Properly Smooth Hummus

Name: Properly Smooth Hummus
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tins (800 g) chickpeas; 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 120 g tahini; 2 lemons, juiced; 2 cloves garlic; 1 tsp ground cumin; 3 tbsp olive oil

Chickpeas simmered a few minutes longer than seems necessary, then blended with tahini and ice water until pale and whipped. Fifteen minutes.

VeganNo-bake

A shallow bowl of pale, very smooth hummus swirled into a well with a pool of olive oil, dusted with cumin and a few whole chickpeas on top.

Servings: 6
Total time: 15 min
Hands-on: 15 min

What you need

Food processor or powerful blender
Small saucepan

Ingredients

2 tins (800 g)chickpeas— drained — about 480 g; keep 4 tbsp of the liquid
1/2 tspbicarbonate of soda
120 gtahini— runny, well stirred — this is where the quality shows
2lemons, juiced
2 clovesgarlic
1 tspground cumin
3 tbspolive oil— to serve, not to blend

How to make it

Simmer the drained chickpeas with the bicarbonate of soda in fresh water for 10 minutes until they are falling apart and some skins have floated free. Skim the skins off. Tinned chickpeas are already cooked, but the extra minutes with the bicarbonate break down the skins, and the skins are the only reason home hummus comes out grainy.
Blend the garlic with the lemon juice first and let it stand for 2 minutes, then strain the garlic out. Raw garlic blended straight into hummus turns harsh and hot by the next day; infusing it in acid gives you the flavour without the burn.
Add the drained warm chickpeas, the tahini, cumin and a heavy pinch of salt and blend for a full 3 minutes. It will look thick and ugly for the first two — keep going.
With the motor running, trickle in 4–6 tablespoons of ice-cold water until it turns noticeably paler and starts to look whipped. Cold water is the trick: it emulsifies the tahini and lightens the colour, and warm water does not do the same thing.
Taste for salt and lemon, spread it into a bowl with the back of a spoon to make a well, and pour the olive oil into it.

Per serving, roughly

Energy: ~310 kcal
Protein: ~10 g
Carbs: ~17 g
Fat: ~19 g

These are estimates calculated from standard ingredient values. Your numbers will shift with the exact products you buy and with how generously you fill the plate — oil, sauces and cheese move them the most.

Variations

Roasted red pepper

Blend in 150 g of drained roasted peppers from a jar. About 10 kcal more per portion, much sweeter, and it goes a deep orange.

Higher protein snack

Serve 80 g with raw vegetables and 100 g of skyr alongside instead of bread. The plate lands at roughly 20 g of protein rather than 10.

Coach's tip

A snack with real fat and fibre rather than a sugar spike, and it keeps five days. Watch the portion: hummus is easy to eat half a bowl of standing at the counter, and 80 g is 310 calories. Weigh it out onto a plate with vegetables and the problem disappears.

More recipes

Other recipes worth a place in your week.

BreakfastSmashed White Bean & Avocado ToastCannellini beans crushed with lemon, garlic and olive oil, spread thick under avocado and chilli on toasted rye. Ten minutes, no cooking.SnacksSmoky Roasted ChickpeasChickpeas dried hard, roasted until they rattle in the tin and tossed in smoked paprika and cumin only after they come out. A savoury snack, not crisps.MealsMediterranean Chickpea SaladChickpeas, tomato, cucumber and olives with far more herbs than looks sensible and a lemon dressing sharp enough to carry them. No cooking at all.

General information only, not medical or nutritional advice. If you have a health condition, an allergy, or specific dietary needs, talk to a qualified professional.

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