I love cooking with a Mediterranean mindset – it is my favorite cuisine. I somehow always manage to add lemon, capers, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and olives to my dishes, whether it be chicken, salmon or pasta.
I really enjoyed having falafel and hummus when I was in Israel a few summers ago – there’s nothing like it! Although I’ve never made hummus myself, after storing this recipe in my back pocket for quite some time, I plan to finally give it a try!
You’ll need:
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 2 teaspoons baking soda, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- ⅓ cup (or more) fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
- ⅔ cup tahini
- ¼ teaspoon (or more) ground cumin
- Olive oil (for serving)
- Cold water
- Place chickpeas and 1 tsp. baking soda in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover.
- Cover and let sit at room temperature until chickpeas have doubled in size, 8–12 hours. Drain and rinse.
- Combine soaked chickpeas and remaining 1 tsp. baking soda in a large saucepan and add cold water to cover.
- Bring to a boil, skimming surface as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until chickpeas are tender and really falling apart, 45–60 minutes. Drain; set aside.
- Meanwhile, put garlic, lemon juice, and 1 tsp. salt in a food processor, process until coarse; let sit 10 minutes to allow garlic to mellow.
- Strain garlic mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on solids to release as much liquid as possible. Return liquid to food processor; discard solids.
- Add tahini and pulse to combine. With motor running, add ¼ cup ice water by the tablespoonful and process (it may seize up at first) until mixture is very smooth, pale, and thick.
- Add chickpeas and cumin and process, occasionally scraping down sides, until mixture is extremely smooth, about 4 minutes. Thin with more water if you prefer a looser consistency; taste and season with salt, more lemon juice, and more cumin as desired.
- Spoon hummus into a shallow bowl, making a well in the center, and drizzle with oil. Top as desired.
Some topping ideas are: paprika, fresh lemon juice, and chopped parsley; fried chickpeas, paprika, and chopped parsley; tahini, cooked chickpeas, and chopped parsley; toasted pine nuts and roasted chopped red peppers. Pair with a warm pita bread for a delicious snack.
I love any and all Mediterranean foods, It’s soooooo packed full with tastes ☺️
Me too!! I eat it as much as I can! <3 thanks for reading
My pleasure ^.^