5 Ingredients or Fewer

5-Minute Hummus From Zahav Restaurant

by:
September  3, 2019
4.5
21 Ratings
5-Minute Hummus From Zahav Restaurant
Photo by Rocky Luten. Food Stylist: Anna Billingskog. Prop Stylist: Amanda Widis.
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Makes about 4 cups (4 servings)
Author Notes

As Michael Solomonov & Steve Cook write in Israeli Soul, "We believe 5-Minute Hummus to be a medium step forward for mankind.

You will literally spend more time cleaning your food processor than putting this recipe together. It calls for two cans of chickpeas and a standard-size jar of tehina, so there’s no measuring, extra bowls, or utensils to clean.

Canned chickpeas have a bad reputation in the hummus world. … In recent times we have been conditioned to think of canned as a dirty word—the opposite of farm-to-table sanctimony. But you just have to open a can of succulent tomatoes in February to know that this is not a black-and-white issue. And when it comes to chickpeas, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the canned variety. True, canned chickpeas in a home food process will never make hummus quite as smooth as what we make at Dizengoff. But it will taste every bit as delicious.

We know what you’re thinking: Aren't’ you afraid someone is going to come along with four-minute hummus and beat you at your own game? No, we are not. We’ve tried four-minute hummus. And it is terrible." Recipe adapted slightly from Israeli Soul by Michael Solomonov & Steve Cook (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018). —Genius Recipes

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 (16-ounce) jar tehina (preferably Soom or Whole Foods 365 brand)
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups ice water
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Directions
  1. MAKE THE TEHINA SAUCE: Nick off a piece of the garlic (about a quarter of the clove) and drop it into a food processor.
  2. Squeeze the lemon juice into the food processor. Pour the tehina on top, making sure to scrape it all out of the container, and add the salt and cumin.
  3. Process until the mixture looks peanut-buttery, about 1 minute.
  4. Stream in the ice water, a little at a time, with the motor running. Process just until the mixture is smooth and creamy and lightens to the color of dry sand (it will look ugly and clumpy before it smooths out). Now you have Quick Tehina Sauce!
  5. MAKE THE HUMMUS: Add the chickpeas to the tehina sauce and process for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go, until the chickpeas are completely blended and the hummus is smooth and uniform in color.
  6. To hold or store any leftovers: press plastic wrap onto the surface of the hummus to keep it from forming a skin. Refrigerate any leftovers and return to room temperature to serve. (The food processor is your friend here! Whir it in there to speed up the warming.)
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38 Reviews

Ann M.
Ann M. August 18, 2022
I love this recipe! I think the method is solid and it's very forgiving with adjustments. I had a 10-oz jar of tahini and it worked fine. My only ongoing tweak is to reduce the salt to start — maybe just 1 teaspoon instead of a tablespoon — and then salt to taste at the end. The tablespoon of salt always ends up too salty for me (even with Diamond Crystal kosher salt) and I inevitably need to add another can of chickpeas to dilute the salt!
 
kmkane123
kmkane123 April 9, 2022
I made this recipe no it took way more than five minutes!
 
Jac
Jac April 9, 2022
Soom tahini is wonderful. I highly recommend it. About garlic: I roast it for this recipe. It takes the "edge" off. Also: might this be a solution for those who aren't able to handle garlic?
 
DRS
DRS October 23, 2021
My 3 questions:
* Written recipe: 1 garlic clove or 1/4 garlic clove?
* In video recipe: do I soak dry chickpeas with baking soda and then boil them with more baking soda; or are they 2 alternative methods and I pick which one to do?
* Why are the ingredient quantities in the written vs. video recipe SOOOO VERY DIFFERENT?
* Video has ALOT MORE garlic & lemon, while having MUCH LESS tahini, salt, cumin, chickpeas. Makes no sense!
 
drbabs
drbabs October 23, 2021
1. 1 garlic clove, but you can use more if you like a lot of garlic. I make this all the time, and I use a tablespoon of prepared horseradish in place of the garlic because garlic hates me, but I like the sharpness.
2. This recipe calls for 2 cans of chick peas, drained and rinsed.
3. The video is confusing. It's for a different recipe by the same author. https://food52.com/recipes/42695-zahav-s-hummus-tehina. I've made both, and this recipe is my go-to. It's just so easy.
 
drbabs
drbabs October 23, 2021
OOPS. It's 1/4 of a garlic clove. (Can't edit.)
 
