Hummus
Classic chickpea hummus blended with the tahini and lemon juice first, before the chickpeas go in, which emulsifies the tahini into a pale, creamy base rather than leaving it to clump against whole chickpeas. Peeling the chickpeas by rubbing them between two towels, tedious as it is, is the one step that turns a good hummus into a genuinely silky one.
Prep15 min
Servings4
Christoph's hummus, the tahini and lemon juice blended first so the tahini emulsifies properly.
Ingredients
Units
Temperature
Servings
Hummus
- 400 g chickpeas, drained, tinned, peeled if possible rounded
- 100 g tahini rounded
- 45 ml lemon juice rounded
- 1 garlic clove rounded
- 60 ml ice water rounded
- 20 ml olive oil rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- If you have time, peel the chickpeas: rub small batches between two clean kitchen towels, then pick out the loosened skins. This step is optional but noticeably improves the texture.
- Blend the tahini, lemon juice and garlic together first, until pale and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add the chickpeas and ice water. Blend for 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides, until completely smooth and creamy.
- With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top.
Notes
- Blend the tahini and lemon juice before adding the chickpeas. This emulsifies the tahini smoothly on its own; added straight in with the chickpeas, it can clump instead of blending evenly through the mixture.
- Peel the chickpeas if you have the patience. The skins are what leave hummus with a slightly grainy texture no matter how long you blend; removing them is tedious but makes a real, noticeable difference.
- Use ice water, not room-temperature. The cold water helps whip air into the mixture, giving a lighter, fluffier texture than warm or room-temperature water would.
- It keeps for 5 days in the fridge, and the flavour deepens slightly after the first day.
Ingredient substitutions
- Chickpeas are traditional, but white beans make a good, milder alternative.
- A pinch of ground cumin blended in is a common addition.
- Top with paprika, whole chickpeas, or a scattering of pine nuts before serving.
From Christoph Mayer