For as long as I have written this website — yes, even longer than it has been since I told you the wee white lie that Paula Wolfert’s hummus was all I’d ever need — I have known how to make the most ethereally smooth, fluffy, dollop-ing of a hummus and never told you. I have some nerve. But, in my defense, I had my reasons, mostly that I knew if I told you how to make it, I’d be able to hear your eye rolls through the screen, they’d be at once so dramatic and in unison. From there, there would be the loud, synchronized clicks of “Unfollow!” “Unfriend!” “Hide these updates, please!” and the under-breath mutters of “Lady, you have got to be kidding me.” Because, you see, the path between the probably acceptable, vaguely grainy but borderline good-enough hummus you probably have been making and the stuff that I dream about sweeping cold, sweet carrots sticks through — the January version of fresh strawberries and whipped cream — has only one extra stop but most of you will argue that it’s at Cuckoo Farm: you see, you must peel the chickpeas.
Chickpeas, when they’re cooked, have a thin skin that sags a bit, kind of like a Sharpei’s, but less cute. It hangs about them like they’re trying hard to shake it, but just couldn’t. I have found that if you help them — put a single chickpea between your thumb and next two fingers and press gently until it pops out with a rather satisfying soft pop, then plink! into a bowl — it makes all of the difference in the texture of your final hummus. But I theorized that no sane person would ever spend their time ejecting chickpeas from their skins, because it would be such an arduous task, even reorganzing bookcases, which we did last night, would be preferable. Yet when I cautiously asked you last week if you’d want to hear about a new hummus technique, so many of you said “Yes, please!” I figured it was time to make peace with this technique once and for all.
… with a timer. The thing is, I’m a slow, slow cook and even slower at prep. I dilly-dally. I daydream. Yet even at this leisurely, lazy pace of freeing chickpeas from their loosely tethered confines, only nine minutes had passed when I was done. And I got to think of all of the silly things I’ve spent nine minutes each doing. I waited nine irritated minutes for a refund for something I hadn’t actually bought at a store this weekend. I’ve definitely waited nine bemused minutes for my little New Yorker to walk a single block. It took me no less than nine minutes yesterday eh, most days, to motivate to refill my own water glass. And yet I was convinced that spending nine extra minutes on food prep was madness. Oh, Deb.
What this nine minutes buys you, however, is a world of difference, hummus that is as far from the grainy, beige beleaguered paste a lot of recipes have led me to as it can be — all pillows and plumes of the softest chickpea-tahini-lemon-garlic puree. I hope it makes a convert out of you, too.
One year ago: Apple Sharlotka
Two years ago: Vanilla Bean Pudding
Three years ago: Caramel Pudding and Barley Risotto with Beans and Greens
Four years ago: Grasshopper Brownies, Pecan Sandies, Sugar and Spice Candied Nuts and Fig and Walnut Biscotti
Five years ago: Goulash and Lemon Bars
Six years ago: Balthazar’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
Ethereally Smooth Hummus
Recipe adapted from Ottolenghi’s stunning new dream of a book; technique is my own madness
This is probably where you expect me to give you a soapbox speech about why it is so important that you soak your own chickpeas. And you know, think they taste wonderful, especially if you treat yourself to some of the best. But, I also make it with canned chickpeas quite often (Goya is my favorite, for perfectly cooked, intact canned beans, each time) and it’s perfectly excellent. Below, I’ve included instructions for both.
Updated in 2019 to suggest: If you buy dried chana dal (also sold as split chickpeas or bengal grams) at an Indian and many other intentional grocery stores, or online, surprise! They’re already peeled chickpeas. You’ll want to soak and cook them as you would dried chickpeas (it will take less time because they’re smaller), you can have the same effect as you get here from peeling chickpeas without that extra step. It’s glorious.
