I find chickpeas to be one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. I use them to make hummus, chickpea salad, roasted them to use as croutons, add heartiness to a soup, or toss them with a salad. But just a plain hummus is still one of my favorite ways to use chickpeas. I eat hummus as a snack after my workouts or pair it with chopped veggies, chips, or rice cakes for a satisfying lunch.

As you are finding with most of my go-to recipes, they are pretty simple. This recipe is no different. It only takes a few ingredients, a food processor, and about 10 minutes! I do use a secret ingredient, well not a secret, that gives it a little more depth of flavor – toasted tahini! Most recipes call for raw tahini, but I don’t like the bitterness of it, so I use toasted tahini. I also add a good amount of lemon juice because I want mine with a punch of flavor. Plus adding citrus, like lemon juice, allows you cut down on the amount of salt that you use. 

For this recipe, I use homemade chickpeas (soaked overnight, then pressure cooked for 15 minutes), lemons juice, toasted tahini, a little bit of olive oil, cumin, salt, and water. 

Everything, except for the water, goes into the food processor. I pulse the mixture a few times to start breaking down the chickpeas and then I let it run. I add small amounts of water to keep the mixture moving and to help it become creamy. I usually end up using about a 1/2 cup of water. I then let the mixture chill for a few hours. 

Print Recipe

Basic Hummus

Prep Time15 mins

Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Snack

Keyword: Gluten Free, Potluck Ideas

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked chickpeas (drained and rinsed from the can or homemade)
• 7 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about one large lemon)
• 3 1/2 tbsp toasted tahini
• 1 tbsp high-quality olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup water

Instructions

• Place all ingredients, except the water, into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade.
• Hit the pulse button about seven times to start breaking down the chickpeas
• Next, let the food processor run to start creaming the chickpeas. Add small amounts of water at a time, as needed, to keep the blade turning and make the chickpeas creamy. Traditionally, this step is completed with oil, but I prefer this lighter version made with water. You don't want to add too much water and make it runny, but just enough to make it creamy and fluffy. I usually use a little less than 1/2 cup of water when using the 3-cups of chickpeas.
• Once creamy, place in a sealed container and chill for a few hours before serving.

Notes

You can adjust the lemon juice and salt to fit your taste and needs. I tend to use more lemon juice and less salt.

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