5 Ingredients or Fewer

Zahav's Hummus Tehina

May 31, 2021
5
23 Ratings
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.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Sorel Parsamyan
    Sorel Parsamyan
  • babswool
    babswool
  • Lucy K
    Lucy K
  • Therese
    Therese
  • carol
    carol
Genius Recipes

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

104 Reviews

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. May 31, 2022
Hands down the best hummus I have ever made from scratch. Worth the time.
 
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. 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 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 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 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. 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 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 October 24, 2020
I SO agree with you! And when it's still warm, it is the tastiest thing ever!
 
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 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 May 15, 2019
I would never ever put cumin in my hummus! Otherwise the recipe looks great!
 
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 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 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. 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 August 9, 2018
My office is close to Zahav, so I feel blessed beyond compare.
 
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. 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. 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 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. 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 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 April 3, 2018
Could you use iced chicken/vegetable stock instead? What would an equal amount of miso paste instead of salt do?
 
Syl April 1, 2018
Tempest in a teapot over origin of hummus🕉🔯✝️
 
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 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. 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. 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


 
M S. February 9, 2018
Just saw the definitive entry from Pennywhistler who does a good job taking apart the whole Zahav issue and its relationship to Jewish vs other Hummus. It clearly points out that Solomonov uses lavish amounts of sesame paste. HERE IS WHERE THINGS GET INTERESTING. SOLOMONOV IS VERY PARTICULAR ABOUT THE SESAME PAST HE USES. WHATS CHICK PEAS FROM SPECIAL PLACE THAT ARE PROCESSED IN ANOTHER SPECIAL PLACE. HIGHLY RECOMMENDS SOOM SESAME PASTE, WHICH IS MOSTLY AVAILABLE ON LINE. IT IS SOMETHING LIKE $12+SHIPPING FOR TWO CUPS-MOST OF WHICH GETS USED IN SIZE APPROPRIATE VERSIONS OF HIS RECIPE. THE PRODUCT IS GOOD. HIS RECOMMENDATION IS UNDOUBTEDLY HELPFUL TO THE MAKER OF SOOM. IT IS DISTRIBUTED FROM PHILADELPHIA WHERE ZAHAV IS.
 
M S. February 9, 2018
PS SORRY ABOUT THE TYPOS: SESAME PAST=SESAME PASTE/WHATS=WANTS/

 
j N. February 1, 2018
Strange how Israel style hummus is exactly the same as the Arabs have been making hummus have been making hummus for way longer than Israel has existed. Enough with the cultural appropriation already.. go ahead an make hummus to your heart's content, just leave Israel out of it.
 
jerri February 1, 2018
whoa
 
Pennywhistler February 1, 2018
What is so strange about Israelis making ... and enjoying ... hummus?

Why EXACTLY do we need to "leave Israel out of" a discussion of Middle Eastern hummus recipes?

Do you think Israelis got their favorite hummus recipe from the the millions of Mizrachi Jews who fled to Israel from the ... now Judenrein ... Arab countries?
 
M S. February 1, 2018
I completely agree. Why do we need to "leave Israel out of " a discussion of Midlle Eastern hummus recipes. Why is Zahav an Isreali food restaurant, why did Solomonov write a cookbook about Jewish/Isreali cooking, why does the recipe differ from other top Middle Eastern cookbooks.
 
j N. February 2, 2018
I was saying that his "israeli-style" hummus is actually just hummus.. there's nothing different about it. So calling it "Israeli-style" is cultural appropriation, esp by an occupying entity. I don't actually care if he got the recipe from Jewish Arabs or if he's israeli.. I think it's great that Israelis love the food of the place that they have taken over and occupied. Calling it "Israeli-style hummus" is a form of cultural occupation. Just ask Native Americans in the US about this.
 
Pennywhistler February 2, 2018
Their hummus is lousy.
 
jerri February 3, 2018
:-)
 
M S. February 4, 2018
You are not correct. The Isreali hummus made by micheal solomonov is very different. Much more sesame paste etc. His technique is mind-boggling and everybody across all strata rave about it. They make pilgrimages to Zahav. This video shows the whole thing: https://www.bing.com/search?q=michael+solomonov+panna+hummus+video&form=APMCS1&PC=APMC
 
icharmeat February 8, 2018
I think that you are missing j n's point. One chef (who happens to be Israeli?) tweaks an age old arab dish and suddenly this is "Isreali style"? To my thinking, it takes more than one famous guy changing things up a bit in a traditional recipe to make it a national "style" of preparation. A style named for a region/country needs to be practiced widespread throughout the area of acclaimation and for some time to be valid. If everyone in Isreal generally followed the large proportion of tahini that Mr. Solomonov uses over a significant amount of time, then it would be fair to call this "israeli style hummus". I don't believe that this recipe meets the criteria.

