you get a much better creamy texture. It takes a few extra minutes, but it is so worth it.

Hello, I'm Julie from Montreal. My boyfriend is lebanese and I'm on a mission to make the perfect hummus (hoummous)lol . I make huge batches of chick peas the equivalent of 4 cups of dry chick peas at a time which will give you about triple amount so about plus or minus 10-12 cups.
I cook my dry chick peas after they have soaked over night for about 45 minutes. I ad only 1/4 spoon of baking soda. I noticed that adding more makes the chickpeas bland.
I suggest playing with the quantities of tahini and lemon. Also try lime instead of lemon. Also I ad the zest of lemon or lime at the end to give the hummus a little spark. Trial and errors is fun. cheers and happy hummus cooking.

I have made hummus for years, many different variations. Followed this recipe pretty much to a tee proportionately, the only difference is I used one full bag which is tad more than 1 1/4 cups. Oh my, Genius is the right word! A light roast tahini is not overpowering, this comes out very smooth & for the effort there is a enough for a batch to freeze. It is a perfect classic hummus, doctor to your taste if you like spice, pesto, red peppers etc.

I also, just cook the dried beans. You can make same day hummus, it is just a time consuming effort. You need to make sure the water does not boil out.

I whip this up in about 10 minutes. This is why I like it so much. Sometimes, I want hummus in a hurry, and this is perfect for that.

Love love love Ottolenghi restaurant and cookbooks and so hate to be a killjoy BUT I used to cook beans this way and stopped because I learnt that cooking beans with baking soda while speeding up the cooking process also kills vitamins and flavour. I like to cook the chickpeas the slow way and then use the cooking liquid at the end to get the right consistency. This way maximising flavour and putting some of the vitamins back :-)

If I wanted to make this with dried garbanzo beans and didn't want to soak overnight and didn't have a pressure cooker how long should they soak? i.e.. I would like to make this today and it is 11:30am now. Can I do it???

Easy to remember and consistently yummy hummus recipe:
2 cans (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup EVOO
2-4 minced garlic cloves
salt and powdered cumin to taste
mix all in food processor until creamy
serve in low bowl drizzled with EVOO and small shake of cumin

1 cup plus two tablespoons of tahini? that is a ridiculous amount..you should be using way less or all you'll taste is the tahini. I've made hummmus my whole life and my recipe is close but with just a few tablespoons of tahini..not that crazy amount.

Agree with other commenters that this is a base for other flavors- on its own, I wasn't impressed, but once I added extra spices and veggies, it became amazing! You can make any type of hummus with this- beet hummus, spinach hummus, yam hummus. It's good in that you can be creative! Throw in whatever you've got! :D

I used to make hummus this way, and then I finally did it the easy way, with canned, organic chick peas. It is ready in minutes. Another great way is using Great Northern beans, lemon juice, soy sauce, tahini, salt, garlic coriander, cumin and cayenne. This hummus is so smooth. It feels great against the palate. It is addictive. My guests love it.

Thank you for the recipe! Love it!!! I followed every step to the letter,but on the end added 1/3 cup of lemon juice plus some cayenne and black pepper as I love more spicy version. Also I used 3/4 cup of cold water (12 tbls),the consistency is just perfect with this amount of water.Will make this recipe again for sure :)

I agree that this is under spiced. And I agree that this is the smoothest hummus I have ever made. No off taste from the baking soda. For the record, I used half again as much garlic, twice the lemon juice plus added some smoked paprika and some cayenne. The consistence of this stuff is fabulous.i want to rush out to the street and offer it to strangers, "Here! Taste this! Isn't it incredible? "

i had sworn off store bought hummus awhile ago, but with this recipe i can NOT go back to canned chickpeas...it is amazing! i halved the recipe the second time around...it makes a whole lotta hummus!

