Hummous is one of those things, like pesto, for which you need no recipe, only a list of ingredients. Even if you’ve never made it before, the best hummous you have will be the one that suits your taste. You can ramp up the tahini to make that flavour edge out from the rest, or use dried chickpeas, soaked over night and then cooked, skins discarded for an even more delicious hummous than this one I’m sure. But this hummous is my basic, no-work classic, with just some salt, lemon and parsley to spike the flavour of mellow, creamy chickpeas and tahini. Some time I’d like to throw some toasted sesame oil in the mix or thin it out with hazelnut oil instead of olive oil for a nuttier version. For now, I stick to extra virgin olive oil and drizzle a little over top before ending with a sprinkle of za’atar, a Lebanese dried thyme blend. The point is, consider this a starting point rather than a recipe. Your favourite hummous might be below or might be a tweak or more away.
(See how this recipe fits into a Lebanese lunch menu!)
Hummous
1 19-oz can chickpeas, drained
1/3 c tahini
1 large garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1 large handful parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon, or less, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Process the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, parsley and some lemon juice and salt in a food processor until smooth. Add the oil in a steady stream with the processor running until you reach your desired consitancy (I like my hummous smooth in texture and not too thick in consistency). You can add a little water to keep thinning it out if you don’t want the flavour of the oil to overpower the hummous. Taste and add more lemon, salt or tahini as you wish.
Makes 1 1/2 cups.