Hummus with Canned Chickpeas

Method6 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Use the canned-chickpea (2 cans) route: drain and rinse both 15 oz cans of chickpeas. Put all the drained chickpeas in a medium pot and add enough of the simmering water to cover them. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, until very soft.

   Soften the canned chickpeas · 20 minUses 2 cans chickpeas, 15 oz each, drained and rinsed · Water, for rinsing the chickpeas and any loosened skins · Water, enough to cover the drained chickpeas while simmering

2. 2

   Step 2: Remove the pot from the heat. For a smoother dip, stir the optional 1½ tsp baking soda into the chickpeas and hot cooking water and leave for a few minutes until the skins loosen. Drain, discarding that water. Rub handfuls gently under running rinsing water and discard the loosened skins; if skipping peeling, simply drain and rinse. Dry the chickpeas on a clean towel and let them cool before blending. If using a chickpea garnish, set aside 1–2 tbsp from this prepared batch.

   Uses Soft simmered chickpeas and cooking water · 1½ tsp baking soda, only if peeling the chickpeas · Water, for rinsing the chickpeas and any loosened skins

3. 3

   Step 3: Put all the cooled prepared chickpeas except any reserved garnish in the food processor with the 1–2 minced garlic cloves. Process until a smooth, powder-like paste forms.

   Uses Cooled drained chickpeas remaining after optional garnish reserve · 1–2 garlic cloves, finely minced

4. 4

   Step 4: With the processor running, add the 2 ice cubes, ⅓ cup tahini paste, ½ tsp salt and juice of 1 lemon. Blend for about 4–5 minutes until silky smooth. If too thick, add only as much of the separate thinning water as needed, 1 tbsp at a time, blending between additions.

   Uses Chickpea and garlic paste · 2 ice cubes · ⅓ cup plain sesame tahini paste · ½ tsp kosher salt · Juice of 1 lemon · Water, only as needed to thin the hummus, added 1 tbsp at a time

5. 5

   Step 5: Optional: cover the finished hummus and refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving. Skip this chill if serving it straight after blending; keep the reserved chickpea garnish covered in the refrigerator while waiting.

   Optional hummus chill · 60 minUses Finished blended hummus · Optional reserved 1–2 tbsp cooled chickpeas

6. 6

   Step 6: Spoon the hummus onto a platter, using either the freshly blended dip or the optionally chilled dip. Drizzle generously with the serving olive oil and add the reserved 1–2 tbsp chickpeas only if set aside. Sprinkle with optional sumac and serve as eight small appetizer portions. Keep unserved dip and garnish refrigerated.

   Uses Freshly blended hummus if optional chill was skipped · Chilled hummus, only if the optional chill was chosen · Reserved 1–2 tbsp chickpeas, if set aside · Extra virgin olive oil, such as Arbequina, for a generous serving drizzle · Sumac, optional, to sprinkle over the dip