The best hummus is lusciously creamy, yet somehow light and fluffy. It’s beautifully smooth and swirled, and begging to be scooped up onto a wedge of pita bread. It’s nutty and tangy, thanks to the tahini, with notes of bright, fresh lemon and mellow garlic.
I encountered the most delicious hummus at Aladdin Cafe, a local Mediterranean restaurant. That hummus met all of the above characteristics, and I was hoping the owner might enlighten me with his techniques. When I asked, though, he replied, “It’s a secret,” with a sly smile and walked away.
I went home determined to learn how to make magnificently creamy hummus. First, I took the fancy flavorings out of my other hummus recipes to make plain hummus. It was dense, a little gritty, and harshly garlicky. I was so disappointed.
Next, I went to Google and opened up a million tabs to learn everything about hummus. You know me. Ten hummus attempts later, I’m ready to share all of my hummus tips and tricks with you. Get ready to make the best hummus of your life!
The internet at large raves that an Israeli chef named Michael Solomonov makes the very best hummus. It’s so good that Bon Appetit named his hummus their 2015 Dish of the Year. That’s some serious hummus.
Solomonov’s secret? He uses chickpeas that have been cooked until they’re so tender, they’re mushy.
He cooks his chickpeas with some baking soda, too. According to Bon Appetit, baking soda “raises the pH of the water and helps the little guys break down to a soft, pulpy mass… perfect for an ultra-smooth purée.”
Overcooked chickpeas seemed like a promising idea to me. You see, I once tried to make hummus with canned chickpeas that were oddly undercooked, and they made terrible hummus. No matter how long I blended the hummus, those undercooked chickpeas never blended into creamy oblivion.
Plus, baking soda helps break down the chickpea skins, which means you do not need to peel off the skins individually. Who has time for that?! I bet you don’t have time to soak your chickpeas overnight and cook them from scratch like Solomonov, either.
Here’s my time-saving solution: Just boil canned or leftover cooked chickpeas with baking soda for twenty minutes.
You can see the difference that baking soda makes in the photo below. See how the chickpeas on the right are popping open more? They are significantly softer in texture as well.
The chickpeas are ready to go after a quick rinse under cool running water, which rinses off the baking soda flavor and cools the chickpeas so your hummus doesn’t develop a weird outer film.
Are you as excited about this as I am? You can have this incredible hummus now-ish, not tomorrow! No chickpea peeling required.
I have a few more tips and techniques to making great hummus, so read on or scroll down for the full recipe and variations.
How to Make the Best Hummus
1) Mushy chickpeas
Cook canned or leftover cooked chickpeas according to step 1 below. This only adds 20 minutes to your hummus-making time, and it’s my number one tip for making perfect hummus at home.
Want to cook your chickpeas from scratch? You sure can—see the recipe notes.
Can you over-cook your chickpeas in an Instant Pot? I don’t recommend it—you’ll end up with a mess of chickpea mash clogging your vent and a puddle of chickpea cooking water surrounding your Instant Pot. I speak from experience.
2) Great tahini
All tahini is not created equally. When I was in Israel, Israelis’s spoke of tahini, or “t’hina,” with reverence. I learned that the best tahini comes from Ethiopia. Store-bought tahini in the U.S. varies widely in flavor, with some of them so bad that they’ve ruined my hummus.
My favorite brands of tahini? I had to try Solomonov’s favorite, Soom. I found it on Amazon (affiliate link) and I have to say that it is worth it. Second favorite? Trader Joe’s organic tahini, which is made from Ethiopian sesame seeds like Soom’s. Whole Foods 365 used to be my go-to, but I encountered a few bad jars that tasted so bad, I’m afraid to try again.
Don’t skimp on the tahini, either—you need to use 1/2 cup tahini per can of chickpeas for rich and irresistible hummus. I once toured an enormous hummus production facility and learned that they often reduce the cost of producing store-bought hummus by using less tahini. Sneaky!
3) Ice-cold water
Why do you always want to mix ice-cold water with tahini? This is another trick that I learned on my trip. I can’t find a scientific explanation, but it seems to help make the hummus light and fluffy, and lightens the color of the tahini to a pale ivory color.
4) Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Store-bought lemon juice always tastes stale and sad, and it will make your hummus taste stale and sad. Buy lemons and your humus will taste fresh and delicious. I almost always add another tablespoon of lemon juice to my hummus for extra flavor before I plate it, but I’ll leave the tang factor up to you.
5) Garlic, mellowed in lemon juice
This is another trick from Solomonov—if you mince the garlic in the food processor or blender with the lemon juice and let that mixture rest for a few minutes, the garlic will lose its harsh, raw bite and mellow out. I tried it before and after, and he’s right! Here’s Serious Eats’ scientific explanation for why this works.
6) Olive oil, blended into the hummus and drizzled on top
Solomonov doesn’t blend any olive oil into his hummus, but I think that one tablespoon makes the hummus taste even more luxurious and creamy. I recommend it!
7) Ground cumin
The cumin is subtle and offers some “Je ne sais quoi,” if you will. It’s a common ingredient in plain hummus recipes, and makes the hummus taste a little more special.
Hummus Variations
This hummus recipe is plain (and by plain, I mean delicious), but you can blend any of the following in with the chickpeas to make variations.
- Green goddess hummus: 3/4 cup loosely packed fresh, leafy herbs
- Kalamata olive hummus: 3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- Roasted garlic hummus: Cloves from 1 to 2 heads of roasted garlic
- Roasted red pepper hummus: 3/4 cup roasted red peppers, drained and sliced into strips
- Sun-dried tomato hummus: 3/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and drained (from one 6.7-ounce jar)
- Toasted sesame hummus: 1/2 teaspoon in the hummus, plus 1 teaspoon drizzled on top
Hummus Garnishes
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Sprinkle of ground sumac, which is gloriously sour and deep pink, or paprika, which is basically flavorless but offers a splash of color
- Sesame seeds or seeded spice blend, such as dukkah
- Middle Eastern hot sauce, such as zhoug or shatta
- Chopped fresh parsley
Ok, let’s make some hummus! I’m dying to hear how this hummus turns out for you. Please let me know in the comments and tell me if overcooking your chickpeas makes all the difference!
You can also share a photo of your results on Instagram with the hashtag #cookieandkate so we can all see your results.
Watch How to Make Hummus
Best Hummus
- Author:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups (8 servings) 1x
- Category: Dip
- Method: Food processor
- Cuisine: Israeli
Learn how to make the best homemade hummus! It’s creamy, dreamy and light. This hummus recipe is easy to make—no peeling chickpeas or overnight soak required. Recipe yields about 2 cups.
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (if you’re using canned chickpeas)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 ½ to 2 lemons), more to taste
- 1 medium-to-large clove garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
- ½ cup tahini
- 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water, more as needed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Any of the following garnishes: drizzle of olive oil or zhoug sauce, sprinkle of ground sumac or paprika, chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place the chickpeas in a medium saucepan and add the baking soda. Cover the chickpeas by several inches of water, then bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling, reducing heat if necessary to prevent overflow, for about 20 minutes, or until the chickpeas look bloated, their skins are falling off, and they’re quite soft. In a fine-mesh strainer, drain the chickpeas and run cool water over them for about 30 seconds. Set aside (no need to peel the chickpeas for this recipe!).
- Meanwhile, in a food processor or high-powered blender, combine the lemon juice, garlic and salt. Process until the garlic is very finely chopped, then let the mixture rest so the garlic flavor can mellow, ideally 10 minutes or longer.
- Add the tahini to the food processor and blend until the mixture is thick and creamy, stopping to scrape down any tahini stuck to the sides and bottom of the processor as necessary.
- While running the food processor, drizzle in 2 tablespoons ice water. Scrape down the food processor, and blend until the mixture is ultra smooth, pale and creamy. (If your tahini was extra-thick to begin with, you might need to add 1 to 2 tablespoons more ice water.)
- Add the cumin and the drained, over-cooked chickpeas to the food processor. While blending, drizzle in the olive oil. Blend until the mixture is super smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as necessary, about 2 minutes. Add more ice water by the tablespoon if necessary to achieve a super creamy texture.
- Taste, and adjust as necessary—I almost always add another ¼ teaspoon salt for more overall flavor and another tablespoon of lemon juice for extra zing.
