CookinCityRecipes & Articles For Better Cooking At Home

Hummus 101 - Moms Ultimate Recipe

From now you have no excuses not making Hummus at home!

Quick answerMakes 10 servings, ready in 12 - 28 hours, Israeli cuisine.
By Jaron Kimhi··👁 429 views
Hummus
Hummus has gained immense popularity in recent years. Partly because it's healthy and partly because it's just so good and yummy. It goes well with so many things — it's filling and a great condiment! For me, hummus is actually a main course. There's nothing better than a warm hummus bowl garnished with olive oil and some paprika, eaten with your hands using fresh warm pita bread... Just yum.... Many people buy industrial hummus from the supermarket because, well... they just don't know how easy it is to make. In this recipe I'm going to show you that hummus is one of the easier dishes to make, and if you follow my instructions you're guaranteed success! This basic recipe is my mom's. She makes it every week and we never get tired of it. Eating it warm and fresh tastes nothing like the products you can buy at the supermarket. It is so much better. Though it's easy to make, it does need some planning and thinking ahead... just soaking the chickpeas takes between 8–24 hours, and I don't recommend using canned garbanzo beans.  

Tips For Success:

  1. Patience... I can't stress how important it is with this dish.
  2. Use a good food processor. It needs to be powerful enough to grind the hummus into a smooth paste.
  3. Using a blender won't work, so don't try it...
  4. Buy the small chickpea beans. They are much better than the bigger ones.
  5. Fresh chickpeas produce better results and get soft during cooking more easily.
  6. Never add salt when you soak or cook the chickpeas. Adding salt will prevent them from getting soft.
  7. Good tahini is crucial. Don't use a cheap kind.
  8. Feel free to add spices like cumin or turmeric — they add flavor. If you do add something, the best moment is while the chickpeas are cooking.
  Feel like cooking more recipes with chickpeas? Try our Chickpea Potato Fries

Method

  1. 1

    Soaking the Chickpeas· 8 - 24 Hours

    Soak the chickpea / garbanzo beans for 24 hours or at least overnight. Use a big bowl with fresh cold water. Replace the water every 5-6 hours.

    Step 1
  2. 2

    Cooking The Chikpeas· 3.5 - 4.5 Hours

    Wash the soaked chickpea and add to a big pot with plenty of fresh water. Add 1 Tsp of baking soda and the chili (cut in half). Cook for 1.5 - 2.5 hours till the hummus is very soft. It should squeeze in your fingers easily. Make sure to de-foam the boiled chickpea from time to time otherwise the hummus might be a bit bitter. Let the chickpea get to room temperature before mashing them in the food processor. 2 hours should do the trick!

    cooking-the-chickpeas
  3. 3

    Making Hummus!· 10 - 20 Minutes

    Strain the chickpeas (keeping 1-2 cups of the cooking water aside). Remove the chili and pour only the chickpea inside the food processor. If there's too much you might have to make it in two batches. Turn the food processor on and start pouring half a cup from the cooking water. Leave the food processor on for at least 10-20 minutes. It takes time till it gets really smooth. Add water as needed and add the Tahini. You can stop the food processor to taste. In the end add some salt and a bit of olive oil. Make sure not to over salt it. Enjoy!

    Step 3Step 3Step 3Step 3Step 3Step 3Step 3Step 3Step 3
Recipe by

Jaron Kimhi

Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.

More recipes by Jaron →

You might also like

green herbs salad
Mediterranean

Easy Green Herbs Salad

⏱ 10 Minutes👁 384
oven-baked-cauliflower
Israeli

Oven Baked Cauliflower

⏱ 55 minutes👁 323
Chickpea Fries
French

Crunchy Mediterranean Chickpea Fries

👁 835
Mujadara
Mediterranean

Mediterranean Mujadara

⏱ 30 minutes👁 677
Categories
appetizerSide DishGluten Free
Cuisines
Israeli
Features
Gluten FreeVeganVegetarian
Tags
Gluten Freevegan

Questions & answers

Do I really need to soak the chickpeas for a full 24 hours?
Overnight works if you're short on time, but 24 hours gives you softer chickpeas and creamier hummus. Just remember to swap out the water every 5–6 hours — stale soaking water makes a difference.
Why does the hummus taste bitter?
You probably skipped de-foaming the pot while the chickpeas were boiling — that foam is the culprit. Skim it off every so often during the 1.5–2.5 hour cook and you'll be fine.
Can I use canned chickpeas instead of dried?
The recipe is built around dried chickpeas soaked and cooked from scratch, so canned aren't called for here — stick with the dried ones for mom's real deal result.
How long should I actually run the food processor?
At least 10–20 minutes — don't rush it. That's what gets you silky smooth hummus instead of gritty paste.
What do I do if the hummus is too thick while blending?
Use the cooking water you set aside — add it gradually while the processor is running until you hit the texture you want. Don't toss that liquid before your hummus is done!