1
StepSoak the chickpeas overnight, at least 12 hours, in plenty of cold water with half the bicarbonate of soda. They should roughly double in size and their skins should wrinkle.
Sauces & Dips
Creamy Hummus from Scratch
Dried chickpeas soaked with bicarbonate of soda and simmered until they collapse, then blended hot with tahini, lemon and garlic. The texture comes from overcooking the chickpeas and blending for far longer than feels reasonable, not from extra oil. Served warm, with a pool of good olive oil in the well.
85 min
Prep: 15 / Cook: 70
6
servings
Easy
Difficulty
4.7
9 Ratings
Layla Haddad
This content is owned by the author and used with their consent.
Terms ↗June 18, 2026
Ingredients
- 250 g dried chickpea
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 150 g tahini
- 60 ml lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 60 ml ice water
- 1 tsp salt
To serve
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 0 sweet paprika
- 10 g flat-leaf parsley
Preparation
6 Steps
2
StepDrain and put them in a pot with the remaining bicarbonate of soda and enough fresh water to cover by 5 cm. Boil hard for a few minutes, skimming off the foam and the loose skins that rise, then simmer for 50-70 minutes until a chickpea crushes to paste between finger and thumb with no resistance at all. Undercooked chickpeas are the single most common cause of grainy hummus.
3
StepMeanwhile blend the garlic with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt, leave it to sit for 10 minutes, then strain out the solids. This takes the harsh raw edge off the garlic without losing the flavour.
4
StepAdd the tahini to the lemon and garlic liquid and blitz. It will seize and turn pale and stiff — this is expected. Loosen it with the ice water a spoonful at a time until it flows like thick cream.
5
StepAdd the hot drained chickpeas, holding back a spoonful for the top, along with the cumin and salt. Run the processor for a full 3-4 minutes, stopping twice to scrape down. Long blending, not more tahini, is what makes it fluffy.
6
StepSpread into a shallow bowl, sweeping a well with the back of a spoon. Pour olive oil into the well, scatter the reserved chickpeas, a dusting of paprika and chopped parsley, and serve warm.
Chef's Tip
If you are short of time, drain two cans of chickpeas and simmer them with half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda for 20 minutes before blending — it is not quite as good, but it is close and it takes a fifth of the effort. Never serve it fridge-cold; let it come back to room temperature and loosen it with a little warm water.
Comments (5)
warm hummus straight out of the bowl is basically a different food
how long does it keep? mine went stiff in the fridge overnight.
three days, but bring it to room temperature and stir a little warm water through it
did the canned shortcut for a catering job, still miles ahead of shop bought
i used to peel every chickpea by hand. the bicarbonate does it for you.
four minutes in the processor felt absurd. the texture is unrecognisable.