Creamy Homemade Hummus
Prep. Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1.5 hours
Servings
8 cups
Difficulty
Easy
Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, dairy-free, egg-free
This recipe is a staple in my kitchen and one I make on a regular basis. As I shared in my chickpea salad sandwich post, I cook a batch of chickpeas almost every week. I use them in various recipes I’ve posted on my website, but regardless, I regularly make this creamy hummus spread. To avoid the entire process, you can soak & cook a large batch, divide the cooked beans into portions and freeze in glass containers to later thaw as needed.
Ingredients
For Soaking and Cooking (unless using canned beans)
1/2 tsp baking soda
Water
For Making the Spread
½ lemon juice
½ garlic clove
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp tahini
Salt
Cooking water (or cooled pre-boiled water)
(quantity as needed to reach a consistent smooth texture)
For Serving
Extra virgin olive oil
Sweet paprika
Chopped parsley as a garland
Instructions
If you opt to make this recipe with precooked/canned chickpeas, then skip to step 4.
With chickpeas you always start with soaking. Rinse the chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans). In a large bowl, soak the beans in filtered water (to reach about 3 inches above the level of the beans) and 1/4 teespoon baking soda for 6-24 hours. Ideally, for 12 hours.
Once soaking is completed, discard the water, and place the beans in a large pot. Fill it up with water up to about 3 inch above the beans, and add 1/4 teespoon baking soda.
Bring to boil and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 1 hours, or until the beans are completely tender. filter the cooking water, and keep them separately for a later use.
Now that the chickpeas are cooked and ready, add the rest of the ingredients and blend. I use a strong stick blender until a consistent & smooth texture is obtained. The stick blender is a better option than a food processor for the desired texture).
For serving, place the spread in a serving bowl, drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle a little paprika and parsley.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Pair it with Pita pocket or Challah (follow my Challah recipe here and my Pita recipe here), a finely chopped salad and slices of fried salted tofu or falafel.
Notes
Soaking chickpeas with water and baking soda helps soften their skins and reduce cooking time, resulting in a smoother texture—ideal for dishes like hummus. Baking soda also helps break down phytic acid, which can improve nutrient absorption.
Chickpeas are highly nutritious, offering about 15g of protein, 13g of dietary fiber, and essential nutrients like iron, folate, and manganese per cooked cup.
The Latest Bite
Wonderful Parsley Salad
I usually buy parsley with the idea that I’ll use “just a little” in a recipe, and then I’m left with a big bunch staring at me from the fridge. This salad is my solution. Instead of letting those greens wilt away, I chop the whole thing and make it the main event. It’s fresh, full of flavor, and takes almost no effort.
The best part is how forgiving it is. Walnuts give it crunch, but almonds or pecans work if that’s what’s in the pantry. Cheese adds creaminess and the dressing is quick to whip together with what we usually have on hand, and it makes the parsley feel less like “just herbs” and more like a real salad.
This isn’t a kid-friendly dish in our house (the parsley is just too “green” for them), but it works great for the adults. I’ll make it at home when dinner needs something light on the side, or pack it into a container when we’re traveling in an RV and want an easy salad to balance out heartier meals. Since it’s dairy-free and plant-based, it holds up well for hours on the road without the stress of refrigeration worries you get with mayo-based dressings.
It’s fast, flexible, and keeps parsley from going to waste—a little grown-up salad that travels well.