Homemade Hummus | My Table

1½ cups cooked chickpeas (1 can drained, or ½ cup dried, cooked)
½ tsp baking soda
⅔ cup good tahini, well-stirred
juice of 1–2 lemons (start with 1)
1 small garlic clove (grated, or see the note to tame it)
¾ tsp salt · ½ tsp cumin
3–4 Tbsp ice water
to serve: olive oil, paprika or sumac, parsley, a few whole chickpeas

What you need

1½ cups cooked chickpeas (1 can drained, or ½ cup dried, cooked)

½ tsp baking soda

⅔ cup good tahini, well-stirred

juice of 1–2 lemons (start with 1)

1 small garlic clove (grated, or see the note to tame it)

¾ tsp salt · ½ tsp cumin

3–4 Tbsp ice water

to serve: olive oil, paprika or sumac, parsley, a few whole chickpeas

Cook them soft with baking soda. Put the chickpeas (canned is fine) in a pot with the baking soda and water to cover, and simmer until very soft and falling apart — ~20 min for canned, longer for dried. They should smush easily between two fingers.
Slip the skins off. Drain and rinse under cool water, rubbing with your hands — the loosened skins float off. You won't get every one; get most. This is the single biggest step toward smooth.
Whip the tahini & lemon first. In the processor, blend the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and cumin alone — it'll seize thick and pale. That's right; it's emulsifying. Scrape down.
Add chickpeas & blend long. Add the peeled chickpeas and blend a full 2–3 minutes, scraping down — longer than feels necessary. Real time in the processor is what makes it whipped, not just mixed.
Stream in ice water. With the motor running, drizzle in the ice water a spoon at a time until it turns pale, glossy, and fluffy — looser than you think (it firms up chilled). Taste and adjust lemon and salt.
Plate it. Spread in a bowl with the back of a spoon into a swoosh, pool good olive oil in the well, dust with paprika or sumac, and scatter parsley and a few reserved whole chickpeas.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Cook them soft with baking soda. Put the chickpeas (canned is fine) in a pot with the baking soda and water to cover, and simmer until very soft and falling apart — ~20 min for canned, longer for dried. They should smush easily between two fingers.

2. Slip the skins off. Drain and rinse under cool water, rubbing with your hands — the loosened skins float off. You won't get every one; get most. This is the single biggest step toward smooth.

3. Whip the tahini & lemon first. In the processor, blend the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and cumin alone — it'll seize thick and pale. That's right; it's emulsifying. Scrape down.

4. Add chickpeas & blend long. Add the peeled chickpeas and blend a full 2–3 minutes, scraping down — longer than feels necessary. Real time in the processor is what makes it whipped, not just mixed.

5. Stream in ice water. With the motor running, drizzle in the ice water a spoon at a time until it turns pale, glossy, and fluffy — looser than you think (it firms up chilled). Taste and adjust lemon and salt.

6. Plate it. Spread in a bowl with the back of a spoon into a swoosh, pool good olive oil in the well, dust with paprika or sumac, and scatter parsley and a few reserved whole chickpeas.