Felice C.
Felice C. August 14, 2020
Just LOVE this recipe. I use one good size clove of garlic, it's perfect every time. I do take the skins off the beans. I've eaten more than a few times at Zahav, and this is similar to their hummus which is heavenly. So far I've used Soom tehina and I tried Trader Joes which wasn't as good. Anyone try other tehina brands or garbanzo beans? What were your results?
 
JV
JV June 28, 2020
Delicious, genius. Such simple Ingredients, so much greater than the sum of its parts. I think I prefer the tahina sauce even more than the hummus… ended up saving half of the tahina on its own, then continuing. Just as well, because my fold processor was full just with the half recipe! Sooo delicious... I did end up adding some extra lemon juice and salt to taste at the end.

Also, if I wasn’t sensitive to garlic (low fodmap), I probably would’ve added at least 1 clove - you can’t quite taste the 1/4 clove, but it adds some subtle depth.
 
drbabs
drbabs May 20, 2020
This is the answer to my hummus prayers! I can’t eat garlic— it hates me— so I struggle with hummus because I love it, but then I get sick. Every home recipe I tried (minus garlic) was too chunky, too bland, just not good. Till now. I did break down and order the Soom tehina. I’m sure that made a difference as well as doubling the lemon and adding a couple of teaspoons of horseradish. But I think the key is really the canned chick peas. They blended up perfectly! I’m so happy to have this recipe in my life. Thank you!
 
DEB73
DEB73 November 17, 2019
Okay. So, who I am to tweak this recipe? Nobody. But whatever! I've made it 4 times now. My food processor is in storage, but my stick blender works just fine. Was too thick for my Vitamix oddly. In doing some research, I read that when people are boiling dried that they add baking soda, and that it's also better to process the chickpeas warm. So, I put two cans of chickpeas with their liquid and an extra 6-8oz of water into a container and microwaved for 10 minutes with 1/2t baking soda per can. Rinsed and drained and made straightaway. If I could only describe how smooth this hummus was. Best I've ever made. I happen to be in the 8oz not 16oz tahini camp, but that's just me. So, it's 15-minute hummus for me, not 5. But what a difference it makes. Try it!!!
 
Nicole
Nicole November 17, 2019
After all discussion I lost interest in making this dish. I even stopped craving Hummus. ( and I ate it daily)

Somehow, DEB73, your post speaks to me and - after Thanksgiving, natch- I will try your technique. Thanks!
 
DEB73
DEB73 November 17, 2019
This is my first post here. Thanks for making me feel so welcome! All I would say is that if you have *any* desire to remove skins, do so before microwaving. I don't think there's any need to because after the 10 mins + baking soda, the skins literally disintegrated when I picked them up. Have a great Thanksgiving. Happy Eats!
 
Laura
Laura January 4, 2020
I followed your advice, and my Israeli boyfriend approves of this hummus! I removed the skins before microwaving. Thanks for the tip!
 
Loris
Loris January 5, 2020
Very good but heavy on tahini. When I make it again, I’m going to cut the tahini in half.
 
Marie F.
Marie F. September 7, 2019
It's only one clove of garlic. One-fourth of a head of garlic would make it way too garlicky!
 
Plum I.
Plum I. September 7, 2019
Impressive-really really really good recipe I am so incredibly pleased to have found this!! Zahevs traditional recipe was a favourite but this is so simple. I used tahine from Machane Yehuda market so is very good quality (this high ratio of tahine really benefits from the good stuff) and did use dried chickpeas since I had a jar full in the fridge already. Can not recommend this more highly! Drizzled some olive oil and smoked paprika on top before eating way too much. Make this.
 
Plum I.
Plum I. September 7, 2019
Should have added I do skin my damn chickpeas, is annoying but can’t stop myself makes a big difference !
 
adelegoldberg
adelegoldberg October 10, 2019
Which brand of tahini do you use? I agree that the tahini from the Mahane Yehuda market is great -- I'm running low on my stash!
 
