Hummus is a nutritious snack to munch on throughout the day. But if you’re like us, it disappears quickly and the next thing you know, you’re back at the grocery store buying more.
Making your own hummus heeds a larger batch, is more cost effective and can result in a higher-quality product. The secret is to remove as much skin from the chickpeas as possible, as this will result in a creamier hummus. While it can be a tedious task to remove the skins, it’s fine if there are still some remaining.
Once you have prepared your hummus base, you can add an endless array of flavors. We use za’atar and cumin spices, fried chickpeas and pomegranate seeds in this recipe. As you begin to get more comfortable making your own hummus at home, you can find new flavor combinations by adding ingredients such as avocados, beets or olives.
Hummus adds an extra element of flavor and texture when served with fish, vegetables, meat or just a simple, warm flatbread. In short, having hummus on hand gives your pantry an added zest.
Homemade hummus
Ingredients
- 4 cans chickpeas (or about 62 oz total), drained and rinsed
- 2 lemons, juiced (resulting in ¼ cup juice)
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and smashed
- 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
- ¾ cup light tahini paste (we use Trader Joe’s)
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp. smoked sweet paprika
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. ground black peppercorn
- ½ cup water
- 1 ¼ Tbsp. za’atar spice (we use ZestyZ Mediterranean Za’atar Condiment & Spread)
- ½ cup fried chickpeas (optional)
- 2 Tbsp. pomegranate seeds; watch our video on how to easily remove seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Add rinsed chickpeas to a 4-quart pot filled with water (you should have enough water to fully cover the chickpeas). Add 1 tsp. kosher salt and bring to a boil on stove. Once water is boiling, turn down to a simmer. Occasionally stir and mix the chickpeas for about 15 minutes to help loosen the skins.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the smashed garlic clove to the juice of two lemons and let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Drain the chickpeas in a colander and run cold water over the top of the chickpeas to cool. As the water is running, gently rub the chickpeas between your hands to begin removing the skins.
- Add rubbed chickpeas back into the 4-quart pot, then add enough cold water to cover the chickpeas. Stir the chickpeas with a large spoon and you will begin to see the skins fall off the chickpeas and float to the top. Slowly pour out the skins that are floating at the top, being careful not to pour out the chickpeas that should be settled at the bottom of the pot.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 multiple times, until you have most of the skins removed. (Remember, the less skins that remain, the creamier the hummus will be.)
- Add the peeled, drained chickpeas to a blender.
- Discard the garlic clove from the lemon juice. Add remaining lemon juice, tahini, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, ½ cup water, 1 ½ tsp. salt and 1 Tbsp. za’atar spice to blender. Blend on high to incorporate all ingredients.
- Drizzle in olive oil and continue to blend for 30 seconds, or until is oil is incorporated. Keep on the consistency. If the hummus becomes too thick, add a Tbsp. more water (or more as needed) to reach desired consistency.
- Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve (we prefer to serve cold). To serve, top hummus with fried chickpeas, pomegranate seeds, a drizzle of olive oil and a ¼ Tbsp. za’atar spice.
