How to make Perfect Israeli-Style Hummus

For many Christian travelers, visiting Israel means experiencing authentic Mediterranean cuisine for the first time. Along with the culture, people and spiritual impact of seeing Israel, they also fall in love with the food! And few Israeli dishes are more classic than a bowl of delicious hummus served with fresh vegetables and pita.

The other weekend, we experimented to create the best classic hummus recipe ever—with each attempt more delicious than the last. Our office hummus party, which followed, was a big hit! The plated hummus you see is the best of three batches, and it wasn’t around long after this picture was taken. What we found is that, while there’s no wrong way to eat hummus, there are a few ways to ruin it. So, we hope you’ll put our experience, along with the tips below, to good use.

Happy Hummus—and let us know how it goes!

Perfect Israeli Hummus

1 C dried small-grain chickpeas   (each cup yields 3 C cooked chickpeas)

⅔ C tahina

1-2 fresh lemons, squeezed   (at least ¼ C)

2 cloves fresh garlic  (roast if desired)

½ tsp cumin

1 tsp kosher salt

1 bay leaf

2 tsp baking soda, divided (for soaking)

Some cooking water, saved                                    

   Extra virgin olive oil, for serving             

   Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, coarsely chopped

   Paprika, for dusting

Prep

Rinse the dried chickpeas until water runs clear. Soak them in cold water on the kitchen counter overnight (a full 12 hours), adding a bay leaf and 1 tsp baking soda.

The next morning, drain and thoroughly rinse multiple times before submerging in water with remaining baking soda for several more hours. (The chickpeas will double their volume from absorbing most of the water, so make sure they’re covered by at least 2” each time.)

Time-saving Tip: If it’s a hummus emergency (meaning there is no time to start from dried chickpeas) the canned variety can substitute. Simply rinse them well, and bring to a boil for a few minutes to ensure they’re completely soft.

Cook

Rinse chickpeas thoroughly, discard bay leaves and transfer to a pot, covering them with water. Bring to a boil, partially lidded, removing the foam or anything that’s floated to the top. Then simmer on low heat for 45 minutes-1.5 hours (or more) until chickpeas are soft enough to mash under the slightest amount of pressure. (If you’re working with a larger amount, it may require more cooking time.)

Shopping Tip: Make sure to buy prepared tahina sauce (also spelled tehineh or tehina) not plain tahini, which is simply pureed sesame seeds.

Make

Drain but keep the cooking water, as you’ll need some of it later. Rinse the chickpeas in a few changes of cold water. We recommend taking a few extra minutes to skin the chickpeas by popping them out of their loosened ‘shells’ using your thumb and index finger. It may seem tedious, but it’s a great way to achieve silky-smooth hummus.

Throw garlic and lemon juice into the food processor with 1 tsp salt. Pulse until it becomes a coarse mixture. Very important: Make sure to subdue the garlic flavor by allowing this to rest at least 10 minutes. Press mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding anything that doesn’t pass through, and return to processor. Pulse this with the tahina, and while it’s mixing, add 4 T cooking water (gradually) until you’ve got a smooth consistency. Then add the chickpeas and cumin, blending for 5 minutes. Add more of the water. Add more lemon juice, salt and cumin to taste.

Chef’s Tip: The hummus should be more thin than it is firm. Not only does this creamy consistency make it genuinely Israeli, the extra liquid helps keep the substance from thickening too much, which it will after several hours.

Enjoy

The taste will heighten after a day or so, once the flavors have had time to marry. So, we recommend making your hummus 24-48 hours prior to when you’ll need it. (The garlic will continue to intensify, so be sure not to overpower it with too much.)

To serve, create a well in the center of the hummus, filling it with olive oil. Then, sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Garnish with whole chickpeas or roasted pine nuts to make it a show-stopper. Enjoy or freeze within one week.

Serving Tip: Rather than presenting as a cold dip, serve your hummus at room temperature for the fullest flavor.

3 Ways to Improve your Hummus

• • Splurge on the best ingredients. Because there are so few ingredients in hummus (essentially just chickpeas and tahina) we advise using the highest-quality ingredients you can find. Use fresh lemons, not bought lemon juice, for instance. And get the best tahina sauce available, preferably imported from Israel.
  • Don’t salt the water! Soaking or cooking pulses in salted water will cause them not to soften sufficiently. Adding a little baking soda instead of salt will do the trick.
  • Rinse, Rinse, Rinse. Remember these 3 R’s and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly at every stage of the process. The more water the chickpeas pass through, the easier they’ll be to digest. Rinsing also helps remove the baking soda aftertaste.