It sounds delicious and I intend to make it this way tomorrow (beans are soaking now) but j n has a valid point that some here are missing- leave the "israeli style" out of it and attribute it to Zahov's or to Mr. Solomonov.
 
Pennywhistler February 9, 2018
Cute, icharmeat. jn's REAL point was "cultural appropriation, esp by an occupying entity" and "calling it "Israeli-style hummus" is a form of cultural occupation. Just ask Native Americans in the US about this".

Meanwhile Chef Solomonov's real point was "The secret to great Israeli-style hummus is an obscene amount of tehina, as much as half of the recipe by weight ... Unlike Greek-style hummus, which is heavy on garlic and lemon, Israeli hummus is about the marriage of chickpeas and tehina."

In the meantime, pretending that I never mentioned the judenrein character of the Moslem countries many Israelis come from is ludicrous.

Israeli food? Here is Mr. Solomonov: "Solomonov has long been a champion of the diverse food of Israel — a country the size of New Jersey whose residents represent many different countries of origin. “Every single one of those cultures or cuisines, they all brought it from somewhere else. That’s what Israeli food is,” Solomonov says." "Israeli food takes influence from arguably 160 different places." https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2016/05/09/zahav-chef-michael-solomonov-what-israeli-food-and-isn/jD7qqkMfscWuvODDXLgdaI/story.html

"Written by Zahav owners, Mike Solomonov and Steven Cook, the 2016 James Beard Award Winner for "International Cooking" and "Book of the Year," Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking showcases the melting-pot cooking of Israel, especially the influences of the Middle East, North Africa, the Mediterranean, and Eastern Europe." http://www.zahavrestaurant.com/
 
icharmeat February 9, 2018
Pennywhistler, I'm not sure what you found "cute" about my reply but my guess is that you are being sarcastic. Mostly we try and avoid that here on Food52. My reply to M Stuart Itter's post was that i didn't think it appropriate to say that j n was "not correct" for the reason I mention in my post. I should have just cut to the chase and asked why is Zahov's hummus "Israeli style"? I haven't seen this very heavy use of tahini in other books about Israeli cooking so it is surprising to me that this recipe would be considered the Israeli style of making hummus.
BTW, I made the hummus this morning. I've personally never had a problem with the texture of the hummus I've made using more traditional methods but my wife really prefers the smooth texture (and probably the extra richness from the tahini) She generally eschews chickpeas becasue of their texture. I did add more lemon and some of the garlic that had been squeezed to bring those flavors to where I like them. Whirling the unpeeled cloves of garlic in my small, prep processor didn't work well-pushed the lemon juice up and out through the join of the lid and the bowl. Peeling garlic that will be pulverized is no big deal anyway.
 
Pennywhistler February 11, 2018
Cute in that you elided over jn's point AND my point.

Great - just what the world needed: instructions on how to comment on a friggin' FOOD AND RECIPE site from someone who cannot even spell the restaurant's name right.

Since I have already answered your deeply felt query "why is Zahov's hummus "Israeli style"?" with two links, I shan't go over it again.

 
M S. February 11, 2018
Interesting discussion. Should lead to enhanced hummus for all of us. As for me, I am taking all of Solomonov's tips, the prep of the paste, a touch of the garlic, the overcooked chick peas, but keeping the sesame paste closer to the middle eastern levels I always used. Two reasons: I did invest in Soom which is expensive and worth it and why would I want to give up legume protein for a large amount of oil/fat for enhanced smoothness. Very happy with the result.
 
Roger B. May 15, 2019
Saying one person’s opinion is the word by which we shall all live, is like saying today’s weather in Tel Aviv represents the world’s “climate“.
 
Fooz December 3, 2019
“Longer than Israel existed”
Stop rewriting history. Israel existed since before the time of Mohammed and the birth of Islam.
 
Fooz December 3, 2019
Oops. Correction. not possible to takeover one’s own ancestral homeland except through rewriting history. Israel is the birthplace of Judaism centuries before Islam even existed.