I am a Classic Hummus fangirl. I love it in a borderline obsessive way. And we have a lot of recipes for various hummuses–we have a great basic recipe in our first cookbook, we have Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, we have Black Bean Hummus, Edamame Hummus. If you can hummus it, chances are we’ve done it. Or thought about it. But this authentic Israeli version right here hits all the rights notes when you’re in the mood for good classic hummus!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Chickpeas/garbanzo beans – Yes, those are the same thing! You want the dry ones you can buy in a bag near the other dry beans, NOT canned. However, in a pinch you can make it with canned chick peas.
- Baking soda – Depending on cooking method.
- Tahini – This is a paste made from sesame seeds. Look for it near international foods or kosher foods.
- Lemon juice
- Fresh garlic
- Kosher salt
- Ice water
- Course salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Optional garnishes – Olive oil, chopped olives, roasted red peppers, chopped parsley, toasted pine nuts, etc.
Recipe Notes Before You Get Started
This recipe comes from the James Beard award winning book, Jerusalem: A Cookbook. It’ simple and perfect! Here’s a few notes you may find helpful:
- You’re cooking dried chickpeas instead of using canned chickpeas. The process is simple, especially if you have an Instant Pot. This is key to both the creamy consistency of the hummus, and also the flavor, but if it’s between canned chickpea hummus and no hummus, go for the canned chickpeas. P.S. Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same thing.
- This calls for 1 whole cup of tahini (sesame seed paste). If you’re not quite sure how much you love tahini, I recommend starting with 3/4 cup and then adding more if you want a bolder flavor.
- You want the water to be ice cold. Add enough water to your hummus at the end to get a creamy, easily spreadable consistency, more like fluffy buttercream frosting than thick, pasty hummus.
- I’ve made this in my blender (Blendtec, so a good one) and I’ve made it in my food processor. If at all possible, use a food processor for best results.
How to Make Classic Hummus
Continue scrolling below for full printable recipe.
- Rinse and sort the chickpeas and then cook them. In the recipe card you’ll find instructions for both a pressure cooker and also the stove top.
- Place cooked chickpeas in a food processor and process until smooth and pasty. With the machine running, add the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, kosher salt, and finally the ice water and process until the hummus is completely smooth and creamy . Allow to stand 30 minutes before serving. If refrigerating for future use, allow it to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes first. Of course you can eat it cold from the fridge- it will taste amazing. But both the flavor and texture is so much better once it comes back to room temperature.
- To serve, spread a layer onto a plate or shallow bowl and drizzle with a good quality olive oil and, if desired, additional garnishes (like chopped olives, roasted red peppers, chopped parsley, toasted pine nuts, etc.). Serve with warm flatbread or pita, your favorite veggies, pretzel or pita chips.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store finished hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4-5 days for best results.
- No time to cook garbanzo beans? You can also make this with drained, canned garbanzo beans. You’ll need about 3.5-4 cups.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I eat with hummus?
Hummus is most often eaten with flatbread, either torn in pieces or used as a scoop, raw veggies, as part of a platter with other items like olives, tabbouleh, and falafel, or as a spread on sandwiches or wraps.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely. The flavors really pop after a chance to sit. Feel free to prepare it one day and enjoy all week.
Can you freeze hummus?
You can, although the texture may suffer a little. If desired, freeze individual portions and thaw overnight in the refrigerator when ready to use. You may need a little extra olive oil to restore its creamy texture after thawing.
Classic Hummus
Light and creamy, this Mediterranean classic is a versatile dip perfect for veggies, pitas, or sandwiches.
Servings 1/4 cup servings
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups DRY not canned chickpeas/garbanzo beans
- 5-6 ¼ cups water see instructions
- 1 teaspoon baking soda depending on cooking method
- ¾-1 cup tahini if you love tahini, go for the whole cup, if you’re iffy on it, stick with 3/4 cup; you can always add more later if you decide to
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 6-7 tablespoons ice water
- coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional Garnish Ideas
- olive oil
- zaatar seasoning
- chopped parsley
- chopped olives
- roasted red peppers
- toasted pine nuts
Instructions
- Rinse and sort the chickpeas and then cook them.
- To cook in an electric pressure cooker: Place rinsed chickpeas in the pressure cooker, add 5 cups water, and cook for 35 minutes.
