Garlicky Hummus (Plus Cooking Dried Chickpeas)

By Kath Dedon

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It’s really easy to make your own hummus if you have a food processor. Canned chickpeas will quickly produce very good hummus. I like to use dried beans, though, if I have the time. It does make a difference.

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I started with Mark Bittman’s recipe from How to Cook Everything. However, I increased the lemon juice, garlic and cumin. This is a garlicky hummus, which I like. Use less garlic if you want.

(Or use roasted garlic for a more subtle garlic flavor. Put 3 garlic cloves, still in their skins, in small skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally, and cook until fragrant and the color of the cloves deepens slightly, about 8 minutes. Peel and they’re ready to use.)

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The number of lemons you need will depend on how much juice you’re able to squeeze from your lemons. You’ll need ¼ to 1/3 of a cup of juice. I started with the juice of 2 lemons. After processing I decided it needed a bit more, so I added the juice of another ½ lemon.

Everyone seems to like this version, but play with it and make it your own.

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Garlicky Hummus

(Inspired by Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything)

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(printable recipe)

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Serves 6 – 8

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2 cups cooked (or canned) chickpeas
½ cup tahini (I like Joyva brand best)
¼ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half (or use roasted garlic, see introduction)
Juice of 2 – 3 lemons
2 tablespoons cumin
¾ teaspoon salt (the amount I used with the beans I cooked. Canned beans may need less.)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

To garnish:
Additional olive oil
Paprika
Fresh parsley, minced

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Put everything in a food processor and blend until it’s all smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. If it’s thicker than you like it, add a bit more lemon juice or water. I ended up adding about ¼ cup of water.

To fancy it up, put the hummus in a bowl, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and sprinkle with the paprika and parsley.

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Cooking Dried Chickpeas

(Makes almost 3 cups. Use 2 for the hummus, and use the leftovers in salads, or whatever.)

Put 1 cup chickpeas in a large pot. Cover with water so there is at least 2 inches of water over the chickpeas. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let them sit, covered, for 1 hour.

Drain the beans and cover with plenty of water again. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Add 1½ teaspoons salt and simmer until tender, 10–15 minutes more.

Drain the chickpeas. You can save the broth. (It freezes well.) Chickpea broth can be used instead of vegetable broth to make soups. You can also use a bit of the bean broth to thin the hummus if needed.