Hummus

Homemade hummus is so much better than store bought. You can taste the fresh bright flavors of chickpeas, tahini, lemon and garlic. And the recipe is easy. 5 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep and you’ll be dipping into the most delicious hummus!

“Hummus” is an Arabic word meaning “chickpeas.” It is extremely popular fare throughout the Middle East. Hummus is made from cooked chickpeas blended with tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic and salt.

I’ve always enjoyed hummus as a healthy snack with pita or crudités, but I can’t say I was ever excited enough about it to warrant serving it at a dinner party…until now!

Homemade hummus is a world apart from store bought. You can taste all the layers of flavor, the fresh lemon, garlic, sesame paste, cumin and fruity olive oil. And it’s a cinch to make!

If you’re like me, once you try this homemade hummus you’ll never go back to store-bought. 

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE HUMMUS

• You’ll need:
• A food processor
• Two cans of chickpeas, drained
• 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 2 large garlic cloves
• olive oil
• salt

• Just a quick whizz in the food processor and you’re ready to scoop your homemade hummus into a bowl and enjoy!

WHAT IS TAHINI AND WHERE CAN I FIND IT?

In case you’re unfamiliar with tahini, here’s the scoop:

• Tahini is a rich buttery paste made from toasted ground sesame seeds.
• You can generally find tahini in the grocery store near the peanut butter and other nut butters.
• Tahini is good for you. It’s rich in protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.
• Tahini is an essential ingredient in Middle Eastern dishes such Baba Ganoush, Shawarma and hummus.

WHO INVENTED HUMMUS?

Israel and Lebanon have long engaged in a battle over who invented hummus and who rightfully “owns” it. In 2010 Lebanon got the upper hand when they filled a satellite dish with almost 9,000 pounds of hummus, stealing the Guinness World record from the Israelis.

I haven’t been to Lebanon to try their hummus, but if my research is correct, I’ve gotten fairly close to their recipe. Now I know what all the fuss is about. Creamy and garlicky with a hint of fresh lemon.

Put hummus in a serving bowl and drizzle generously with some good quality extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle paprika or Aleppo pepper on top, and serve with crudités and warm toasted pitas. This beautiful homemade hummus is definitely worthy of serving to guests!

If you want to take your hummus to the next level, try this Turkish hot layered hummus recipe I learned in Istanbul. It’s a fantastic party dish.

You also may enjoy this colorful variation: Chipotle Carrot Hummus.

Now here’s the hummus recipe. If you try this recipe, I hope you’ll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I’d love to know what you think! 

HUMMUS

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

An easy recipe for delicious homemade hummus.

• Author: Panning The Globe
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 15 mins
• Yield: 10-12 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Cuisine: Lebanese

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed or 3 cups of cooked chickpeas, drained (soak 1 cup dried chickpeas overnight and cook per package directions, making sure to add 1 teaspoon baking soda to cooking water to soften the chickpeas)
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut into quarters
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil plus more for drizzling on top
• Paprika for sprinkling on top
• Optional toppings: a handful of cooked chickpeas or a handful of toasted pine nuts or a tablespoon of chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Put chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, water and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Process for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Process 30 seconds longer. Add 2 tablespoons oil and process for another minute or so, until smooth.
2. Put hummus into a bowl. Drizzle generously with olive and sprinkle with paprika.
3. Serve with grilled or toasted pita. (I like to brush pita with olive oil and heat on a grill pan or on the barbecue grill. Then slice with a pizza cutter)
4. Enjoy!