How to make hummus from scratch + Tips for the perfect hummus recipe!
Homemade hummus is a smooth, savory chickpea dip made by blending cooked chickpeas with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and cumin until creamy. Making it from scratch gives you a fresher, silkier result than anything from a tub, and once you learn two small tricks the texture turns out perfectly smooth every single time. This version is finished with toasted mixed seeds and a drizzle of olive oil.
Hummus might just be one of my favorite recipes ever, so today I want to look at it in-depth and show you just how good it can be. I LOVE Lebanese cuisine, and I think it has value to know the origin of the things we like most in life. The word “hummus” simply means “chickpea,” and while several countries lay claim to it, what matters here is that this is my newest version of it. Unlike my previous ones, this time I made it completely from scratch, and I will share a couple of tricks to make it extra smooth and to cook the chickpeas more quickly.
The ingredients that make it work
This is a basic hummus built from pantry staples, and each one earns its place. I start with dry chickpeas soaked overnight rather than canned, because cooking them yourself gives a softer bean and a cleaner flavor. Tahini (sesame paste) is what makes hummus taste like hummus, so do not skip it, and give the jar a good stir first since it tends to separate. Fresh garlic, the juice of half a lemon, and half a teaspoon of ground cumin keep it bright and savory, while olive oil adds richness both in the blend and as a finishing drizzle.
The mixed seeds on top — pine nuts, chia, sunflower, pepitas, sesame, and flax — are toasted and scattered over the finished dip for crunch and a little extra body. Sea salt goes in to taste at the end, and there is one more quiet helper in the list: baking soda, which I add to the cooking water for a reason I will explain below.
Two tricks for extra-smooth hummus
If you have ever made grainy hummus, the texture almost always comes down to the chickpea skins and how hard the beans are blended. The first trick is to add half a teaspoon of baking soda to the cooking water. It raises the pH, which helps break down the chickpeas’ tough outer skins and softens the beans faster, so they cook tender in about an hour.
The second trick is to peel the chickpeas. After draining the cooked beans, fill the pot with cold water, then gently stir and massage them with your hands. The loosened skins float to the top so you can pour them off. Drain and refill five or six times until most of the peels are gone. It feels fussy, but those papery skins are exactly what stands between you and a velvety dip. Finally, process everything except the seeds and oil on high for a full five minutes, adding a little ice-cold water as you go. The long blend and the cold water are what whip it into that airy, extra-smooth finish.
How to serve it and what to pair it with
Spread the hummus into a shallow bowl, make a swirl with the back of a spoon, drizzle with olive oil, and shower it with the toasted seeds. It is wonderful with warm flatbread, raw vegetables, or as a creamy layer in wraps and sandwiches. I also love spooning it alongside a fresh chickpea salad or piling it into a veggie burger in place of mayo. If you want to lighten things up even further, my light, lemony hummus makes a great companion on the same platter.
Variations and how to store it
Once you have the base down, hummus becomes a blank canvas. Fold in roasted vegetables, herbs, or extra spice and you have a whole new dip. If you are in an experimenting mood, try my roasted red bell pepper hummus, the herby basil pesto hummus, or a creamy avocado hummus — and there are plenty more in my collection of best hummus recipes.
Store leftover hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four to five days. It firms up when cold, so let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes and give it a stir before serving; a splash of water or a little olive oil loosens it back to that smooth consistency. Add the toasted seeds just before serving so they stay crunchy. Hummus also freezes well for up to a month — thaw it in the fridge and stir well once it softens.
If you make this from-scratch hummus, I would love to know how smooth you got it — did the baking soda and the chickpea-peeling trick win you over? Please rate the recipe below and leave a comment with any tweaks you tried, especially what you piled on top.
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How to make hummus from scratch | Hummus with seeds
Ingredients
- 250 g chickpeas dry, soaked overnight
- ½ lemon juice only
- 4 Tbsps tahini paste
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 Tbsps olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 3 Tbsps mixed seeds pine nuts, chia, sunflower, pepitas,sesame, and flax
- ½ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Soak chickpeas in water the night before you want to make this hummus.
- Fill a large pot with water and add soaked and drained chickpeas. Add 1/2 tsp baking soda in the water.
- Boil chickpeas until tender (1 hour).