- To cook on the stovetop:Cover the chickpeas with 2-3 inches of cold water and soak overnight. The next day, drain the chickpeas. Place a medium saucepan over high heat on the stove and add the chickpeas and baking soda. Cook for 3 minutes, then add 6 1/4 cups water and bring to a boil. Cook for 20-40 minutes or until the chickpeas are very tender (but not mushy), stirring frequently and skimming the foam and skins off the top.
- Drain chickpeas after cooking. Place them in a food processor and process until smooth and pasty, as much as you can. With the machine running, add the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and finally the ice water and process until the hummus is completely smooth and creamy (think like fluffy buttercream frosting).
- At this point, feel free to adjust flavors if you like! You can add more lemon, garlic, or salt depending on your preferences.
- Allow to stand 30 minutes before serving. If refrigerating for future use, you can certainly use it straight from the fridge, but it's especially yummy when left to to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes first. To serve, spread a layer onto a plate or shallow bowl and drizzle with olive oil and, if desired, additional garnishes (like chopped olives, roasted red peppers, chopped parsley, toasted pine nuts, etc.). Top with coarse salt and coarsely ground black pepper.
Notes
- Store finished hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4-5 days for best results.
- No time to cook garbanzo beans? You can also make this with drained, canned garbanzo beans. You’ll need about 3.5-4 cups. Just know that it is much better made from freshly cooked garbanzo beans!
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25cup, Calories: 281kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 666mg, Potassium: 418mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 207IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 233mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 281kcal
Cost: $6
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Questions & Reviews
Hi there, thanks for the awesome recipe, can’t wait to try it out. I recently saw a jamie oliver video suggesting jarred chickpeas instead of canned chickpeas if you don’t have the time to cook dried ones. Have you ever tried the jarred ones and what are your opinions if so?
I don’t think I’ve ever seen jarred chickpeas, but if I do, I’ll give them a try and see how they compare!
I always buy Walmart brand chick peas, so I’m surprised your store doesn’t carry them!
Can you explain why you don’t add baking soda to the pressure cooker?
Thank you.
I was reading up on this because there are mixed feelings on adding the baking soda. The general feeling is that it speeds up the cooking with the stovetop method, but that it’s not necessary when cooked in a pressure cooker and it can make the give the beans an unpleasant texture/flavor. Hope that helps!
“Rinse and sort the chickpeas” ????
OK, we’re not big fans of most beans, so I don’t use them in cooking. But, I LOVE hummus! Can you explain what you mean by “sort” the chickpeas? There’s no further info in the recipe.
Ha! just dump the measured out chickpeas into a strainer and look for any dead/shriveled beans and/or small rocks. Then rinse them. 🙂
Mmm, hummus… This looks divine! Have you ever tried putting roasted garlic in hummus instead of raw garlic? It will change your life!
Great recipe! I love to add smoked paprika to hummus. If you’ve got older dried chickpeas in food storage and/or you live at any altitude, soaking the beans never hurts — even if you’re using a pressure cooker.
Yes, very true!! Soaking never hurts in general. 🙂
I love homemade hummus!! My first experience was at a Relief Society World Christmas party. A lady had been to Jerusalem and shared her hummus and recipe for it. I could not get enough that night and thought about it for days! Buying my own tahini was a life-changer (I buy mine off Amazon in a double pack…Baron’s brand I think). I feel like most people either love hummus or hate it. The rest of my family thinks I’m weird for liking something with strange ingredients and has a funny sounding name. That’s OK…more for me! Thanks for another great recipe!
Hummus is basically a food group for me and have about 5 different recipes to make it myself. All recipes are always a little different, so I’m excited to add another one!
To clarify, is the 5 1/2- 6 1/4 cups water the amount used to COOK the beans if done in a pressure cooker, or the amount used to soak the beans if cooking on a stove top? I’ve been wanting to use my pressure cooker to cook dried beans (I’ve got a TON in food storage), but I’m too afraid to guess on the ratio of beans to water so I haven’t tried anything yet. I’m excited to try this recipe, not only because the hummus looks amazing, but also because I want to figure out this whole “dry bean in the instant pot” thing.
Yes– 5 in the pressure cooker, 6 1/4 on the stovetop. 🙂
I wanna dive right on into that plate. That is a crazy amount of tahini!