Hummus with Tahini Recipe

Hello HTS Community,

Hummus is the most versatile dip, made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic, and can be served with almost anything. It is super easy, quick to make, and sits very well on a party platter. Hummus can be served with warm pita bread on a mezze platter with tabbouleh, labneh, manakish zaatar (another variety of pita), carrots, beetroot and celery, or even use it on toasted bread with zaatar.

I love this recipe, because it is very simple and uses few ingredients. Another variant of hummus you should try is Basil Hummus, which uses fresh basil leaves along with other ingredients.

Ingredients you will need

• Chickpeas (cooked)- 1 1/2 cups
• Lemon Juice- 2 tablespoon
• Tahini- 1/4 cup (see recipe below)
• Garlic- 1 clove
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)- 2 tablespoons
• Cumin (ground)- 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt- to taste
• Water (use the chickpea water)- 2 to 3 tablespoons

Tahini

For the tahini, in a pan, toast 1 cup sesame seeds for a minute or two, until lightly golden. Cool them for about 10 minutes, before proceeding with the next step. In a food processor, or small mixer jar, add sesame seeds and 3 table spoons of olive oil. Process mixture into paste, keep scraping sides of the jar. Keep adding olive oil, until you reach desired consistency, should be thick pouring. Refrigerate in an airtight container, and you are good for several months.

Steps to make Hummus:

• Soak chickpeas overnight, next morning place them in a pressure cooker, with 3 cups of water, salt and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Cook over high heat for up to 1 whistle or 5 minutes, and then at low flame for another 5-6 whistles or 15 minutes. Open the pressure cooker only after the pressure has settled. The chickpeas should be soft. Let them cool and come to room temperature. I usually refrigerate the chickpeas with it’s water for at least 2-3 hours, which results in a luxurious hummus.
• If you’re using canned chickpeas, ignore the above step.
• Use a strainer to drain the chickpeas. Do not throw away the water, it has all the goodness. You can use it in curries, sauces or even soup.
• In a blender jar, combine all ingredients along with 3 tablespoon of chickpea water and 2 ice cubes (if chickpeas are still hot). While blending, drizzle the olive oil. Keep blending until its smooth, creamy and pale. If it looks thick, add another spoonful of water and blend.
• Taste and adjust the elements as you go. I like to add an extra pinch of salt and another teaspoon of lemon juice for the extra zing.
• Scrape the hummus in a serving bowl and create swooshes using a spoon. Top with olive oil, sprinkle some zaatar, and serve with pita, manakish zaatar, or simple crispy potato chips.

The hummus can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.