- Scrape the hummus into a serving bowl or platter, and use a spoon to create nice swooshes on top. Top with garnishes of your choice, and serve. Leftover hummus keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Michael Solomonov, via The New York Times and Bon Appetit, and Yotam Ottolenghi.
How to cook dry chickpeas in a hurry for this recipe: In a large saucepan, combine 5 ounces (¾ cup) dried chickpeas and ½ teaspoon baking soda, and fill the pot with water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and skim off the surface foam as needed. Continue boiling over medium-high, adding more water if you start running out, until the chickpeas are very mushy and falling apart, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh colander, rinse under cool running water, and drain well before using. Start the recipe at step 2.
Brooke
Thank you for this amazing recipe! Do you have a recipe for homemade tahini too?!
Kate
Hi Brooke, I don’t have a homemade tahini. Sorry!
Karen
OMG! I’m a first-timer at making hummus. This turned out soooo Yummy! I will definitely make it again. Started from scratch on everything except the tahini. I chickened out and bought some since I couldn’t find sesame seeds sold in bulk. The next time I’m going to try roasted red peppers. Wondering: do I put the pepper strips in the processor or just fold it in manually?
Kate
Add it to the processor to get it blended in once you have your hummus established. Let me know what you think!
Abby Niyaz
WOW.
I haven’t had good hummus since I left the middle east and i’ve been really sad about it.
I was nervous to try making it myself for the first time but it is SO DELICIOUS.
Kate
I’m glad you tried this and enjoyed it, Abby! I appreciate your review.
JLevey
Hey Karen you can get it off amazon very easily and if you have prime it’s probably as cheap as going to the grocery store.
Laura
Can home made tahini be used?
Kate
Sure! Let me know what you think when you try it.
Anita
I’m on a continual quest for good hummus. I’ve peeled garbanzo beans (who has that kind of time??!!). My search can stop! All of the great tips in how to make it…amazing results! THANK You!
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoy it.
Kristy
I soaked a bag of dry chic peas in water overnight and THEN found your amazing recipe lol. Now what? I usually cook them in my pressure cooker next. Your recipe has two options, canned or dry. At this point, do I use a saucepan with the baking soda or just use my pressure cooker? I make the smallest task difficult lol
Kate
Hi! I would try the pressure cooker, but I’m not sure for sure. Let me know how it turns out!
Isabel
Hi, I put in 4 tbsp of water and it’s runnier than I would like. Is there a quick way to fix it? I don’t have any more cooked chickpeas, but I do have chickpea flour if that’s helpful.
Kate
I wouldn’t suggest adding flour. Possibly try processing it with more chickpeas, but you may need to adjust your flavor as well. I can’t say for sure without trying it myself. Sorry!
Kayce
This is my “go to” recipe for hummus! LOVE it! If it’s a bit thin, just try refrigerating it. Mine always thickens up overnight in the fridge. Processing in a bit more olive oil at high speed can thicken it up too, but it’s not as fluffy. In a pinch, you can add some canned cannellini or navy beans you’ve boiled with baking soda. My final trick for last-minute desperation fixes: add a little bit of instant potato flakes (unflavored). They can cover up a lot of thin sauce, soup, gravy and dip issues. Just be sure to amp up the other flavors to compensate!
Kate
I love that this is a go-to recipe for you, Kayce! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Elayne
I have been making hummus for years and could never figure out how to get it this smooth. This is now my very favorite recipe.
Cheryl
First time hummus maker. Followed your very clear directions and turned out some amazing hummus. I will be making this again.
Kate
Great to hear, Cheryl! I appreciate your review.
Avie
***** Oh. My. Word. I have died and gone to Hummus Heaven. Followed recipe exactly, including extra cooking for tinned cp’s. Absolutely astonishing. We can’t stop eating it! THANK YOU xxx
Leanne
Thank you! This is quite possibly the BEST hummus I’ve ever made or eaten for that matter!
Kate
Wonderful to hear!
Ian
First step you don’t indicate whether or not you’re using dried chickpeas or canned chickpeas?
Kate
Hi Ian! See the ingredient list. This recipe calls for canned. I hope you enjoy it!
