Perfect Hummus
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This homemade hummus recipe beats anything you’ll ever buy in the store. Rich in flavor, perfectly creamy, and super easy to make, you’re going to love it!
And while you’re at it, make another popular Middle Eastern dip, Baba Ganoush, and some delicious Lavash flatbread to go with it!
A widely popular dip, hummus is not only delicious, it’s super healthy. This homemade hummus recipe is made using homemade tahini paste, which is easy to make, cheaper than store-bought, and tastes so much better!
What is Hummus?
Hummus is the Arabic word for “chickpeas”, the central ingredient in this Middle Eastern dip. Its complete name is hummus bi tahina, meaning “chickpeas with tahini.” Made with chickpeas, tahini (a paste made out of sesame seeds), garlic, lemon and olive oil, hummus is very nutritious. It’s high in iron, vitamin C, folate and vitamin B6. It’s also an excellent source of amino acids, fiber and protein. In fact, when eaten with bread, hummus is a complete protein. And of course the generous amount of olive oil in the hummus comes with its own wide range of health benefits.
And how often is it that something so healthy also tastes so doggone delicious?
Most commonly served as an appetizer or dip, scooped up with flatbread such as pita, hummus is also a common accompaniment to grilled chicken, fish, falafel, and eggplant.
Interestingly, “according to a 2010 market research, hummus consumption in the United States has increased by 35 percent over a period of 21 months, with sales reaching nearly $300 million” (Wikipedia). See, the masses are catching on to this delicious treat. But rather than buy it, make it yourself. It’s cheaper, fresher, healthier, and tastes SO much better!
How to Make Tahini
And I know what you’re thinking. “Yeah, but it calls for tahini paste and I never have that on hand when I need it.” Fear not! Grab our super quick, super easy Tahini recipe!
Now, if you’re a hummus fan, imagine how amazing this tastes having made everything, including your very own tahini, from scratch! Yes, it’s THAT good!
And if you’re not already a hummus fan, prepare to be converted!
Hummus Recipe
Let’s get started!
Soak the garbanzo beans in water overnight. Drain and thoroughly rinse. Bring them to a boil in a pot of water (you can add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water if you’re prone to…ahem…gas). Reduce the temperature to medium, cover and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until very soft.
Drain the garbanzo beans.
Place the cooked garbanzo beans in a food processor.
I’m using my full-size Cuisinart in the photos but usually I prefer my smaller Cuisinart 3-cup Food Processor which we’ve had for 10 years and it’s still going strong.
Process the garbanzo beans and add some of the reserved bean water.
Add the olive oil, tahini paste, garlic, lemon juice, cumin (if using) and salt. Process until smooth.
Add some more of the reserved cooking water from the beans until you reach the desired consistency. Add more tahini paste and salt to taste.
Transfer to a serving bowl, make some swirly divets on the top and pour a little olive oil over it. Sprinkle with some paprika and garnish with some chopped fresh parsley if desired. Serve with toasted pita wedges, vegetables or crackers.
Enjoy!
Be sure to also try our Roasted Pumpkin Hummus!
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Perfect Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried garbanzo beans/chickpeas , rinsed then soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup Homemade Tahini Paste
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1-2 cloves garlic , roughly chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt , plus more to taste
- Reserved cooking water from the garbanzo beans
- Extra olive oil for garnish
- Paprika for garnish
- Chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Place in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a teaspoon of baking soda if you're prone to gas. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the beans are very soft. Drain, reserving some of the bean water, and let the beans cool.
- Place the garbanzo beans in a food processor until no large chunks remain. Add the tahini paste, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt and process until smooth. Add some of the reserved bean water, a little at a time, as needed until the desired consistency is reached. Add salt to taste.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and make some swirly divots on the top. Drizzle some olive oil over it, sprinkle with some paprika and chopped fresh parsley if desired. Serve with toasted pita wedges, vegetables or crackers.Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet May 23, 2014
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Hi, what would be the duration using a pressure cooker instead please? Thanks.
I don’t know, I’ve never used a pressure cooker for this. Sorry!
When using a pressure cooker about 5to 7 minutes after the first whistle goes is generally enough to cook the chick peas if they are pre-soaked.
Perfect, thanks so much for that information, B.K.Sapra!
