This is my all-time favorite hummus recipe. It’s smooth, creamy, and so flavorful. It’s the perfect snack or appetizer and best served with pita chips or cut up veggies!
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this recipe link to you, so you can come back to it later!
If you’re looking for an amazing hummus recipe, you’ve come to the right place! This recipe provides a step-by-step breakdown of how to make hummus.
Tips for making perfectly smooth hummus
- For a smooth and creamy texture, I add baking soda to the chickpea cooking water, which helps soften them.
- When draining the cooked chickpeas, I reserve some of the cooking water liquid and process it along with the hummus ingredients until it’s super creamy.
- Garlic is optional, and without it, the hummus stays fresh for longer. I like its flavor, but the hummus tastes good without it, too.
- You can always add more tahini to thin the hummus.
Bottom line – everyone likes their hummus differently, so you are welcome to adjust the seasoning as you wish, adding more or less tahini, lemon juice, olive oil or salt, but let me tell you, this one’s a winner.
More of my favorite dips and appetizers
- Beet Hummus: Creamy, lemony, hummus made a gorgeous pink color by cooked beets.
- Greek Salad: Super fresh and full of flavor.
- Guacamole: Made with ripe, creamy avocado.
- Tabbouleh Salad: Made with bulgur and lots of fresh herbs.
The Best Hummus
This hummus recipe is super creamy and full of flavor. It's easy to make and makes the perfect snack or appetizer!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Chickpea soaking time 12 hours
Total Time 13 hours 35 minutes
YIELD 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups (350g) dried chickpeas
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ – ¾ cup tahini (100-160 g)
- 1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves , optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1¼ teaspoons fine salt
- a few tablespoons cooking water (reserve the chickpeas cooking water for the hummus)
Instructions
-
Place chickpeas in a large bowl, and add enough water to the bowl to cover the chickpeas (3 inches above the chickpeas). Let soak for 12 hours. This step is important for a smooth hummus, so no shortcuts please.
-
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them in a large pot. Cover them with water, and 4 inches more. Add baking soda, and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue cooking over medium-high heat for 1 and ½ hours until very soft. There’s no need to cover the pot during cooking. If there’s foam at the top, you can remove it with a spoon. Drain, and reserve 2 cups of of the chickpeas (to serve later with the hummus dish), and 3 cups of the cooking liquid (you won’t need all of it, but just in case), and place them aside. Transfer the rest of the chickpeas to a food processor. Add ½ cup of the cooking liquid, and process until thick and smooth. It’s best to let it cool to room temperature, but if you’re short on time, you can proceed to the next step.
-
Add ½ cup tahini, lemon juice, garlic (if using), olive oil and salt to the food processor, and process until smooth. Add more cooking liquid or tahini for taste and a smooth, creamy texture. If the mixture is warm, it would get thicker once it’s at room temperature, but once it’s cooled, you can add more tahini or water to make it thinner (you won’t have to use the food processor at that point, you can mix it by hand with a whisk.).
-
Serve warm or at room temperature. The hummus can be reheated gently over low heat.
-
Transfer hummus to serving dishes. Top with reserved chickpeas, and drizzle with some olive oil. You can sprinkle with a bit of cumin, paprika, or parsley. Hard boiled egg is another delicious addition.
-
Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container for 3 days in the fridge.
Laila N says
Oh my goodness, YES. YES. We’ve always wanted to make hummus in this house, but there’s so many recipes out there, I personally don’t know where to begin. But your recipes have always worked for me, so YES. Here is where I’ll begin. Muchos gracias 🙂
Shiran says
I can’t wait for you to try this! Thank you!!
Sandi Kafka says
Another way to make hummus smooth is to remove the chickpea/garbanzo bean skins.
After soaking beans for at least 8 hours, drain, rinse and drain again. Then very gently rub them between two layers of clean (fabric, not paper) kitchen towel. If you’re a perfectionist like me, toss removed skins, separate the skinned ones out, and continue processing the remainder until all or most skins are removed. (You can gently pinch the skin off the beans, too.) Smoothest hummus ever!