I was mostly interested in trying the new baking soda method for producing soft chickpeas (in a record time, which is a bonus) - am one of those cooks who always peel chickpeas before blending them for hummus... But now I won't have to - this method really works! The smoothness of the end result is remarkable although the chickpeas were left unpeeled. As to the ingredients, I used my usual proportions (i.e. one full cup of tahini is way too much for my taste). Thanks for the wonderful and effective shortcut to a favorite recipe!

Finally got around to trying this. Love it! Very smooth, flavourful. Will become a staple in my recipe file.

I had high hopes for this, but have to say I'm underwhelmed. Made it last weekend for friends and family who all agreed it was drastically under-seasoned. Ended up doubling the amt. of lemon juice and garlic as well as boosting the salt. However, I will say that the method of cooking the chick peas does result in a great texture. But as for the rest...Well, I'll be going back to my old, tried and true recipe.

It's in my fridge now, but even piping hot this stuff is addictive. Didn't use lemon juice, as I ran out, lime juice made a great sub.

Since I took Jerusalem out of the library a few months ago, I've made this hummus once a week. It is divine. But I think the recipe can be a bit of a letdown if you have the hummus on its own. Rather, it deserves to be a companion or vehicle for stronger flavors, and in this capacity it is truly sublime. If you turn a couple of pages on in Jerusalem, there's a recipe for hummus with minced lamb and lemon sauce, and it is simply out of this world. Add Na'ama's fattoush on the side or maybe stuff everything in a hot homemade pita and after one taste you will pledge allegiance to this hummus. It is that good.

This recipe is divine. Beyond scrumptious. I followed the instructions exactly, using a package of dried Goya brand chickpeas. After the overnight soak the bean cooking took about 20 minutes. I processed as written, and the results were wonderful. I took a taste before the 30 minute rest period and already could taste how vastly superior this hummus is to any other I've made or bought. I think I've only ever had hummus this creamy at a restaurant . I just ate some now with carrots and tomato chunks. Warm hummus. I will never eat cold hummus again. I drizzled the olive oil on top as instructed...what a nice taste contrast. I could go on and on....must get the cookbook. Thank you so much for posting this. Unbelievably delicious .

For the second year in a row, I've been making spicy, roasted red pepper hummus, using these basic ingredients with the addition of roasted red pepper. Now I will try this method, using a little baking soda with the garbanzos. I know from using it with baked beans that it changes the texture of the beans, so should be the same for garbanzos. The other technique you mentioned, using ice water at the end sounds great and I'll try that as well. Who knew!

Lusciously creamy hummus! Very garlicky which I loved. I only used 1 tsp of salt and 3/4 cup tahini. That was perfect. Soooo good. Makes way more than 6 servings.

By far the most delicious hummus I have ever had. Followed the directions exactly and it turned out just like the photo. Thank you.

Jstew52: The jury is still out. The end product came out delicious, but I feel a little something is missing in the flavor department. It's like leaving a little bit of apple peel on in apple pie = flavor. I will try again leaving the skins as soon as I get through the kilo of humus that I got out of this batch! Also made this batch from a store brand I picked up and not my usual ones I buy from the organic farmer's market (could be age of the beans - last years versus the year before's crop makes a difference in flavor, cook time and texture when cooking dried beans of any type).

Giving it a try, but took a couple extra steps. When I cook chickpeas for hummus, I like to keep the liquid they cooked in. Makes the best veg stock, especially for pilafs, risotto, etc. So, not sure I want to taste that baking soda in the stock. In the past, I've soaked them overnight in baking soda stirred into the soaking water (same amount as the recipe), and rinsed the next day, covered with fresh water and boiled (w/ the addition of a bay leaf or two and a peeled whole red onion). So today, gave this a try and noticed that when they came to a boil, all the skins floating to the top. So, decided to take the whole pot to the sink and let the cold water run into the pot (old Greek yiayia technique for rinsing lentils after the "first boil"). The chickpeas sink to the bottom and skins floated to the top. Turned the water off and just swished my hands in the pot of chickpeas to loosen the rest of the skins (it was now cool water) and grabbed handfuls of skins and discarded them. Am I throwing out tuns of flavor? Hmmm, not sure. I don't think so....Anyhoo.... so, with fresh water, put them back on the stove and proceeded as directed. Waiting for them to cool down a wee bit before processing them. Going to follow the remainder of the recipe to the letter and will let you know how they turn out. I'm sure it will be great. And I'll still have a nice pot's worth of chickpea stock to use for something else as well. I'm dreaming now of topping a nice platter of this hummus with some lovely blanched and sauteed' amaranth...and drizzling more oil on that, maybe some grated tomato on top of that too. Yep.

