Best Smooth Hummus

This hummus recipe is a lot of work compared to a blend-and-serve recipe, but it’s absolutely worth it for the smoothest, best hummus you’ve maybe ever had.

Make sure to read the steps and ingredients in advance!

Best Smooth Hummus

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Keyword: Dry Beans
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 329kcal

Equipment

  • Dutch oven
  • Small food processor
  • Large food processor

Ingredients

For Lemon-Tahini Paste:

  • 1 whole head garlic broken into individual unpeeled cloves (about 20 cloves)
  • 160 ml fresh juice from 3 to 4 lemons
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 300 g tahini paste

For Hummus:

  • 225 g dried chickpeas
  • 1 tsp baking soda divided
  • 1 small onion split in half
  • 1 small stalk celery
  • 1 small carrot
  • 2 medium cloves garlic
  • 2 bay leaves

For Serving:

  • Extra-virgin olive oil for serving
  • Za’atar paprika, whole warmed chickpeas, and/or chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Instructions

For Chickpeas:

  • Combine the ½ pound of dried chickpeas and 1 tsp baking soda in a large dutch oven and cover with 2 quarts water. Stir to dissolve baking soda.
    225 g dried chickpeas, 1 tsp baking soda
  • For the next steps, add these ingredients as you prep them. Peel and split the onion in half. Clean and cut the celery stalk into a few very large chunks. Clean and peel the carrot, and then cut into a few very large chunks. Add the 2 garlic cloves and 2 bay leaves to a spice bag.
    1 small onion, 1 small stalk celery, 1 small carrot, 2 medium cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves
  • Pre-heat the oven to 275ºF.
  • Heat the dutch oven on high, with cover on, until it is rapidly boiling. Place in the oven and set a timer for 60 minutes. Check to make sure the water hasn’t cooked down too much, and that the beans are expanding and softening. You will likely need to cook for 2 to 3 hours, so keep checking every 30 minutes. When done, the beans should be completely tender, to the point of falling apart. The beans must be fully submerged at all times. If they’re not, add some warm water.

For Lemon-Tahini Paste:

  • While that cooks, make the lemon-tahini paste. Break the head of garlic into cloves, but leave the skin on. Juice the lemons until you have ⅔ cup (160 ml) lemon juice. Combine the cloves and lemon juice in a small food processor. Pulse until a pulpy puree is formed, about 15 short pulses. Transfer to a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Press out as much liquid as you can with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula, then discard the solids.
    1 whole head garlic, 160 ml fresh juice
  • Add ½ tsp cumin and 1 cup (300g) tahini paste to the lemon/garlic juice and whisk to combine. The mixture will seize up and turn pasty. Add very cold water a few tablespoons at a time, whisking in between each addition, until a smooth, light sauce is formed. The tahini sauce should very slowly lose its shape if you let ribbons of it drop from the whisk into the bowl. Season with a little bit of salt and mix. Refrigerate until the beans are done.
    ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 300 g tahini paste

Back to the Chickpeas:

  • When done, discard the onion halves, celery, carrot, garlic and bay leaves. Reserving the cooking liquid, transfer the chickpeas, while still warm, to a large food processor with just a tiny bit of the cooking liquid.
  • The total processing time should be about 2 minutes. While processing, you may want to stop to use a spatula to move the ingredients down and around. You also may want to add some of the cooking liquid.
  • Transfer hot chickpea mixture to a large bowl. Whisk in tahini sauce. Whisk in salt to taste. Transfer to a sealed container and allow to cool to room temperature. It should thicken up until it can hold its shape when spooned onto a plate.
  • Serve hummus on a wide, shallow plate, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with za’atar, paprika, whole warm chickpeas, and/or chopped parsley. Leftover hummus can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
    Extra-virgin olive oil, Za’atar

Notes

Makes about 8 servings

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 48IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition Facts
Best Smooth Hummus
Amount Per Serving
Calories 329 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 157mg7%
Potassium 441mg13%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 48IU1%
Vitamin C 10mg12%
Calcium 85mg9%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.