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Dips & small plates · Middle Eastern

Silky Hummus from Canned Chickpeas

Canned chickpeas boiled until falling apart, tahini whipped with ice water, and a long blend.

Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Serves
6

Added . Suitable for: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free.

Illustration of hummus

Why this version

  • Boiling canned chickpeas with a little bicarbonate of soda until very soft gives smoother hummus than peeling them one by one.
  • Whipping the tahini with lemon and ice water before the chickpeas go in makes it pale and fluffy.
  • Letting the garlic sit in the lemon juice for 10 minutes tames its raw edge.

Ingredients

Servings
6 servings
Units
  • 480 g drained canned chickpeas, two 400 g cans
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 60 ml lemon juice
  • ¾ tsp fine salt
  • 120 g tahini, well stirred
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 80 ml ice water
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
  • ¼ tsp sweet paprika or Aleppo pepper, to serve
  • 5 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve

Method

  1. Put the chickpeas in a saucepan with the bicarbonate of soda and cover with water by about 5 cm. Boil for 15–20 minutes, until they are very soft and the skins float. Skim off the loose skins and drain well.

  2. Meanwhile, blend the garlic, lemon juice and salt in a food processor and leave for 10 minutes.

  3. Add the tahini and cumin and blend until thick and pale. With the motor running, add 2 tbsp of the ice water; it will seize up, then loosen.

  4. Add the warm chickpeas and blend for 3–4 minutes, scraping down the sides, until very smooth. With the motor running, add ice water until the hummus is soft and fluffy. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon.

  5. Spread in a shallow bowl, make a swirl with the back of a spoon and finish with olive oil, paprika and parsley.

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What we tested

  • Peeling chickpeas by hand: smooth, but 25 minutes of tedium for no real gain over boiling.
  • Straight from the can: grainy, even after 5 minutes of blending.
  • Room-temperature water: denser and greyer than with ice water.

Keeping

Keeps for 5 days in the fridge with a film of oil on top.

Swaps and notes

Dried chickpeas: soak 200 g overnight with 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, then simmer for 60–90 minutes until very soft.

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