Noam
This recipe looks amazing, can I use a hand blender if I don’t have a food processor?
Kate
Sure! I hope you love it.
Sarah R
I’ve tried making hummus several times and although delicious it was always rather grainy. This recipe came out super creamy and delicious! Instead of ice water I added a couple ice cubes. I will definitely make this again!
Kate
Great to hear, Sarah! I appreciate your review.
Lara Fiona
This was the best Hummus ever. I would like to make a roasted red pepper hummus too. I was thinking to make this exact hummus and then blend some roasted red pepper so the pepper is a smooth paste and then blend it in with the hummus. Would that work? Or do you recommend to make it a different way with ingredient alterations? Would be so greatful on your thoughts. Thanks
Kate
You could try it. Let me know how it turns out, Lara!
Cathi
Love this recipe, thank you.
Kate
You’re welcome, Cathi!
Jamie
No more store bought hummus for me! This recipe rocks. I’m super picky with hummus (it’s always too thin, too chunky, not enough flavor etc) but this recipe makes an incredible batch each time that lasts for days. I sometimes think of adding some roasted red peppers or pesto to it, but always opt for plain because it’s so good lol. So simple and easy, thank you!!
Pardis
Thank you for the recipe! Is this correct?
½ teaspoon baking soda (if you’re using canned chickpeas)
Or is the baking soda meant to be added if cooking dried chickpeas?
Thank you!
Kate
Hi! Yes for the canned. See the post for more of a description. I hope you love it!
Emily Neilson
About to make this recipe – I thought canned chickpeas were already cooked?
Kate
Hi! You need to make sure they are soft enough to get you the best creamy consistency. I hope you try it!
Bridget
Absolutely love this recipe! The only thing I do different is add ice cubes instead of ice water and a pinch of sumac. Like you, I also add a bit more salt and lemon juice at the end. Excellent!!
Jolie
so, so good. Amazing flavor. I agree with everyone else, so more store bought, ever.
Thank you for all the secrets of this amazing hummus.
Kate
You’re welcome, Jolie! I appreciate your review.
Jojo Elliott
I wanted to make homemade hummus instead of store bought and ran across your recipe. While it was more complicated in the procedural sense, I had all the ingredients at home so I made it and was incredibly pleased with how fabulous it turned out. Thank you for this!
Kate
You’re welcome, Jojo! I appreciate your comment and review.
roger singh
Absolutely perfect – followed steps as written and this is the best hummus,ever! Reduced the liquids – lemon juice and water [very] slightly as can only buy 14oz tins of CP’s in Canada. :)
Kim
Hello! This is the first time I’ve made hummus and I followed all of your special steps. Thank you!!! I am very happy with this texture!! I found the flavour to be very mellow but it’s up to each person to add their own toppings, so I put a dollop of chili garlic sauce on top and it’s so good!! Thank you for all of the little tips!!! This is going in my permanent recipe collection! Peace :)
Teri
This recipe turned out so wonderful that I bought containers and gifted it with crackers to friends for Xmas.
TJ
This recipe was perfect! I made no changes and it was great!
Su
Hello from Australia, just found you – keen to try. Ate shop bought hummus once, never tried again. Would luv to make for Christmas for kids so checked your site for beetroot hummus. Any chance you have this recipe in your repertoire at home. Need something colourful to entice.
Thanks
Monies Lee
Looking fwd to making…when do i add the chickpeas to blender?
Kate
Hi! See step 5. I hope you enjoy it!
julie fannon
Finally smooth creamy hummus. Thank you for the secret. The best!
Elizabeth Ostuni
Great recipe, Thank you sooo much. Question is this recipe freezer friendly?
Kate
Hi! I haven’t tried it. However, I think others have and didn’t mind the results.
Matt
This was delicious… just made this tonight.. I work in NYC and there is a vendor who sells Mediterranean food around the corner from wheee inwork and I never knew hummus could be that good.. all the recipes I tried were always thick mushy and grainy… but this recipe was almost exactly the same….next time I would add a touch less lemon and less water but I was looking to duplicate what I was trying to replicate..also the extra salt mentioned is needed but OMG thank you and my wife thanks you as well!
Kate
You’re welcome, Matt! Thank you for your review.