Hi, I have read a few recipes for making hummus and it say that you don’t have to cook the chickpeas. And yours say it does. Does it matter if I cook the chickpeas or not?
Hi Thienan, if the chickpeas are canned they’re already cooked and do not need to be cooked again. This recipe calls for dried chickpeas (not canned, not yet cooked) and those need to be cooked. You can, however, use canned chickpeas instead if you prefer and skip the cooking process.
Hi Kimberly
I made the Tahini sauce and the Hummus using your your recipes and they turned out perfect! Do you also have a recipe for falafales?
Thank you so much :D
I’m thrilled to hear that, cafegarima, thank you! I haven’t yet posted my recipe for falafel but it’s on my list :)
Good morning – I’m a fan of of your hummus and tahini recipes and now that I’m reading through comments I’m going to search out to see if you have (almost 2 years later) posted a falafel recipe! Thank you – so gooooood. My family loves the hummus and it’s so affordable to make!
So funny, Christine, another reader just mentioned the same thing on a different post! Yes, I’ll work on that falafel post :) So glad you like the hummus and tahini, thank you!
Ever since my kids discovered that they like hummus, I make it a couple of times a week. I use canned garbanzo beans for the sake of convenience but would certainly consider soaking and cooking the dried ones. If I cook a large batch of garbanzos, say two pounds at a time, will they keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or, even better, can they be frozen? Thanks.
Hi Marc! Cooked and drained, the garbanzo beans will keep covered in the refrigerator for only 3-4 days but yes, they can be frozen for much longer, at least 2 months. Cook, drain and pat dry to remove as much moisture as possible then place them in ziploc bags, single layer so they don’t stick together, and freeze them. Alternatively, you can spread them out on cookie sheets first, freeze for an hour, then dump them into ziploc bags (now they won’t stick since they’re already partially frozen). Happy hummus making!
I had tahini paste on grocery list for a recipe my husband didn’t want to wait while I looked for it and didn’t want to pay for it. Thank you so much for recipe as well as the bonus humus recipe sounds so easy to make Pinned it and sent link to my kids who I know love humus. One question though; Can humus be frozen?
Hi Rosanne! I’m happy you found my site and thank you for passing the link on to your kids! Yes, tahini is expensive and is one of those things you usually buy, end up using for one batch of hummus, and then the rest goes to waste. Homemade is much cheaper and can be conveniently made whenever you need it. I haven’t personally tried freezing hummus before but everything I’ve read suggests that it freezes well in an airtight freezer container. Best, Kimberly
Then I will assume the tahini freezes also, I imagine that the use of olive or sesame seed oil is for moisture and creaming purposes so you only need enough to accomplish this? Thank you for your help. This is a really nice site:)
Yes, just use enough olive oil until you’ve reached the desired consistency. I haven’t tried freezing it before – there’s never been a need because I only make small quantities at a time. Thanks for the compliment and I hope you’ll visit often!
I made this AND the homemade tahini paste – SO delicious!! The flavor is better than anything I’ve ever bought in the store or when I’ve made it myself with bought tahini paste. This is my go-to recipe from now on. Thank you so much for sharing both of these recipes! Patricia
That’s awesome, Patricia, thanks for making both recipes and for your feedback! I’ve sworn off store-bought tahini forever as well. The homemade stuff just tastes so much better!
I just might have to try the cumin sometime. 1/4t would probably be quite nice and certainly would not overpower the dish. Thanks for the info.
Sounds wonderful. But cilantro???? The garnish you show is parsley, and from what I learned from my Lebanese boyfriend a zillion years ago, parsley is the appropriate garnish. At least the for the Lebanese version. The Lebanese version also does not have cumin in it, so for people who don’t care for the flavor of cumin, it is okay to leave it out. :-) One of my all-time favorite lunches is pita with hummus and string cheese. Yum!
Ah, thanks for catching that typo, Susan. Yes, parsley is what I used and parsley it what it should read. As for the cumin, there are different versions with ever-so-slight variations throughout the Middle East and I can’t speak for the Lebanese version specifically. I don’t usually add it, but it does add a nice, rounded dimension of flavor.
yes I think she got confused because it said parsley at top but cilantro /coriander at bottom and I agree,cumin is a no- go we are not attempting refried Mexican pinto beans with cilantro from San Antonio Texas. I really liked her recipes other than the Cumino I get enough of that here in Texas.