This recipe is the superstar of any culinary tour in Israel. Although you can use canned chickpeas, if you want to make authentic hummus you must start with dried chickpeas. It takes a little bit of forethought, but not that much more work, and it's worth it.
Ingredients
HUMMUS
2 cups dried chickpeas
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into quarters
5 cloves garlic
1 bunch fresh parsley (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin (optional)
4-5 tablespoons tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt
Olive oil
Paprika
Coarsely chopped parsley leaves
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GREEN HUMMUS VARIATION
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
Directions
- Put the chickpeas in a large bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. Change the soaking water at least once.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, put in a large pot and cover with plenty of cold water. Add the onion and garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer until the chickpeas are tender, 2 to 3 hours. (Alternately, cook in a pressure cooker for at least 1 1/2 hours after it starts to boil.) Add the parsley and cumin to the cooking water if you like.
- Drain the chickpeas and remove the herbs, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
- Set aside 1/4 cup of the chickpeas. Grind the remaining chickpeas along with the cooked onion and garlic in food processor or hand blender.
- Gradually add tahini, lemon juice, and salt until you have a smooth, uniform paste. Slowly pour in reserved chickpea liquid until the desired consistency is reached.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Pour into a bowl and serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil, the reserved chickpeas, paprika, and coarsely chopped parsley leaves.
Variation: Make green hummus by adding 1/2 bunch fresh parsley and 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro.
Reprinted with permission from Cook in Israel: Home Cooking Inspiration by Orly Ziv.
Additional Notes
Orly's Tip
- You can freeze the cooked chickpeas and cooking water separately in small quantities and defrost before making your hummus.
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Serving Size
servings