Hummus from Dry Beans

Hummus and Red Peppers

Hummus is one of my favorite foods and one I really enjoying making from dry beans. It wasn’t always this way. I made many hummus recipes that failed miserably before I found a combination that had the consistency and flavor I enjoy. I also really like this recipe because it is lower in fat that most hummus recipes. I use only a little tahini and I don’t add any olive oil at all.

I have learned that there are two tricks to creating good hummus.

1. Baking soda

2. The saved liquid from the boiled chickpeas

You are probably wondering, why would anyone use baking soda in hummus? You don’t bake anything. The baking soda should go in with the hummus when you are soaking the chickpeas. This helps soften the chickpeas overnight.  

Below is the recipe to my most successful hummus! I use this recipe over and over again. I share it with friends who have be equally as stumped when trying to make their own hummus.

Recipe

1.   2 ½ cups of dry chick peas

2. 1 teaspoon of baking powder

3.  1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

4. 1/3 cup tahini

5. 1/3 cup lemon juice

6.  1 cup of the chick pea water (see method step 5)

7. 2-3 cloves of garlic

8. 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

9. 1 teaspoon paprika

10.      ¼ teaspoon cumin

11.  1 teaspoon salt

12.   1 teaspoon black pepper

Method

1.   Rinse the dry chickpeas and look for any rocks or bad beans mixed in with the beans.

2.  Soak the chickpeas in 8 cups of water overnight (or for 8 hours) with 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

3. Drain the water and rinse the chickpeas.

4. Place the chickpeas in a pot of water on the stove and bring them to a boil for 5 minutes. Bring the pot down to medium-low heat (a little more than a simmer) for 1 hour or until the chickpeas are smooth and creamy when pressed between two fingers. There should be no starchiness to the texture. If the bean is crumbly when pressed between two fingers, they are not done yet. This is the hardest part; I used to always think I overcooked the beans because they would be crumbly. Just be patient and eventually you will get the right consistency!

5. When the chickpeas are done, place a bowl underneath your colander to catch the liquid from the boiled chick peas (catch about 1 ½ cups and let the rest go down the sink.  

6. Place the chickpeas (it will yield about 5 cups) into a food processor. Blend until there aren’t any whole chickpeas left.  

7. Add the lemon and tahini first along with ½ cup of the chickpea water. Blend together.

8. Slowly add the next ½ cup of the chickpea water until you have your desired consistency. For me, it is usually 1 cup exactly

9.  Now that you have your desired consistency, it is time to flavor your hummus!

10. Add the vinegar, garlic, paprika, cayenne, cumin, salt, and black pepper to your liking. The recipe measurements above are my favorite combination, but don’t be afraid to change them!

11. Enjoy with veggies, on a greek pizza, or in a falafel! 

A variation of Greek Pizza