Makes 1 3/4 cups hummus
1 3/4 cups cooked, drained chickpeas (from a 15-ounce can) or a little shy of 2/3 cup dried chickpeas (for same yield)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (for dried chickpeas only)
1/2 cup tahini paste
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
2 small cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 teaspoon table salt, or more to taste
Approximately 1/4 cup water or reserved chickpea cooking water
Olive oil, paprika or sumac, pita wedges (brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with za’atar, or a combination of sesame seeds and sea salt), and/or carrot sticks [optional] to serve
If using dried chickpeas: There are multiple methods to cooking them, and you can use whichever is your favorite, or Ottolenghi’s, or mine. Ottolenghi’s is to put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with at least twice their volume of cold water, leaving them to soak overnight. The next day, drain them, and saute them in a medium saucepan with the baking soda (which many find reduces the gassy effects of fresh beans) for about three minutes. Add 3 1/4 cups water and bring it to a boil. Skim any foam that floats to the surface. They’ll need to cook for 20 to 40 minutes, sometimes even longer, depending on freshness, to become tender. When tender, one will break up easily between your thumb and forefinger. My method is similar, but I often put mine in a slow-cooker on high with the baking soda for approximately three hours, so I don’t have to monitor them as much.
Drain the chickpeas (saving the chickpea broth for soups or to thin the hummus, if desired) and cool enough that you can pick one up without burning your fingers.
Whether fresh or canned chickpeas: Peel your chickpeas. I find this is easiest when you take a chickpea between your thumb and next two fingers, arranging the pointy end in towards your palm, and “pop!” the naked chickpea out. Discard the skin. I get into a rhythm and rather enjoy this, but it’s also already established that I’m a weirdo.
In a food processor, blend the chickpeas until powdery clumps form, a full minute, scraping down the sides. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt and blend until pureed. With the machine running, drizzle in water or reserved chickpea cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get very smooth, light and creamy mixture. I find I need about 4 tablespoons for this volume, but you may need slightly more or less.
Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or lemon if needed. I do recommend that you hold off on adding more garlic just yet, however. I find that it “blooms” as it settles in the fridge overnight, becoming much more garlicky after a rest, so that even if it doesn’t seem like enough at first, it likely will be in the long run.
Transfer the hummus to a bowl and rest it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, longer if you can. To serve, drizzle it with a little olive oil, and sprinkle it with paprika. Serve it with pita wedges or carrot sticks.
Been searching for a good hummus recipe, thanks!
~Brenda
You don’t sound insane to me– I’ve actually been doing this when I make hummus also, but had never heard of anyone else doing it. I’ve also found that it seems to depend on the bean whether or not the skin is going to be really thick and tough. It seems to vary a lot. Have you found this also?
I love this idea, thank you. Nine minutes – pshaw. I’ll be trying it this weekend!
I also always remove the skin from the chickpeas. The texture is so smooth afterwords:) Also, I found that canned chickpease have much softer skin. Have a beautiful start to the year, Deb! Kisses
Looks great! I never thought to peel the chickpeas, but I will be trying this recipe soon.
Ever since i went to Israel a few years ago, I’ve become hummus obsessed. The smoother the better. And I love how you’ve made that bowl of hummus look like a flower. How did you do that? :-)
Every recipe I’ve ever used always said peel. I always wondered “why bother?” Now I know. Ignorance was bliss. Now I will peel.
Yes! Removing the skins is totally essential. I started doing this last year, when my daughter was 3 and she loved sitting with me and peeling the chickpeas. Mind you, she ate her fair share while she was peeling as well. ;)
No cumin or coriander?? I could give you
A smooth whipped hummus recipe that
Would knock your socks off.
I have tried peeling the chick peas but STILL didn’t get the creamy, fluffy, cloud-like hummus I long for. And, yes, I tried cooking them with baking soda. I’ve tried everything, seriously.
Signed, Desperate on the west coast of Canada
Have you tried whipping the tahini? I find that adding the tahini, lemon juice, and garlic to the food processor first and blending for 1-2 minutes before adding the chickpeas really helps.
I love smooth hummus almost as much as I love lemony hummus. The more lemon, the better!
This is what I started doing when I don’t have a food processor handy and I am craving hummus – It doesn’t turn out as deliciously smooth as here, of course, but it does taste quite nice.
