Hummus with Garlic and Lemon

Previously reserved for health nuts and flower children, hummus is now mainstream, acceptable, and widely available. However, the hummus you find at your local grocery store are a far cry from authentic Middle Eastern hummus which is creamy and with delicate flavors. The key is to start with dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), not canned. Yes, this is more work, but you will be surprised at the difference. Make my authentic Hummus with Garlic and Lemon once, and you may never go back to your store-bought hummus, no matter how many Kalamata olives or roasted red peppers they grind into it.

The trickiest part about making hummus is finding tahini. Tahini is a paste or spread made from ground sesame seeds. You can often find it in the peanut butter section of grocery and specialty food stores, but sometimes it can be difficult to track down. Employees may or may not know what it is, or they have heard of it but don’t know if the store carries it. On a recent shopping trip, one grocery store employee was certain a customer had asked about tahini recently, but he couldn’t recall whether he was able to actually help the customer locate it. Whole Foods carries it for sure, and if you live in the South or Southwest, you may find it at Sprouts. Amazon has a lot of reasonably priced tahini options as well, especially if you are able to take advantage of their add-on program.

There is no substitute for fresh lemon juice, so get out your juicer. You can garnish the finished hummus with a sprinkle of paprika, a splash of olive oil, a few whole chickpeas, or fresh herbs. You’ll enjoy Hummus with Garlic and Lemon as an appetizer dip with vegetables, on endive leaves, or with pita wedges. Or, use as a healthful spread on sandwiches. So many options, and the garlic and lemon flavors are just the beginning!

The dried chickpeas must be soaked overnight and then cooked according to the recipe instructions. Or, combine 8 oz. unsoaked, dried chickpeas in a slow cooker with 4 cups water and 1/8 tsp. baking soda. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-9 hours. Cool completely before proceeding with Step 2.

Instructions

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place in a stock pot with baking soda and cover with at least 1” of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the chickpeas are tender, about 1 ½ hours. Drain well, reserving ¼ c. of cooking liquid. Cool completely.

Combine cooled chickpeas, kosher salt, and garlic in a food processor and blend for 30 seconds, periodically stopping the processor to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add tahini, lemon juice, and reserved liquid and process 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to process until you have a smooth puree. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and process until incorporated.

Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with additional olive oil if desired.

Quick notes

To cook chickpeas in a slow cooker, combine 8 oz. unsoaked, dried chickpeas in a slow cooker with 4 cups water and 1/8 tsp. baking soda. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-9 hours. Cool completely before proceeding with Step 2.

Variations

To substitute canned chickpeas, use two cans of chickpeas instead of the dried. Reserve ¼ c. of the canning liquid for use in step 3.

Number of servings (yield): 8