Hummus with Chickpeas and Tahini

Basic recipe for hummus with a number of variations — here with chickpeas and tahini.

Hummus: Hummus is a Levantine dip or spread made from chickpeas. There are variations that use beans, and some recipes also contain any one of a wide range of vegetables.
The name “hummus” comes from the Arabic word for “chickpeas.” The recipe presented here is likely the most common type of hummus and can serve as a base for your own creations.

Hummus in Middle Eastern cuisine: In Middle Eastern cuisine, hummus is usually one component of a meal (often a starter) that consists of many smaller dishes. It is ideal as a dip (e.g., for vegetable sticks) and is also often used as a filling, for example, for flat bread.

Information about chickpeas: With an average of 20 g protein per 100 g, chickpeas are very high in protein and therefore a good addition to vegetables. Chickpeas (like many other legumes) are usually available in stores either dried or precooked (canned). While the canned version is of course more convenient and time-efficient, dried chickpeas that you have to cook yourself have a much better taste. And when you cook them at home, you can decide how firm you want them to be (canned chickpeas are often very soft, sometimes even mushy). In addition, canned foods often contain unnecessary additives or are already salted. It is therefore best to use the unprocessed version whenever possible.

Buying canned chickpeas: If you are going to make the quick version, then make sure to buy organic chickpeas. These are often processed more gently, and most importantly they usually contain very few or no additives at all. And it is even better to buy organic chickpeas in glass jars (organic brands often choose glass jars). These do not contain any aluminum or BPA (bisphenol A) and are more environmentally friendly.

Using dried chickpeas: The cooking time required depends on how the chickpeas have been stored and for how long. If the chickpeas have been stored for longer periods of time or at warmer temperatures (at home or the grocery store), they will need to be soaked and/or cooked for longer. Unfortunately, since you can never be sure of all of the variables, you should plan in extra time to prepare the chickpeas. Although the package directions say to cook the chickpeas for 1 hour, it can very well take 2–3 hours.

Salting: If at all, you should only add salt at the end of the cooking time, when the chickpeas are already soft. Chickpeas cook much more slowly in salted water. (You should also keep this in mind before adding soup broth as it usually contains salt.)

Serving: This fresh hummus tastes particularly good served warm with bread or hot dishes.

Possible uses: Use the hummus as a dip for fresh vegetable sticks and apple slices, as a filling for flat bread and wraps, or as a side dish with potatoes.

Quick variation: If you don’t have much time, you can also use canned chickpeas. But as explained in the Notes, this can make a big difference in terms of taste. And in the long term, it is quite a bit more expensive to buy canned goods.

Include vegetables: It is also quite delicious to add cooked or roasted vegetables to the hummus before blending. For example, the following are good choices: carrots, sweet potatoes, red bell peppers, pumpkin, eggplant, or red beets. If you make hummus on a regular basis, this is a way to add a little variety.

Eggplant Hummus: The following link will take you to our recipe for Eggplant Hummus.