Super Creamy Hummus

Three years ago I posted about how easy hummus is to make.

And it certainly is easy to make “good” hummus.  A can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans, ceci) a little tahini, olive oil, garlic,  lemon juice and you can whip up tasty snack in just a few minutes.

Yet sometimes  “good” is not good enough.  Sometimes you want something more. I’d read that super smooth hummus is possible, and there is a trick to it.

Yes it’s possible, all you have to do is peel the beans. To peel cooked chickpeas pick them up with your thumb, index and middle fingers and gently squeeze, the beans will slip out of their skins, leaving a naked bean.

Repeat a gajillion times.

Peeling beans might seem tedious, but I’m the guy who once peeled 4 lbs of garlic. However that’s not the trick part.

Baking Soda is useful in softening the beans and also reducing cooking times.

There are a few techniques for adding the baking soda, you can add it to the soaking water, or you can  add a little to the cooking water. I’ve read that it can add a soapy taste or decrease the nutritional value of the beans but I’m not making Hummus because it’s healthy, I’m making it because it tastes so good.

The resulting hummus is super smooth, and creamy, deserving of homemade flatbread and your best olive oil.

Here’s what I did

Creamy Hummus

2 cups (500 ml) dried chick peas
Water for soaking and cooking
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) baking soda
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves Garlic Conserva or 3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) Tahini
3 Tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil plus more for garnish
1/4 cup (60 ml) ice water
Paprika for garnish
Cook the beans

1. Sort through dry beans and discard any broken or discolored beans
2. Rinse beans then drain
3. Put beans in a large pot and add enough water to cover by 3 inches
4. Add 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) of baking soda, stir and let rest for 8 hours or over night
5. After soaking, drain, rinse beans, drain again
6. Add water to pot to cover beans by several inches
7. Bring pot with water and beans to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Skim off any foam that might occur at the beginning of the cook
8. When beans are cooked, drain them into a colander and allow to cool enough to handle
9. Peel the beans as described above, you’ll end up with a pot of peeled beans and a pile of skins

 

Assemble the Hummus!

1. Add the beans and tahini to a food processor
2. Process for a minute or so, stopping to scrape down sides of processor if need be
3. Add lemon juice, salt, olive oil and garlic, process for another 2 minutes
4. With the processor running add ice water through the feed tube a little at a time until the desired consistency is achieved
5. Garnish with a dusting of paprika and a drizzle of your best olive oil
6. Serve with Pita, or any flat bread or crudités.
   
   Sure it takes a little time, but the results are well worth it!

   Until next time Eat Well & Keep Digging!