Netnet
I did the plain hummus tonight Monday, December 19,2022. I agree 100% you have written the best instruction to make hummus. I am a very picky reader and I give credit when credit is due. My husband loved the hummus and we both enjoyed the conversation on how I found your site. I usually read so many recipes first before I would try a recipe. For the first time I found you and was hook from your explanations how you ended up having a delicious hummus. I never look for any other recipe at all. This one is a winner in writing, photography, instructions and healthy recipe. Now I will do each of your suggestion for variety next time. Thank you. Great job. If I may have to give the recipe award tonight, you are it.
Granna
Hi Kate. I have just made a triple amount of this absolutely delish hummus. My four beautiful grandchildren are coming to our farm for Christmas….I can’t wait….and they all loooove hummus with julienned veg. I’m about to sit down with a cuppa and a few crackers…with guess what else? Thank you for such an easy and yummy recipe.
Happy festive season to you and your family from me ‘down under’xx
Rebecca Neal
Omg the best hummus I’ve eaten my first time making it too ! Perfect
GP
Thank you for the recipe and awesome instructions. This is the smoothest hummus I have ever made. Brought it to a party and had many compliments. : )
Patti
I’ve made this numerous times and it is fabulous! Not much tweaking was done, except a little more garlic, which is amazing since I am always changing up recipes.
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Patti! Thank you for your review.
Jessica Boyd
Wow! I’ve finally found the best hummus recipe I’ve ever tried making, and will never buy it again. The texture is so smooth, fluffy, and creamy! I only made one batch, but, now that I know how perfect it is, I’ll be making much more!
I followed the recipe exactly, and topped it off with chopped fresh parsley that I picked from my herb garden, as well as a drizzle of olive oil and a little paprika. I want to experiment with other toppings eventually, but I’m going to savor this classic version a while longer first.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe, and Happy New Year!
Kate
Hooray! I’m excited you enjoyed it, Jessica. I appreciate your review.
Jennifer Gracias
Lovely recipe Kate. Thank you.
Yes, I do soak the chickpeas overnight and I peel the skin off. I add cumin and some pepper powder too while blending.
I add cold water too, to blend the Tahina. I leave some whole chickpeas to garnish.
Jennifer Gracias
Lovely recipe Kate. Thank you.
Yes, I do soak the chickpeas overnight and I peel the skin off. I add cumin and some pepper powder too while blending. I pressure cook the chickpeas, so no use of baking soda was required.
I add cold water too, to blend the Tahina. I leave some whole chickpeas to garnish.
Thom Lanchbery
I should have read the actual recipe part, and not just the ingredients list. Turns out if you add all of this (I think in particular the lemon juice and soda) to a nutribullet and blend it then it will explode with some force when you open it up. Science is painful sometimes.
F Corky
Just made this recipe using Bush’s kick-start Tuscany chickpeas and it is SO GOOD! I drained & boiled the chick peas as directed, reserving the olive oil, tomato & herb sauce they were packed in, then added 2 Tablespoons back in at the end (with extra lemon juice and a touch of salt. Yum!!!!). I love your recipes! Thank you!
Kate
Thank you for sharing! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Katie
I loved the way this hummus turned out! It was creamy and the perfect consistency! I used a ninja blender for it and made the Tahini too (its not hard at all)! Thank you for this great recipe!!!
Kate
Great to hear, Katie! I appreciate your review.
Christine du Plessis
Thanks for the great hummus recipe. I bought a Kenwood food processor to do this, and although it wasn’t that great and my hummus didn’t come out 100% smooth, it is still delicious and there aren’t any hard bits because of your clever suggestion to cook them till soft. The only tahini I could find was from M&S (England) and was disappointingly slightly bitter. I’ll be making my own for the next batch.
Bill
When do you add in the extras, like olives,red peppers, etc? Do you blend altogether so no pieces left, or just fold in after all blending is done?
Uldra
You are right!!
The best recipe for hummus!
I’ve used it many times now, and posted your link in my FB page.
Thank you very much!!!
Kate
You’re welcome, Uldra! I appreciate your review.