I followed the recipe exactly and while the flavor was great, the texture turned out a bit like smooth mashed potatoes. It's difficult to describe because it was definitely creamy, but not the silky hummus I had imagined. Is there a step that should be emphasized to get this effect? Or an ingredient to add/remove?

Thank you for your reply thirschfeld for the reply! K

I normally cook chickpeas in a pressure cooker after soaking over night. Is it safe to sauté the chickpeas in baking soda in the pressure cooker and then add water and cook with pressure? Thanks.

When I first put it together, I thought it was strongly tahini-ish, too, but after it's sat for a while it seems to have settled down, and the garlic mellowed out too.

I used 4 cups of cooked beans, and probably 1 cup of organic tahini sold by the pound in deli containers at my daughter's co-op. AND, found out they sold their food processor before this last move, so son-in-law used the potato masher and did a pretty good job of it. Also made garlic paste for me from 4 cloves.

Even working with all THOSE limitations, this is very tasty recipe, which I will make at home again -- and perhaps will make my own tahini next time, too. Adding more lemon juice and some olive oil before we serve it.

Thanks, it is a keeper!

Gigi
I LOVE the texture of this hummus but found the tahini flavor a bit overwhelming. I added lots more lemon and a bit more salt. Perfection.

I soaked a whole unweighed bag of garbanzos to save some for other uses and I'm pretty sure it is way too much. How many cups of soaked beans (by volume not weight since there's no scale here at my daughter's) should I be starting out with? thanks!

My batch came out really smooth. I dumped some olive oil on top when we ate it. How many tablespoons of oil should be poured on top? Also, how would it do if I blended in the oil after the 5 min in the food processor?

Where is Paula Wolfert's comment?

Wonderfully light, creamy, and smooth texture! Gorgeous color. The taste is out-of-this world!!! Was questionable about the amount of tahini at first, but it's a sure thing. Found my new hummus recipe. Thanks! Can't wait to get my hands on that beautiful book. I have heard such great reviews about it.

Thank you for featuring this recipe! I have the Jerusalem cookbook and love it, but have tried making so many hummus recipes (the texture always disappointed me) that I wasn't really willing to try yet another. I've been searching for how to get the texture smooth and creamy for years! Because you featured it, I decided to give one more recipe a try, and sure enough the texture of the hummus is perfect--creamy and light!

Phenomenal. I'm in food church right now. Thanks for an amazing recipe and method.

I was just told the baking soda can kill the B1, for whatever it's worth. If you have really hard water and really old beans, I'd go for it. If you're buying current crop or recent beans, it just isn't worth the potential soapy flavor and grainy texture or potential mush, to me.

The baking soda alters the starch allowing it to take up more water and improves the gelatinization aside from its effect on the hulls. In corn the alkali treatment also release niacin and makes it more available, thus improving the nutritional value. it could be the same in chick peas. Alkali normally destroy ascorbic acid but chick peas is not really a source of ascorbic acid in the first place. the percieved "off flavor" can be corrected by the other ingredients and of course by not adding more baking soda than recommended in the recipe. This is method is good.

To increase the nutrition and eliminate lectins, sprout the beans (in fact any beans) with an overnight soak, and a couple of rinses the next day in a colander. The vitamins skyrocket, while the carbohydrates drop, because now you are cooking a small plant rather than a pebble of dried starch. And the flavor is amazing!

