The secret to truly silky, restaurant-quality Lebanese hummus lies in cooking the chickpeas from scratch and using plenty of good tahini. This classic Middle Eastern recipe is smooth, lemony and irresistibly creamy — worlds apart from shop-bought versions.
15m
Prep
90m
Cook
105m
Total
8
Servings
210
Cal/Serving
Easy
★★★★★4.8 · 124 reviews
🛒 Ingredients
Serves 8
400g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
120ml good-quality tahini
3 lemons, juiced (about 80ml)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
4–6 tbsp ice-cold water
Extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Smoked paprika and fresh parsley, to serve
Warm flatbread to serve
✨ Chef's Tips
Dried and home-cooked chickpeas produce a far superior, silkier result than tinned.
The bicarb softens chickpea skins dramatically — do not skip it.
Ice-cold water and blending time are the two secrets to ultra-smooth hummus.
Remove as many chickpea skins as you can patience allows — each one you remove makes it smoother.
📋 Method
1Cook the chickpeas: Drain the soaked chickpeas. Add to a pot with fresh water and bicarbonate of soda. Bring to a boil, skimming foam constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 60–90 minutes until very tender — almost mushy. They must be very soft for smooth hummus.
2Reserve the liquid: Before draining, scoop out and save 200ml of the cooking liquid. Drain the chickpeas. While still warm, peel as many chickpea skins as you can — this is the trick to ultra-smooth hummus.
3Blend the base: Add tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt to a food processor. Blend for 3 full minutes until the tahini is pale, creamy and fluffy.
4Add the chickpeas: Add the warm chickpeas gradually while the processor runs. Blend for another 3–4 minutes, scraping down the sides.
5Adjust consistency: Add ice-cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, blending between each addition, until the hummus is perfectly smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust lemon, salt or garlic.
6Serve: Spread onto a wide shallow plate using the back of a spoon to create a swooping well in the centre. Drizzle generously with olive oil, dust with paprika and scatter with parsley. Serve with warm flatbread.