Tracey M
I made the hummus and it was AMAZING! I made it as an appetizer for Thanksgiving and my family couldn’t get enough! You rock! T
Aleks
OMG! I just made this and it’s outstanding. So creamy and smooth, and great flavour.
Your advice was CRITICAL – failed attempts in the past omitted the baking soda/skin step and this is truly a game changer. Thank you for outlining the importance of it!
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Aleks! I appreciate your review.
Sue
Hands down the best hummus my family has ever eaten, complete with a lot of mmms, sighs, and eye rolling. This is THE hummus recipe and I can’t wait to try some of the variations suggested. This was so special that we also looked up a authentic way to heat pita bread. Thank you such a wonderful experience! Now I’m off to sign up for your newsletter!
Kathy
I read several recipes for hummus, and I could tell this would be the best. However, most of the recipes added ground cumin, which I did, for depth of flavor, but it’s a matter of taste — there are endless variations, and this is the best basic recipe.
Lisa
Help!
I boiled the canned chickpeas for 25 minutes (put them in cold water and) but they turned grey and smelled like eggs. I threw them out but have another can to try again. What did I do wrong?
I can’t wait to try this recipe but would hate to spoil another batch. Thank you!
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that! You may have had ones that were bad. I haven’t run into the issue.
ML
first time I made this recipe it was delicious since then I find it bitter tasting any guesses what I might be doing or not doing?
Judith Staples
Truly swoon-worthy – I am not buying sad tubs of hummus ever again! This was creamy and delicious. I will attempt to cook the Garbanzos from scratch one day, but I can see making this regularly. Thank you for a great recipe.
Kate
I love to hear that, Judith! Thank you for your review.
Linda
I’m a little confused. After boiling, I have kind of a loose mush of beans and skin. Am I supposed to include the skins in the recipe?
Kate
Hi! No need to remove the skills. You will add them to the processor when stated. I hope you enjoyed it!
Heidi
I had the same question! I’m glad you asked. I picked the skins out last time, next time it will be even easier. Love this recipe!
Kim
Wow!!! Amazingly smooth. I will never go back to store-bought. Now a quest to find a better tahihi here in New Zealand…
Deb
Tastes amazing! Very easy to make, smooth and addicting. I am doubling the batches from now on, it disappeared way too fast. I am going to try making own own tahini next time to save some $. Thanx bunches Kate
Michelle
My daughter made your hummus recipe, it was so good I asked for the recipe. I made it today along with your epic baba ganoush recipe Both absolutely delicious!
Kate
That’s great to hear, Michelle! I appreciate your review.
Teresa
oh my gosh, thanks for testing so many recipes and sharing all these tips, as they are so relavent and helpful!
niki
Thank you for this recipe. It is truly the BEST hummus, and it was super easy to make. Anytime I want to make something lately I check your site first, so many tried and true recipes.
Kate
You’re welcome, Niki! It’s great to hear you keep coming back to the blog.
Fleiler
Best hummus I’ve ever had! I also have Syrian friends who said it was very good, so I consider that a major plus! It disappeared within 10 minutes at a dinner party.
Kate
Hooray! I love to hear that, Fleiler.
Rebecca
Easy and delicious!
Holly PDX
Wow, this was easy and turned out great! I used a blender, accidentally just dumped everything in rather than sequencing it like directed, and doubled it, and it still turned out just fine. So soft and lots of fresh flavor. Plus, a ton cheaper than store bought, and no plastic. Thanks for a great recipe!
Kaitlin
Extremely delish! I especially love the fact that you don’t need to remove the skins of the chickpeas. My favorite hummus, hands down!
Anna Marie Andrie
Such a good tasting Hummus! Found this recipe easy to prep and make. It’s a keeper :)
Lucinda
Excellent recipe! 10 out of 10! If I am using roasted garlic so I still need to wait 10 minutes? It seems that the roasting would mellow the garlic already. What do you think?
Kate
Great to hear, Lucinda!
Janice
I have made this recipe many times and it always turns out great and of course, delicious! I like to add the roasted red peppers at the end.
YUMMY!!