Mix in a food processor for FIVE mins? Is this correct? I can't imagine...

I think adding baking soda to beans adds an unwanted taste and I can't swear by it, but I remember reading somewhere that it seriously compromises the health benefits. If you are in a hurry, try a pressure cooker for a recipe like this and make sure you use fresh (as opposed to years old) beans.

Is it just me or is this recipe missing the olive oil? In the article it mentioned adding it at the end, after adding the ice water and letting the flavors come together for 30 minutes.

Love Yotam and Jerusalem cookbook. Mujadara and shakshuka recipes are the best. I know it's probably traditional, but isn't that a whole lot of tahini? With all that fat you're talking about 400 calories a serving.

Would it be totally OTT to add epazote to hummus? If you're worried about the flatulence problem, that should take care of it. It will taste different, though, but you might like it.

My recipe is pretty similar to this, although I am one of those canned beans users. I've found that swishing the beans around in water releases most of the skins on the canned beans.

I like the combo flavor of tahini and olive oil, with lots of garlic and lemon. I was taught to sprinkle cumin and cayenne, or other hot ground pepper, in spokes across the top of the plated hummus. That way those who like those spices/some heat can just swipe a path through them and those that don't can avoid them. ;)

I just got my order from Rancho Gordo with some of their nice fresh dried garbanzos, so I am going to make this recipe as is and not be so lazy as to use canned this time.

Oh, we like toasted sliced sourdough as dippers sometimes. The crunch is a nice textural contrast and the tang a flavor contrast.

So pleased to featured hummus. I make it pretty much every week. I love Ottolenghi but I skip cooking the chickpeas and buy ready cooked. I live in Spain and the cooked chickpeas here are superb. I sprinkle a generous amount of smoked or sweet pimenton over mine. Sooo good! Such a healthy snack at any time of day.

I just made this -- it is so amazingly good! I used a quick soak method for the chickpeas rather than soaking them overnight which sped up the process. I also used Peloponnese brand tahini because the only ingredient listed was sesame seeds -- no preservatives, always a plus! I did not remove the hulls from the peas and it still came out smooth and creamy. I followed the recipe as directed. I also used 4 large garlic cloves and they were not overwhelming at all. We had this with pita, cucumber salad and kofta. I highly recommend!

I'm so happy about this...I can smell the garlic from Brazil and that's so good!I just think the blender works better to a smoother finish,but it does take longer cause then you can't do the whole lot at once.

Al Wadi and Dalia are the best prepared tahinis on the market; even better if you can get fresh made at a Lebanese or middle eastern market in large cities....

4 cloves garlic? Wish there were a weight given. Four FAT cloves would be a lot of garlic for this, no?

Has anyone else found that the baking soda changes the taste of the chickpeas? I improvised a bit with the amount, using 3/4t for 1C dried chickpeas, but I don't think that should make a difference. Obviously it's a popular method - any thoughts on what went wrong for me?

Can't wait to try it, but, Tahini paste is difficult to work with, any tips on that?

I've always understood that baking soda destroys certain nutrients in the dried beans, though.

I usually peel my chickpeas for a smooth hummus. Can't wait to try this.

I'll be damned. I thought everyone made scratch hummus this way!

I started making hummus before there was any thaini available where I lived (over forty years ago) so after looking up the definition I began to make my own. I grind garlic and hulled sesame seeds in my food processor until it forms clumps around the sides of the bowl. I scrape the sides and give it a little longer to process and then add the rest of the ingredients. I have always received compliments on my hummus.

This is one of the best recipes for hummus I've found (among the other fabulous recipes in "Jerusalem!") My homemade results were the closest to the hummus from a Tel Aviv Hummusia that I still dream about... I have kept it in the fridge for longer than a week and it was great.

Always curious: how long will it last in the fridge? Thanks!

Tahini paste? Is that just regular old tahini?

I love hummus but have never made any at home that tasted as good as friends' homemade versions. What brand of tahini do the authors prefer?