Smooth Hummus with Canned Chickpeas
Silky, smooth hummus from a can of chickpeas in 30 minutes: a quick simmer with baking soda, plenty of tahini and ice water whipped in.
33% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 10 min
- Cooking
- 20 min
- Serves
- 6
- Calories
- 160
- Protein
- 5 g
- Per serving
- $0.67
Why this recipe works
Homemade hummus should be smooth, nutty and lemony, not the stiff, grainy paste many quick recipes make. The two habits that fix it, a short simmer and more tahini than you would expect, add only about 15 minutes.
- Simmering canned chickpeas with a little baking soda softens them and loosens the skins, which is where grainy hummus comes from, without peeling a single chickpea.
- Whipping the tahini with lemon juice before the chickpeas go in makes a thick, creamy base that the beans blend into smoothly.
- Ice water added while the processor runs makes the hummus lighter and fluffier than oil does, and keeps the flavor clean.
Ingredients
To serve
You will need
- Food processor
- Small saucepan
- Fine-mesh sieve
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Simmer the chickpeas
Put the chickpeas and baking soda in a small saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are very soft and smash easily, and loose skins float up. Drain in a sieve and rinse well with cold water.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Mellow the garlic
While they simmer, put the lemon juice, garlic and salt in the food processor and pulse a few times. Leave for 10 minutes; the lemon takes the harsh edge off the raw garlic.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Whip the tahini
Add the tahini and cumin and process for 1 minute, scraping down once, until the mixture is thick, pale and creamy. If it seizes into a paste, that's normal; it loosens later.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Blend until silky
Add the chickpeas and process for 1 minute. With the machine running, drizzle in the ice water a tablespoon at a time and keep going for 2 to 3 minutes more, until very smooth and fluffy. Taste and add more salt or lemon.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Serve
Spread in a shallow bowl, make a swirl with the back of a spoon, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika or sumac. Serve with warm pita and vegetables.
AI-generated illustration of this step.
Techniques in this recipe
Rolling boil: too hard for most sauces Simmer: small, gentle bubbles Simmer, don't boil
A boil has big, rolling bubbles; a simmer has small bubbles that break gently. Most sauces, soups and stews want a simmer.
Read the full guide
Cook's notes
- Blend longer than feels necessary. Most grainy hummus simply wasn't processed long enough; 4 to 5 minutes in total is normal.
- Tahini varies a lot. Stir the jar well so the oil isn't sitting on top, and if it tastes bitter on its own, it will taste bitter in the hummus.
- Rinse the chickpeas well after simmering, or the baking soda leaves a soapy taste.
Nutrition per serving
160 calories
$0.67 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 12% of calories | 5 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 30% of calories | 13 g |
| Fat | 58% of calories | 11 g |
| Fiber | 4 g | |
| Sodium | 320 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
How do you make hummus smooth?
Simmer canned chickpeas with baking soda until very soft, whip the tahini with lemon first, and blend with ice water for several minutes. Together these get it silky without peeling the chickpeas.
Can you make hummus without tahini?
You can, using olive oil or a spoonful of Greek yogurt instead, but it tastes more like a chickpea dip. Tahini gives hummus its nutty flavor and creamy body.
How long does homemade hummus last?
Up to 5 days in a covered container in the fridge. Smooth a thin layer of olive oil over the top to keep it from drying out.
