Homemade Middle Eastern Hummus

In the Middle East, no meal is complete without hummus on the side.  This authentic, smooth, and creamy hummus dip is made with chickpeas, garlic, lemon and tahini.  Watch the video for step by step guidance!!

Want to learn to make hummus like the Arab?

I’m sharing this easy authentic and smooth hummus recipe I learn from living in Doha, Qatar!

What is Hummus?

Hummus means “chickpea” in Arabic word.  In full Arabic name “hummus bi-tahina” (حمص بالطحينة‎, ‘chickpeas with tahini’) is a Middle Eastern dip made from cooked chickpeas blended with tahini, garlic and lemon juice. You can learn the history and more about hummus from BBC.com.

Hummus is now being eaten throughout the world. It’s a common dish at home and in a restaurant in the Middle East for example countries like United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and others.

How to Make Hummus at Home?

Chickpeas are also known as garbanzo beans.  To create your authentic hummus starts with soaking the chickpeas.  To begin, add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with enough water then soak them overnight.  Bicarbonate of soda and a long soaking time will soften the skins of the chickpeas, which in turn produces smoother hummus.

The next day, rinse and simmer the chickpeas in water for about 2 hours until well-cooked through and tender. A good way to test the chickpeas tenderness is by pressing a couple of chickpeas on a small plate with a fork. 

Once your chickpeas are tender, drain and add them to a food processor. Throw in the garlic, tahini, lemon zest and juice, and salt.  Olive oil is commonly added to hummus to make it creamy.  This recipe makes a healthier smooth hummus by just adding reserve chickpeas cooking water.  If you desire to add olive oil, pour in a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.

Please comment to let me know if you LOVE this hummus recipe!!

I love to keep hummus in the refrigerator and spread it on my toast for a quick snack or as a dip.  I never go hungry!!

Makes: 2-3 cups Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 2 hours Total Time: 2 hours10 mins (Soaking Time is not Included) Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Dips Cuisine: Middle Eastern Inspired, Gluten-Free, Vegan Not Freezer Friendly Ingredients 200g/1cup dried chickpeas (or 2 cups BPA-free tin chickpea, drained and rinsed) 2teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda (baking soda), for soaking chickpeas ½ cup tahini 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed Zest of 1 lemon  2-4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste Salt to taste Method Step 1: Gathering Your Ingredients (Mise en Place) Place the chickpeas in a large bowl then cover them with double their volume of water and add 1 teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda (baking soda).  Soak the chickpeas for at least 8 hours in cold water or overnight. The baking soda helps the skins to become soft, which in turn produces a much smoother hummus. To cook the chickpeas, rinse and drain them and then add them to a medium heavy pot and cover with double their volume of water. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda and bring to a boil. At this point, reduce the heat and let simmer for about 1 hour or until they are soft. Once done, drain the chickpeas, and save a cup of cooking liquid to use for thinning the hummus consistency if needed when making the hummus. Step 2: Making the Hummus Before you start making the hummus, reserve some chickpea for garnishing. To make the hummus, add cooked chickpeas, tahini, salt, lemon zest and juice into a food processor or high-speed blender.  Blend until creamy and smooth, scraping down the blender sides as needed.  If the hummus consistency is too thick, add a little reserve of chickpea water.  Blend until you reach desired silky smooth consistency. As you blend, taste the hummus, adjust flavour as needed, add more salt for saltiness, lemon juice for acidity, garlic for more garlicky taste, and tahini for nuttiness.  Step 3: Serving the Hummus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional) 1 tablespoon reserved cook chickpeas Smoke paprika 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional) Place hummus in a serving bowl then drizzles a dollop of extra virgin olive oil.  For a healthier version of hummus, avoid drizzling any oil on top.  To garnish, add a few chickpeas to the middle then sprinkle smoked paprika on top. Enjoy with favourite vegetables, pita, toast or biscuits! Besides being the Middle Eastern staple food, or any other Mediterranean food, hummus is a healthy dip for vegetables, warm pita bread wedges, and even adds a nice kick to burgers and sandwiches. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, it is best and tastiest to eat when fresh. NOTES Do use good quality tahini, it is a key ingredient in an authentic hummus recipe. It gives a rich consistency and subtle nutty flavour. For a healthier tahini version, use the darker colour tahini make from unhulled sesame seeds. It has a stronger taste and is slightly bitter, but arguably healthier because many of the nutrients are in the husk. Do use dried chickpeas, if you can’t help it, please obtain“BPA-free” canned chickpeas. Studies have shown that industrial chemicals found in the tin coating can leak into your food and may cause cancers.  If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them under running water to wash off any residue.

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