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Photo: Getty Images / Anna Puzatykh
As a frequent healthy snacker raised in a household that only stocked hummus in store-bought varieties, ever since I’ve lived on my own, I’ve been on a decade-long quest to master my own mix and make each batch better than the last.
It’s a little embarrassing to admit how many rabbit holes I’ve gone down and how many random trials I’ve made at this point. From boiling the beans with baking soda to using olive oil only (no tahini) or vice versa (only tahini, no oil) to blending in everything from chipotles to chocolate (hey,dessert hummusis a thing!), my garbanzo dip journeys could just about fill a book as long asWar and Peace.
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4 Secrets to Make the Best Hummus Ever
While we all have different definitions of “best,” and we probably will never beat hummus made from a restaurant that specializes in Middle Eastern cuisine, these techniques have helped me achieve my top-rated homemade batch.
1. Peel the chickpeas.
True, this sounds remarkably putzy and time-intensive. But it makes a major difference, helping to create a texture that’s not grainy in the least and is creamier than you’d imagine.
2. Start with warm canned chickpeas.
While Ottolenghi and many others say it’s impossible to beat dried, soaked chickpeas, they say that canned chickpeas can come in a very close second place, if you cook them first. After peeling the beans, simmer them in water seasoned with 1 teaspoon of salt and a dash of cumin (to lend a little smoky flavor) for about 20 minutes, or until soft.
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3. Use all tahini instead of tahini and olive oil.
Since you’re using a generous dose of tahini, it’s important to invest in a high-quality variety. We love Seed Mill and Soom.
4. Add a couple ice cubes to the blender.
Now that your chickpeas are peeled, warm and you have your tahini at the ready, all of the above can go into the blender with garlic, lemon juice, a couple tablespoons of the cumin-y chickpea water and salt. Then add a couple of ice cubes to the mixture; the cold temp paired with the warm beans will aerate it nicely.
“Blitz until smooth(ish), then check on your hummus. You might need more tahini, garlic, lemon and/or salt and very likely more chickpea water. Add a bit of each as you need, the recipe explains. “Blitz the hummus until very smooth, a few minutes at least. Don’t worry about the hummus being too loose; it will thicken as it sits.”
I spoke withCarolyn Malcoun, senior food features editor for EatingWell, to see if she had any other ideas about how to upgrade your hummus. She called out the note in Ottolenghi’s hummus recipe that says “blitz the hummus until very smooth, a few minutes at least,” and confirms this is key.
“My dad’s cousin had a Lebanese restaurant outside Detroit for years. Every time I went home to visit my family, a visit there was always on the calendar. I even spent a few days with her in the kitchen, learning how to roll stuffed grape leaves, make her perfectly-seasoned kibbeh and more,” Malcoun says. “Her hummus was the absolutebest. When I asked her how she made it so smooth, she told me to turn on my food processor and walk away. Go vacuum. Do the dishes. When you think it’s ready it’s not; keep it going.”
By allowing the food processor to run for a longer length of time, you’ll be incorporating more air into the bean dip. Translation: Your hummus will be far fluffier than if you simply blended until the chickpeas were pureed. (Note: Blenders tend to heat up more than food processors, so, if you’re using a blender, keep an eye on it to avoid cooked hummus or a burned out blender.)
And in case you’re still on the fence about using canned chickpeas, here’s your permission to do just that—and to remember they come with a bonus ingredient that can actually be an asset.
“One of my dad’s other cousins' has a cookbook, and I have my dad’s old copy. Inside the cover, he had scribbled my grandma’s recipe for hummus, which included some aquafaba [the juice in a can of chickpeas]. In comparing it to other hummus recipes [like EatingWell’sClassic Hummus], she subbed it for about half of the olive oil. I still make it that way to this day,” Malcoun says. You could also try swapping it in for a bit of the tahini in Ottolenghi’s recipe.
(Bonus: You can put any extra aquafaba to wonderful use inVegan Meringue Cookiesor an Aquafaba Gin Fizz.)
For even more intel about why homemade hummus is such a magical thing, plus unique ways to top it and serve it, check out our complete guide forhow to make hummus from scratch.
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