- Drain chickpeas and fill the pot with cold water. Start stirring and gently massaging chickpeas. This will take their peels off. Drain and refill. Do this 5-6 times until most of the peels are off.
- Add all ingredients, except seeds and oil, in your food processor and blend until smooth. Add a little bit of ice-cold water in order to make it as smooth as you want.
- Process on high speed for 5 minutes until hummus is extra-smooth.
- Lightly toast seeds in a small pan.
- Drizzle with olive oil.
- Add seeds on top of hummus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two things make the biggest difference. Add half a teaspoon of baking soda to the cooking water so the chickpeas soften and their skins loosen, then peel the cooked chickpeas by massaging them under cold water and pouring off the skins. Finally, blend everything except the seeds and oil on high for a full five minutes, adding a little ice-cold water to whip it light and creamy.
This recipe uses 250 g of dried chickpeas soaked overnight, then boiled until tender, which gives the softest texture and cleanest flavor. You can use canned chickpeas to save time, but cooking your own tends to produce a smoother, fresher result. Either way, peeling the chickpeas before blending is the key step for a velvety dip.
Baking soda raises the pH of the cooking water, which helps break down the chickpeas’ tough outer skins and softens the beans more quickly. That means they cook tender in about an hour and are much easier to peel afterward. Half a teaspoon in the pot is all you need.
Yes. Every ingredient is plant-based: chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, olive oil, sea salt, ground cumin, and a mix of toasted seeds. There is no dairy, egg, or honey, so it is suitable for a vegan diet.
Graininess almost always comes from the chickpea skins or from under-blending. Make sure to peel the cooked chickpeas by rinsing and massaging them under cold water until most of the skins come off, and process the hummus on high speed for several minutes. A splash of ice-cold water during blending also helps smooth it out.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it keeps for about four to five days. It firms up when cold, so let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes and stir in a splash of water or olive oil before serving. It also freezes well for up to a month; thaw it in the fridge and stir well.
Hi, Carolyne! It has multiple origins, the most popular being Lebanon. https://www.thespruce.com/is-hummus-greek-or-middle-eastern-2355742
Za’atar works well with hummus as well. For a nice creamy texture I add some ice cold water during the mixing procedure. 🙂
I LOVE za’atar! That’s a great tip! I didn’t know about the ice cold water technique but I will definitely give it a try! I like hummus extra-smooth! 🙂
Great recipe and pics 🙂
Have you tried hummus with red pesto?
Thank you, Cori! That sounds DELICIOUS! What a great idea! Red pesto has sundried tomatoes in it too, right? I think it would be awesome! Will give it a try. 🙂
This looks really great! I can attest that taking the peels off does make a big difference in taste and digestibility.
Thank you! Also, processing it for a longer time makes a HUGE difference! It turns out extra-smooth. 🙂
Ruxandra’s recipe is amazing. I combined another suggestion from a website which changed the texture dramatically. Strain some of the water that the chickpeas were boiled in, and pour ½ cup or so in before blending in the food processor. This had a remarkably softer consistency, as the last batch I made hardened after a few days in the fridge. Plus, you are getting the raw flavor of the cook in the mix. I put in a little more oil this time also. This is the best recipe I had ever made at home!!!
So glad you liked it Robert! Yes, I sometimes add water as well, depending on the texture I want to achieve. Thanks for the tips!
Okay, I made this just now, and I finally had a reason to buy a food processor. I followed the recipe to the letter – Excellent work madam, this was just great!
So glad you liked it, Robert! 😀
This COULD be the best looking hummus i’ve ever seen. Those seeds!!! Definitely trying your method of taking the peels off- I eat hummus everyday but have never had luck making my own stellar batch!
Glad you like it Meredith! It was delicious! The pine nuts are my favoritefrom this seeds mix.
Looks great! very appetizing. I sometimes add either sour cream or low fat yogurt to make it real creamy. And being Hungarian, it must have some medium strength paprika.
I serve it as follows:
Place the hummus into a circle on a plate and place the followings into the middle of the plate (withing the circle):
small hot peppers
sliced cucumbers
scallions
sliced radishes
Then I drizzle the olive oil on everything and sprinkle paprika on the hummus only.
It looks great and appetizing
The pita bread I cut to triangles, warm it up in the microwave an plac e them outside circle.
I trust you can include this one in your e-book as a variation
Thanks Jayne! It’s a great idea!