Easy Hummus (Better than Store-Bought)
- PREP 10min
- TOTAL 10min
How to make hummus with chickpeas, garlic, tahini and olive oil. This is the best hummus recipe, just read all the happy reviews. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. Buy it or make it yourself. Here’s our tahini recipe, which I highly recommend for this recipe! To leave it out, add more olive oil.
You Will Need
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (250g)
¼ cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon (60ml)
¼ cup well-stirred tahini, try our tahini recipe (60ml)
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving (30ml)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water or aquafaba (45ml)
Dash ground paprika, sumac, or Za’atar for serving
Directions
1Whip the tahini and lemon juice: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making the hummus smooth and creamy.
2Add olive oil and spices: Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and ½ teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and then process for another 30 seconds or until well blended.
3Add the chickpeas: Drain the chickpeas. Then add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the remaining chickpeas and process them until thick and relatively smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
4Thin with water: The hummus will likely be too thick and still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water or aquafaba with the food processor turned on until you reach the perfect consistency.
5To finish: Taste and adjust as needed with more salt or lemon. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika, sumac, or Za’atar over the top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Store hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week. Freeze it, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, for up to one month.
- Chickpeas: Use canned chickpeas or home-cooked chickpeas for this recipe. Here is how we cook dried chickpeas.
- Hummus without tahini: For the best hummus, which rivals our favorite store brands, use tahini. However, a chickpea puree without it is still quite delicious. Just add more olive oil. Another option is to use natural, unsweetened, creamy peanut butter in its place.
- If you like garlicky hummus: Increase the garlic by a clove or use roasted garlic.
- Aquafaba for fluffy hummus: This is the thick, starchy liquid in a can of beans (or the bean cooking liquid). You can use this instead of water in the last step of the recipe. Instead of plain water, add a splash of aquafaba at the end. As it whips, it creates an incredibly light and airy texture. Taste your aquafaba first. If it’s too salty, use less salt when making the recipe above.
- Tahini and lemon juice are not creaming: Depending on your food processor, the blade might not come into contact with the tahini and lemon juice. You need to increase the amount of liquid in the food processor, so add the olive oil. If they still do not cream, add a tablespoon of cold water.
- Blender: A food processor is best for making hummus, but a high-powered blender will work. Be sure to scrape the sides down a few extra times as you make it.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.