The Smoothest and Creamiest Hummus Ever!

You’re about to learn the very simple trick to making the Smoothest and Creamiest Hummus ever. Hummus so good, you’ll simply want to eat it by the spoonful!

No word of a lie… This is absolutely the Best Hummus Recipe EVER!!! It’s so unbelievably good, light, velvety and creamy, you’ll want to sit yourself down with the bowl and eat the whole thing by the spoonful!

What’s the secret to this unbelievable creaminess? You’ll never believe how simple! No, it doesn’t involve spending hours peeling your cooked chickpeas one by one… not even close. In fact, adding a little bit of baking soda to the soaking water is all it takes. Trust me: it makes all the difference in the world.

You see the thing is, plain water is too acidic to efficiently break down the chickpeas’ cellulose-based cells. The addition of baking soda to the water raises the pH levels of the water, which then helps the chickpeas break down and soften much more easily and also enable them to cook more quickly. Simple science…

Trust me, you have to try this! You won’t believe the difference that it makes. I’ve been making this recipe for many years now, and I’ve had countless people tell me that they don’t usually care much for hummus, but this one? they just couldn’t stop eating.

Now THAT, is always nice to hear! Want in on that? Right this way, please…  

To start, put the chickpeas and 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a large bowl and fill with enough cold water to cover the beans by at least 3 inches; let that soak overnight.

As you can see, after that time, the water will have gotten very cloudy and will also have taken a distinct yellowish tint. Let’s get rid of that and give our beans some nice fresh water to drink!

So drain and rinse your chickpeas thoroughly and cover them again in clean tap water, then let them soak for a couple more hours; 2-3-4 or even 5, doesn’t really matter. You could even replace that water a couple more times, if you were so inclined. This will help make the beans more erm… easily digestible, if you get my drift!

When you are ready to cook your chickpeas, drain and rinse them once again and then put them in a large pot. Cover them with plenty of cold water and add 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda to your water, but NO salt.

Cook until the beans are very tender and practically fall apart, about 30 to 45 minutes. Be sure to skim the surface regularly during cooking, to remove the foam that will invariably form and also the loose peels floating. This too, is said to be helpful in making the beans more easily digestible.

Once cooked, drain the chickpeas and let them cool completely, or well, at least down to room temperature.

Once cooled, transfer the chickpeas to a high speed blender or food processor, along with the tahini, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, salt, ground cumin and about 1/2 cup of water;  process all this into a thick puree.

If you are using a blender, you will probably need to use the tamper to push the ingredients into the blades and stop the motor to scrape the sides once or twice.

You will also want to add more water to your hummus, a little bit at a time, until the desired texture is achieved. You might want to make it a little bit thinner than your actual desired texture, as hummus tends to firm up after sitting for a little while, and especially after being refrigerated — if you’re not going to eat it all right away…

When ready, serve your hummus — hit it with a little drizzle of evoo and a pinch of chopped cilantro, to make it extra tasty and pretty — with fresh crudités, tortillas, pita bread, or use it in your favorite sandwich or recipe.

Or, just do like I do: plain grab a spoon and dig in!

*Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in June of 2011 and has since been completely revamped and updated with better pictures. A few minor modifications to the original recipe may also have been made.