Homemade Israeli Hummus (Pareve)

Gather the ingredients.

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl. Add enough cold water to cover the chickpeas by several inches. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and allow to soak overnight.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place in a large stockpot, add the baking soda, and enough cold water to cover the chickpeas by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the top. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the chickpeas are soft enough to crush between your fingers.

Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain and rinse the chickpeas. Reserve a tablespoon or two of the cooked chickpeas for garnish, if desired.

Put the cooked chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika in a food processor. Puree until smooth. If the hummus is too thick or dry, add a bit of the cooking liquid, more lemon juice, or tahini to taste.

To serve, place the hummus in a dish, and use the back of a spoon to make a shallow well in the center. Place any reserved chickpeas in the well, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with freshly chopped parsley and regular or smoked paprika.