Linden
Thank you for this fabulous recipe. I had just cooked chickpeas and went looking for a recipe to make sure the balance was right. I found yours. So cooked the amount of chick peas for another 20 minutes with baking soda and followed the recipe exactly. OH MY GOODNESS!!! so creamy and just need to balance the salt. THANK YOU
Kate
You’re welcome, Linden! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Candace Hopkins
Soom is 70 bucks. Wow. Out of stock too. Very interesting though!
TYVM!
Erica Northwood
Delicious thank you !!!
Kate
You’re welcome, Erica!
Deneen
OH.MY.GAWD.!…….
EASY PEASY
DELICIOUS!
I will NEVER buy hummus EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!
SOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!!
Kate
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Deneen.
Mary Jane Davis
This is my favorite hummus recipe! Cooking the canned chickpeas makes a real difference in the creamy texture. The ice water really does make it become light. Letting the garlic steep in the lemon juice cuts the bitterness. Those three tips are golden!! Rather than a food processor I use a Vitamix blender. I also make my own tahini. Messy but pays off in depth of flavor.
Missy
Fabulous!
Cristina
OMG! This truly is the best hummus recipe I’ve tried so far and I think boiling the canned chickpeas really is the key. I live in China and Tahini is not so readily available but they have this amazing sauce that it’s used for eating hotpot which is a mix of toasted sesame seeds and peanuts and this was glorious! I also used a mix of lemon juice and lime juice since I like my hummus quite lemony, added a dash of paprika and voila, best hummus ever!
Kate
Great to hear you enjoyed it, Cristina!
Nancy Keyes
I love your recipes and knew this would be great, BUT, it is so superb I doubt it will make it to cocktail hour, as intended. I am not fond of raw “sharp” garlic which ruins hummus for me. The garlic and lemon together took that sharpness away and I believe that and the mushy chickpeas made this dish. I added a little Tabasco, too. 10 stars! Sharing on my FB for all of my foodie friends.
Stephanie
Perfect! I made it exactly as the recipe said.
Kate
Great to hear, Stephanie!
d
What’s the point of adding baking soda if it’s going to be neutrilized by the lemon juice
Kate
Hi! See the post for details. It helps get everything to an even creamy consistency.
Jim
This is delicious…I really wasn’t expecting that, after attempting a few other failed hummus recipes I’d almost given up. I’ll be making this often, thanks!
Kate
I’m glad you tried this one, Jim! I appreciate your review.
Sully
This really is The Best Hummus! I was never a fan of hummus, until this!! Easy to make and totally yummy. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Mary Ann
Hummus is one of my favorite foods but I’ve never made it before. I just didn’t know how much better it would be but it’s so delicious! A little extra work to cook the chickpeas but so worth it. And I’m with you – extra lemon, please! Thank you for the great recipe – a keeper for sure!
Deb
This is a game changer for me! I’ve been dissatisfied with the lack of smoothness in my hummus but no way am I willing to peel chickpeas. This method really delivered — thank you!
John Harris
Excellent hummus recipe! So easy. I added cayenne for a little kick. I made 20oz for about $1.75 vs $5.00 for 16oz at my low end grocery store. Plus I get to customize it!
EmKay
KATE! GIRL! This hummus! I cannot even. For YEARS I have been trying to find the perfect hummus recipe and for years I have been disappointed. I didn’t even have the right tahini (although mine comes from Lebanon and I have to say it’s pretty darn good), but this recipe, these tips… I cannot even tell you. This is so good, I saved some for my husband to try when he gets home from work. That’s saying something, because this is some good hummus. ;-) Thank you thank you thank you thank you… tonight I shall go to sleep and dream of doing the backstroke in a vat of this beautiful stuff!
Kate
I’m delighted you loved this recipe!
Melissa
I have tried a lot of hummus recipes that were good, but this is by far the BEST hummus I have ever made!!
Janice
Delicious hummus, BUT, in my experience, the quality of the tahini does “make or break” it.
Vaul Martin Jr
Just tried this recipe today; the texture is silky and the flavor is perfect! Thank you for sharing the boiling in baking soda technique because I never would have thought THAT would be the secret to velvety hummus.
Kate
I’m happy you think so, Vaul! I appreciate your review.
JERRY KEMPFER
I have made this several times, and it always turns out perfect. I wish I could take the credit for all of the compliments I get, but instead, I forward this recipe to everyone. Thanks for sharing
Kate
That’s great to hear, Jerry! Thank you for your review.
