There’s something irresistible about truly excellent hummus. Not the supermarket tubs, but the silky, freshly made hummus from an authentic Middle Eastern kitchen. I’m thrilled to have adapted Yotam Ottolenghi’s Basic But Delicious Hummus — a recipe that delivers that same creamy, flavorful result at home.
Our love of great hummus began years ago with Mamoun’s in Hoboken, NJ. While our son and his family lived there, we’d visit frequently and always took home containers of their hummus to share. That experience set the bar — and inspired me to try making hummus from scratch.
I turned to Ottolenghi (and co-author Sami Tamimi) and their recipe from Jerusalem: A Cookbook. With just a few small adjustments, their approach produces the creamiest, most balanced hummus I’ve tried.
No canned chickpeas here.
- Start with dried chickpeas and soak them overnight.
- Watch how much they plump up after soaking.
The key is the extra step that loosens the chickpea skins: after draining, toss the chickpeas with baking soda and give them a quick, high-heat sauté. Stir continuously for about three minutes — you’ll see the skins begin to loosen, which helps achieve a silkier final texture.
- Drain the soaked chickpeas.
- Place a medium saucepan over high heat.
- Add the chickpeas and baking soda and cook, stirring constantly, for about three minutes.
- Add water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer about 20 minutes, skimming foam and any loose skins.
- Depending on chickpea type and age, cooking may take a little longer. They should end up very tender — almost falling apart when pressed.
- Drain the cooked chickpeas; you should have about 3 2/3 cups (600 g).
- Process the chickpeas in a food processor until they form a stiff paste.
- With the machine running, add tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
- Slowly drizzle in ice-cold water and process for about five minutes until very smooth and creamy.
Because this recipe is tahini-forward, quality matters. A light, creamy, well-balanced tahini will enhance the hummus without bitterness. I use a smooth, mild tahini for the best result.
At this point, Ottolenghi’s Basic But Delicious Hummus is nearly ready to enjoy.
- Transfer hummus to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface.
- Let it rest at least 30 minutes; refrigerate if not serving immediately.
- Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving for best texture and flavor.
- Hummus will keep up to three days in the refrigerator; it can also be frozen, though texture may change slightly.
Finish simply with a generous drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and serve with warm pita, crusty bread, or fresh vegetables.
You can customize the hummus when serving:
- Top with roasted chickpeas for crunch.
- Add ground cumin for a warmer, earthier note.
- Adjust lemon and tahini to taste.
- Garnish with roasted peppers or eggplant for a composed dip.
For my serving, I simply topped the hummus with a generous layer of extra virgin olive oil and warmed pita.
ottolenghi’s basic but delicious hummus
Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi’s recipe featured in Jerusalem: A Cookbook
Super smooth and creamy, rich in tahini.
10 minutes
30 minutes
8 hours
40 minutes
8 servings
Rosemary Stelmach
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup dried chickpeas (250 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light tahini paste (270 g)
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 1/2 tablespoons ice-cold water
Instructions
- The night before, place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water (at least twice their volume). Soak overnight.
- Drain the chickpeas. In a medium saucepan over high heat, add the drained chickpeas and baking soda. Cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer about 20 minutes, skimming foam and any skins that surface. Cook until the chickpeas are very tender and nearly falling apart when pressed.
- Drain the chickpeas — you should have roughly 3 2/3 cups (600 g). Process them in a food processor until a stiff paste forms. With the machine running, add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Slowly drizzle in the ice water and process for a full five minutes until the mixture is very smooth and creamy.
- Transfer the hummus to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Let rest at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate if not using immediately and remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.
- To serve, optionally top with a generous drizzle of good olive oil. Keeps up to three days in the refrigerator.
Disclosure: Some product mentions in the original text were affiliate recommendations. I recommend quality ingredients because they noticeably improve the final result.
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