Creamy tahini hummus

Hummus can be used as a dip for fresh veggies or pita chips, as a sandwich spread, or a topping for grilled fish. Here's a recipe for an especially creamy version of this versatile Mediterranean spread.

Here’s what I think you should do today: make hummus. This hummus, specifically.

This is from one of Yotam Ottolenghi’s fabulous cookbooks, "Jerusalem." If you haven’t checked out his books – do so. They’re incredible. I read so many reviews of this hummus before making it, all of which claimed a ridiculous level of creaminess, and I frankly didn’t believe it. How can a hummus be SO MUCH CREAMIER than others? Well. I’m here to tell you: this is CREAAAAMY! And, it doesn’t take very long to make!

By sauteing the chickpeas with baking soda for a few minutes you break down the chickpeas so they cook much much faster, which for me is usually a deal breaker in hummus. Who wants to cook chickpeas forever? Not me. Then: who wants to take off the skins? Not me. This recipe gets the chickpeas so darn soft you don’t need to worry about the skins.

Then you’ll blend them for a really long time in the food processor, slowly adding water and continuing to process — the end result is the smoothest, creamiest, butteriest hummus I’ve ever tasted. Absolutely recommended!!

Creamy tahini humus
From Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi

1-1/4 cups dried chickpeas
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light tahini paste
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
6-1/2 tablespoons ice water

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of water. The next day, drain them.

2. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the drained chickpeas and the baking soda. Cook for three minutes, stirring the entire time. Add 6-1/2 cups of fresh water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20-40 minutes (will depend on your chickpeas), until the chickpeas are very soft to the touch. Drain.

3. Process the chickpeas (alone) in a food processor until very smooth and thick. With the processor running, add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic cloves, and salt. Once that is smooth, slowly drizzle in the ice water (processor is still running) and continue processing for 5 more minutes. It should be extremely smooth!

4. Remove the hummus from the processor, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

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