Hummus (fresh chickpea dip) Recipe

Growing up, this dish was a staple at every family gathering, whether at home or out at a restaurant. Since I was a kid, the popularity of hummus has exploded and it has become a ubiquitous item in grocery stores and restaurants. Not all hummus, however, is created equal (I am looking at you, chocolate hummus). Although everyone may have their favorite texture and flavor profile, my dad spent years chasing the hummus he remembered from Damascus. He experimented constantly and spoke to every chef at every Middle Eastern restaurant who served a hummus he found passable in some shape until he landed on his recipe. To give you context, this labor of love did not come to fruition until I was in College. To our family, the “ideal” hummus is creamy, lemony, and is not overbearing in its use of garlic or tahini.

Like many of the recipes listed here, this hummus recipe is what I consider to be “slow food,” food cooked in the traditional way requiring patience and intentionality on the part of the cook. Shortcuts can be taken but they won’t yield the same result.

This recipe uses very few ingredients so please use the best quality ingredients you can find and afford. Without further delay, let’s dive in!

Ingredients:

• dry chickpeas (2 cups)

• baking powder (1 tsp)

• tahini (4 tbsp)

• lemon juice (2 lemons)

• garlic (1-2 cloves)

• cumin (pinch)

• ice cubes

• extra virgin olive oil (1 tbsp and more for serving)

• white pepper (optional)

Recipe:

• Soak the chickpeas in water with the baking powder overnight. Make sure to cover the chickpeas in enough water as they will expand.

• Once the chickpeas have soaked for 12-14 hours, pour the chickpeas and the water they were soaking in into a large pot and cover the chickpeas with more water so that the chickpeas have two to three inches of water above them.

• Boil the chickpeas uncovered on medium-high heat . Once the chickpeas are boiling, check on them once or twice to remove the white foam (aquafaba) from the pot with a skimmer or small strainer and toss out. Lower the heat so the chickpeas are simmering and cover and cook the chickpeas until very tender. The chickpeas should be cooked in 40-60 minutes but taste test a chickpea and make sure you can easily mash one between your fingers to make sure its fully cooked before draining.

• Once the chickpeas are fully cooked through, drain the chickpeas and rinse under cool water. Pick out any remaining chickpea skins and toss out. Set the strained chickpeas in a bowl on your countertop top to cool for 1-2 hours.

• Once the chickpeas have cooled, cover the bowl of strained chickpeas with plastic wrap (or any covering of your choosing) and set aside in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

• Once the chickpeas have finished cooling in the refrigerator, set aside 1/4 cup. Take your blender and add 6 ice cubes, the chickpeas except for the 1/4 cup, tahini, lemon juice, 1 cup of cold water, cumin, and salt and white pepper (to taste). Blend everything together until the hummus turns very creamy, stirring in between. If you need to add one or two more ice cubes and a bit more water to get the right consistency, go for it!

• Plate some hummus and add the remaining chickpeas in the center with some Aleppo pepper, paprika and smoked paprika for garnish. Add a drizzle of olive oil on top. Enjoy!