Better Than Store-Bought Hummus

The truth is, most of the time we’re in a rush and we’ll throw some tinned chickpeas in a food processor and knock together an impromptu hummus. But every now and then, we’ll make this outrageously delicious recipe.

Ingredients

-1 bowl+

Metric

Method

1. 1

   Thoroughly drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas and put them into a saucepan along with the bicarbonate of soda. Cover with hot water straight from the kettle so that the water is 5cm (2”) deeper than the chickpeas. Cover the pan with a lid, bring the water to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

   
2. 2

   Put 5 tablespoons of water into a small glass and place it in the freezer while you carry out the next steps.

   
3. 3

   Drain the chickpeas and transfer them to a large bowl. Cover with water until the chickpeas are submerged (note: do not use the water you placed in the freezer), then rub the chickpeas with your hands to remove the skins and sieve out as many as possible.

   
4. 4

   Drain the skinned chickpeas and add them to a food processor along with the tahini, lemon juice, ground cumin, za’atar, paprika, garlic cloves and a generous pinch of salt. Process the ingredients until mostly broken down. Slowly pour in all the olive oil, then some of the ice cold water from the freezer. Process for 4–5 minutes, until the hummus is super smooth. Keep adding water to reach the perfect smooth consistency (it might only require 2–3 tablespoons of water until it’s perfectly creamy).

   
5. 5

   Transfer to a serving bowl and top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a sprinkling of za’atar and paprika. 

   
6. 6

   Finally, roughly chop a few leaves of parsley and sprinkle on top to finish. This hummus will taste best eaten the same day, but you can store it for 4–5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.