How to Make Hummus from Scratch

 

Although hummus is an ancient Middle Eastern invention, it feels like the savory chickpea dip has become nearly as commonplace in America as peanut butter. It’s no wonder hummus is so popular—the simple mixture of chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice is infinitely dippable, spreadable, and has a healthy reputation. If you’ve been buying it by the tub we’re here to tell you that making healthy, homemade hummus is truly as simple as whipping up a smoothie. Once you learn how to make extra creamy hummus from scratch, you may never go back to the store-bought stuff again.

 

Why Make Hummus at Home

We’re grateful for the wide array of grab-and-go hummus that’s now available at every supermarket and corner store. But, as with most things, nothing beats homemade—and making healthy hummus at home is as easy as blending together the ingredients in a food processor. Keep it simple or customize your hummus with different herbs and spices to get exactly the flavor you’re looking for. Bonus: homemade hummus is usually less expensive than store-bought, so your budget will thank you.

 

Health Benefits of Homemade Hummus

Hummus not only tastes great, but is good for you too. Packed with fiber, protein, iron, and carbohydrates to keep you full—and full of energy—hummus also boasts all sorts of other nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and vitamins A, B, B6, B12, C, and D. It also has “good fats,” which have been shown to decrease your risk of heart disease by lowering your cholesterol.

 

Plus, when you make your hummus from scratch you can be sure that there are no preservatives or added sugars that often sneak their way into commercial versions. Winning!

 

Easy Homemade Hummus Recipe

There’s no reason to be intimidated by making your own hummus; all it takes are a few ingredients and a food processor or blender. Though we recommend going the traditional route and starting with dried chickpeas, canned chickpeas are great in a pinch (we all need shortcuts sometimes!).

 

The basic ingredients for hummus are:

 

• Dried chickpeas
• Tahini
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh lemon juice
• Garlic cloves
• Salt

 

Optional extra ingredients and garnishes include:

 

• Cumin
• Paprika
• Parsley
• Lemon wedges
• Olives

 

Equipment needed for homemade hummus:

 

• Strainer
• Saucepan
• Food processor or blender
• Large bowl
• Serving bowl

 

Once you’ve gathered your ingredients and equipment it’s time to get started. Soaking the chickpeas requires a little advance planning, but if you put them in a bowl of water overnight you’ll be good to go in the morning. Alternately, skip the soaking and cook the dried chickpeas in your slow cooker or pressure cooker instead (hello, Instant Pot!).

 

However you arrive at cooked chickpeas, once they are tender you’re good to go. Check out our easy and delicious hummus recipe, or follow the directions below for creamy, killer hummus every time.

 

Directions

1. Sort through the dried chickpeas to remove any stones or misshapen chickpeas, then rinse to remove any additional dirt or debris. Put the chickpeas in a bowl, cover with water, and soak for at least four hours or overnight.
2. Drain the chickpeas, transfer to a saucepan, and cover with water by about two inches. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for about an hour, until the chickpeas are tender. Remove from the heat, reserve some of the cooking liquid, and drain the chickpeas. For extra creamy hummus, remove the skins (see below).
3. Put the chickpeas in the food processor or blender along with the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cumin, and blend until smooth. Add a bit of the reserved chickpea cooking liquid, if necessary, to thin it out until you reach the desired consistency. Season to taste with additional salt, lemon juice, or cumin.
4. To serve right away, transfer the hummus to a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and top with paprika, chopped parsley, lemon wedges, and olives, if you like. Serve with pita, pita chips, crackers, or vegetables for dipping, or spread on wraps or sandwiches. Leftover hummus can be tightly covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to five days—though the chances of it lasting that long are slim! Bring it to room temperature before serving.

 

 

One Last Tip: How to Make Hummus Extra Cream

If you love the creamy texture of hummus and want to make it even smoother, the trick is to remove the chickpea skins. It can be a tad tedious but is well worth the extra effort. Once the chickpeas have been cooked, rinse them under cold water until they are cool enough to handle, and then pinch each chickpea until the skin slips off. Alternately, you can put the cooked chickpeas in a big bowl of water and swish them around so the skins come off and rise to the top.

 

Once you’ve mastered homemade hummus, there’s no stopping you. Who knows, maybe next you’ll be inspired to tackle your own homemade pita to go with it!