CarolB
Spectacular. As delicious as Michael Solomov’s hummus, with the ease of using canned chickpeas. The schug on top added just the right notes. Full disclosure, I did use a stove top pressure cooker. Luckily the mushy garbanzo beans pureed beautifully into a silken mixture. I think your shortcut was pure genius!
Toni Caldwell
This is the best hummus recipe I’ve ever tried. I didn’t have tahini so I just added about 1/2 tsp of sesame oil. I also used pink Himalayan salt and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. It was sooo good. Just the right amount of everything. It’s addicting. Thank you for your recipe.
Holly
Which Soom tahini product do you use before I order it from Amazon
( regular vs organic, not sure what unflavored tahini but that is a option also)
Thanks
Kate
I prefer organic, but which ever one you feel like will work for you!
Lisa
This was an amazing recipe!! I’m very excited to make it again! I was just wondering how long you have seen this hummus last?
Kate
Thank you, Lisa!
David
Excellent recipe, one tip, in the last stage of blending the hummus add some bean water(aqua fava), either from the can or cooking water, with the processor running. It will cause the hummus to fluff up, turn whiter and become much lighter. Aqua fava is a trick used by bartenders as a egg white substitute and froths up nicely.
Cecily
Absolutely delicious and creamy, such a great recipe. I took it to another lemony level by using Meyer Lemon olive oil. YUM!
Sherryn Adair
Kate, I’m a die hard Ottolenghi hummus fan, and I make my chickpeas from dried. I’ve been pretty proud of myself but this recipe was a “game changer” as they say. This was incredibly easy and 10 times tastier. Thanks so much for saving the day…once again! Love your blog and default to it always when in search of a particular recipe!
D. Tabor
I found rinsing beans beforehand and boiling in plain water made the hummus flavorless. So I cooked the beans in the liquid in the can with a lil extra H2O to cover and a tad of baking soda. Then drained but dod not rinse beans afterwards. Delicious!
Marilyn Berg
My granddaughter(the hummus expert)
dipped her corn chip and said “ oh Nonna, this is really good hummus.”
Thank you for another great recipe.
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Marilyn!
Tina
Absolutely the best hummus I’ve ever had!! Boiling the chick peas is a game changer. Thank you!!!
Rebecca
I made it, I ate it, now I can’t stop thinking about it. So yummy, thank you!
Kathryn Young
This is the best hummus I have ever made. Thank you so much for sharing
Karen
Baking soda was the trick. This recipe is wonderful. I added the sun dried tomatoes and it is packed full of flavor and very creamy!
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for your review, Karen.
CRIS HUAMAN
I have used this recipe about 5 times and everyone that has tried it, loves it!! I added roasted red peppers on my last try and it turned out great!
Kate
I love to hear that, Cris! Thank you for your review.
Melissa Mannering
This recipe is hands down the most well thought and researched easy hummus recipe, the tips and tweaks are perfect. So easy, it was still warm when I served. Perfection ♥️
Kate
Great to hear, Melissa!
Charlene
Hi Kate, all the way from Zimbabwe! I tried this recipe and it was fantastic, it finished in one day!
Any idea what shelf life is for it? Also how to store it for longevity?
Kate
Hi! See the last step – Leftover hummus keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
Natalie
Omg!! This is the trick. Best hummus ever!
Kate
Great to hear, Natalie!
Natalie
Omg!! This is the trick. Best hummus ever! Thank you. Love it.
JENNIFER GULIZIA
This is by far the best hummus recipe I’ve tried. Our family loves it. We now make it every week to have on hand for snacks. Soaking the garbanzo beans in the baking soda makes a huge difference.
Kate
I’m glad you love it, Jennifer! I appreciate your review.
Julie
This is the best hummus! The first time I made it, my adult son gave me a hard time about the tahini. He quieted down rather quickly once he tried it. We are all hooked! Thank you so much!
Kate
Great to hear, Julie!
Diane
I have made several hummus recipes, but I can honestly say this is the creamiest and the best flavor I have made. I love the cooked chickpeas. Thank you!
Kate
Great to hear, Diane!