Creamy Tahini Hummus
with cumin, lemon and garlic
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I’m a little shocked this is the first hummus recipe I’m sharing. I love hummus—and luckily, so does everyone in this house—so when I make it, it turns into a full meal. This is a pretty classic version, with lots of tahini and seasoned with lemon, garlic, and cumin.
This recipe is based on the ever-so-popular (and for good reason!) Hummus Tehina from Michael Solomonov’s book Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking. This version is a little more simplified, just enough to make it easier for me to whip it up at home, and I usually make about half the amount of tahini sauce the original recipe calls for.
The result is an incredibly light and creamy hummus, thanks to chickpeas that are cooked until they’re super soft. I love serving it warm, drizzled with olive oil and finished with sumac and ground cumin, or even topped with spiced ground beef and a tender herb salad with olives. So, so good.
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Ingredients
The Chickpeas
1 C dried chickpeas (~210g)
1/4 tsp baking soda
water for soaking and cooking the chickpeas
The Tahini Sauce
3 cloves garlic
1/2 C lemon juice about 1.5 lemons
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 C tahini
1/2 tsp cumin
To Serve
olive oil
sumac
olives
fresh herbs parsley, cilantro, dill
Equipment
Food Processor - or high-powered blender
Instructions
Cook the Chickpeas
Soak: Add dried chickpeas to a large bowl, cover with plenty of water, and add the baking soda. Let soak overnight. The chickpeas will expand, so ensure there is at least 1–2 inches of water above them.
Cook: Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas, then transfer them to a large pot and cover with fresh water.
Stovetop: Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the chickpeas are very soft and almost falling apart, about 2.5 hours (start checking around the 2-hour mark).
Pressure Cooker: My preferred method. Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes with a natural release.
Using Canned Chickpeas? Drain and rinse well. Cover with fresh water and simmer on the stovetop for 20–30 minutes until very, very soft.
Make the Tahini Base
In a food processor, blend the garlic, lemon juice, salt, and cumin. Let sit for 10 minutes to mellow out the raw garlic flavor.
Add the tahini and blend. The mixture will thicken and seize up at first.
Slowly add ice cubes (one at a time) and water as needed, blending until the mixture is smooth and creamy. The ice will also help keep the tahini cool while blending.
Make the Hummus
Add the cooked, drained chickpeas to the tahini sauce in the food processor. Blend for about 5 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides.
Check the consistency, adding water or the chickpea cooking liquid as needed for a smooth, creamy texture.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt if needed.
Serve while still warm. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sumac. Serve with fresh pita, pita chips, veggies, fresh herbs and olives.
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