I used to think the only way to get creamy hummus was to buy it at the store. No matter how much tahini or olive oil I’d add to my recipe, there was still some dry grittiness from the chickpeas. That was until I started cooking my own chickpeas from scratch. Using homemade chickpeas improved my hummus game in a couple of ways. First, by slowly simmering the chickpeas over a low heat, you can start with a bean that’s already soft and creamy. Secondly, when I make my chickpeas from scratch, I end up with a deliciously seasoned, brothy elixir. By incorporating a few spoonfuls of this broth into my hummus, I can get a light, creamy texture every time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cooked chickpeas (follow the instructions on my Perfect Pot of Beans from Scratch to make your own flavorful chickpeas)
- 1 head of garlic
- 5 tablespoons of tahini
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
Directions
- Cut the top off of the garlic head so that each clove is exposed. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on the exposed parts and wrap the entire head in aluminum foil.
- Roast your garlic in an oven preheated at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Once garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves out of their papery peels. It should come out like a paste.
- Strain your chickpeas, reserving the broth. Set the liquid aside for later.
- Blend the chickpeas, roasted garlic, tahini, and lemon juice in a blender. You could try doing this in a food processor as well, but I find that the blender gives me a smoother consistency.
- Taste the hummus and add salt as needed. If the hummus has a somewhat dry texture, add a tablespoon of the chickpea broth and blend. Keep adding broth one tablespoon at a time until you have your desired consistency.
- Be creative when garnishing your hummus. I used za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend that I’m obsessed with, but some other great garnish options would be fresh herbs, chili paste, paprika, roasted red peppers, or more roasted garlic. Make multiple batches of hummus and my baba ganoush and garnish each one with something different. Go crazy!
Songs to cook to:
- “Da Dip” by Freak Nasty
- “Sun Rising” by Wanton Bishops
- “Deadcrush” by Alt-J
