Hummus
Ingredients
- 400g / 14 oz canned chickpeas (1 can), drained (reserve liquid and a few chickpeas for garnish) (Dried Chickpeas – Note 1)
- 1/4 cup liquid from the canned chickpeas
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup tahini, hulled (sesame paste), mixed well before using (Note 2)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tso cooking salt / kosher salt (plus more if needed)
- Pinch black pepper
Garnish
- Pinch of paprika, more olive oil and reserved chickpeas
Instructions
- 1
Extra smooth optional steps: If you want ultra smooth hummus, do one of the extra Smooth Hummus steps below (I rare bother!).
- 2
Reserve for garnish: Reserve 10 or so chickpeas for garnish.
- 3
Blitz! Place remaining chickpeas, garlic, lemon, tahini and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blitz until it becomes a paste.
- 4
Season – Add the salt and pepper.
- 5
Thin sauce – Add reserved liquid from can. Blitz for a couple of minutes until smooth but it won't be 100% smooth unless you do one of the extra steps below. (Personally, not being 100% smooth doesn't bother me, it's "normal"!).
- 6
Adjust – Adjust lemon and salt to taste (saltiness of different chickpea brands differ), and loosen it needed by adding more liquid. It should be a soft dropping consistency, like ketchup.
- 7
Serve the traditional way – dollop a big scoop of hummus on a plate or shallow bowl. Use a spoon to spread it and make swirls on the surface. Top with reserved chickpeas, drizzle generously with more olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.
- 8
Optional- easy ways to make ultra smooth hummus (Note 4) - Method 1: Drain chickpease, place in large bowl and fill with water. Grab handfuls and rub between your hands submerged in the water – skins will rub off and float to surface. Skim floating skin off, drain and use per recipe.
- 9
Optional- easy ways to make ultra smooth hummus (Note 4) - Method 2: Tip all contents of can INCLUDING liquid into heatproof bowl. Cover loosely with lid or clingwrap, microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drain then use per recipe (hot chickpeas blitz smoother).