Plum I.
Plum I. December 5, 2019
I’ve recently been using locally made hummus here in Toronto which has imported the grinding stones and everything (Parallel if anyone happens to be local!)
 
FrugalCat
FrugalCat September 6, 2019
This was really good! I also added a little Greek yogurt and omitted the cumin. I sprinkled Everything But the Bagel seasoning on top.
 
Tessi
Tessi September 4, 2019
This is a question rather than a review. I have lived all of my life - to this point - without a food processor! I am hoping it is possible to use a blender to prepare this recipe. I'd appreciate all thoughts/suggestions. Thanks!
 
ntjoseph
ntjoseph September 4, 2019
Using a food processor is much easier, but you can use the blender. I made it that way for years using a recipe so much like this one. I use different amts of water and lemon (I include the zest), a small amount of salt if any all, 1 (one) small clove of garlic minced, and use only 1 (one) 15oz or 20oz can of chickpeas, dash of allspice instead of cumin. If I remember correctly: in a bowl stir the tahini thoroughly, then add minced garlic, chickpeas (whole), lemon, water, cumin, salt and stir thoroughly after each addition. In the blender put small amounts of this mixture and blend til smooth. Empty blender contents into another bowl. Continue adding small increments to blender and emptying into the other bowl, and stir after each addition. Hope this makes sense.
 
Tessi
Tessi September 4, 2019
Thank you for your help, ntjoseph!

Tessi
 
Bklynbookgrrl
Bklynbookgrrl September 5, 2019
HI Tessi-I just made this in my Vitamix and it was fine. I had in my kitchen what I needed for half, so 1 can of chickpeas, etc. I followed the recipe directions pretty closely. I was able to use the blender on the slowest speed with the lid off and used a rubber spatula get the tahini off the sides. I think I put a bit too much of the ice water in as it was a bit thin, and would cut that back next time. I really amped up the cumin and garlic and might cut the garlic back a bit as well. I love ntjoseph's idea of using the the zest-great! The half recipe made quite a bit-a generous 3 cups. At first my husband said 'I think there is too much garlic, but then he said, but I must like it cause I can't stop eating it!' A good sign. Super easy and fast...have fun!
 
Veronica
Veronica September 16, 2020
How much water would you recommend using?
 
Jean
Jean September 4, 2019
Has anyone tried to scale back the tahini to control the fat content?
 
Loquiter
Loquiter May 13, 2020
3 tablespoons suffices
 
David M.
David M. September 4, 2019
though adding extra time, would running through food mill make it creamier and less chunky?
 
ntjoseph
ntjoseph September 4, 2019
Skip the food mill. The food processor will make it very smooth.
 
Jane
Jane September 4, 2019
Do you really only use 1/4 close of garlic??
 
Jane
Jane September 4, 2019
*clove*
 
Jenny
Jenny September 4, 2019
I had the same question, thinking it must have been intended to be 1/4 of a head of garlic, not a clove. Appreciate clarification.
 
ntjoseph
ntjoseph September 4, 2019
I make a hummus tahini recipe very similar to this one. In the past I used 1/4 clove of garlic. Now I usually use one small clove. I come from a family where garlic should not overpower hummus.
 
Sara
Sara September 11, 2019
I had the same question as well. The recipe calls for a clove of garlic but in the instructions only 1/4 of a clove is actual mentioned. When does the rest of the clove go in. Or does it not go in? It doesn't seem like a whole clove would be too much.
 
Nicole
Nicole September 4, 2019
I realize this is counterproductive to the point of a 5-minute recipe, but for added smoothness you might want to try this:

While rinsing and draining the tinned chickpeas rub the the outer skin off and discard. Then process to food processor as directed. This may add a few minutes onto your time, but the results are an extra creamy - smooth hummus!
 
Ruth M.
Ruth M. September 4, 2019
Using a tea towel to rub the chickpeas makes it much easier to remove the skins.
 
Nicole
Nicole September 4, 2019
Great tip, thanks!
 
Plum I.
Plum I. September 7, 2019
I do this too I hate skinning them but can’t help myself at the same time!