Looks wonderful to me! I’m going to try it tomorrow. Thank you. My daughter gave me your book for Christmas!
I’ve never tried peeling the chickpeas, but I just may after this. Your hummus looks delightfully smooth! I have a different method of getting creamy hummus without peeling the chickpeas that I just posted about recently: http://www.coffeeandquinoa.com/2012/12/extra-creamy-hummus/ Thanks for sharing yours!
This hummus looks wonderful! Only you could give me a craving for hummus and pita chips at 9 am. Must try!
My husband has always made fun of me for peeling the chickpeas and doing so makes me feel like a nutball. Now that I know I’m not alone in it, I can do all of them!
I use canned chickpeas (I know, I know), but I totally peel them! Smooth hummus 4eva!
Yum! Can’t wait to give it a go. Try it with 1tsp roasted cumin seeds (crushed in mortar and pestle before adding).
Gracious! This sounds and looks delish!
Now all that I would need to do is add in some sweet potato and I’d be in hummus heaven.
peeling the chickpeas makes all the difference – people look at me like I’m a nut when I say that but if you want the best hummus you must go to great measures! Haha It’s completely worth it
This actually makes total sense to me. I’ve been cooking green chickpeas for a few years, and I always parboil and peel the skins off to avoid a chewy, unpleasant texture. Seems logical to do the same with “yellow” chickpeas.
Yummmmmmy! I’m going to make this tonight along with the carrot soup;) I love spending time in the kitchen. If shelling the chickpeas makes the hummus ultra fluffy, I’m all for the extra task;)
YES! For years I’ve been trying to spread the word to peel the chickpeas! It makes a world of difference. Thank you for helping the cause. :)
I stumbled upon this idea in my quest for a smoother hummus. It’s so worth the effort!!
Peeling chickpeas…fascinating…the things I am willing to do for food! I will make this for my 3:00 feeding…and will never speak of peeling chickpeas again, the less my family knows what really goes on in the kitchen, the better!
I always take the skins of my chickpeas. I found it is easier (for me at least!) to lay them out on a papertowel and lay another towel on top. Roll your hands on top of the whole thing and the peels will kind of slide off under there. Then you can just pick up a bunch at a time and through ’em in the bowl.
to speed up the process a little: fill a large bowl with water, dump in your cooked chickpeas, pick them up in handfuls and rub together, let the water settle and many of the skins will rise to the top where they can be drained off.
Lady, you ain’t crazy. I’ve peeled every batch of chick peas I’ve ever eaten. You are right, it takes them from perfectly fine to perfect. I can eat a whole bowl for lunch! I also love to peel them before putting them in a tuna, onion, and herb salad that I make ALL of the time. It really makes a difference.
I was just saying last night that I needed to find a good recipe for hummus.
Where did you find the tahini paste? I always have a problem find that ingredient!
Amanda — I don’t know what stores you have by you, but in NYC I can get it easily at Whole Foods, and often Trader Joes and from Fresh Direct.
I’m so excited to try this! I pretty much subsist on hummus and crackers.
Well, and cake.
No judgement here – I pop the skins off chickpeas for just about everything. They’re just so much better that way!
I rather like the idea of spending 10 minutes of my day shelling chickpeas – it sounds like one of those repetitive jobs that is strangely relaxing and peaceful. Lovely!
I have to admit that I went “WHAAAAT?!?!?” all high-pitched and squeaky when I saw the words “peel chickpeas” in this post…but I’m probably going to do it on my next batch. That hummus looks GOOOOD.
I only like really smooth hummus, so this recipe is prefect for me. Lovely photos too!
I’m totally doing this, because I’ve made my own hummus a few times and haven’t been stoked on the results, especially since Sahadi’s (on Atlantic Ave, in Bklyn) is my one true hummus, and everything else (so far) has disappointed. It’ll be 9 extra minutes that I won’t waste aimlessly scrolling through Facebook.
PS- “Blogga, please.” Hilarious.
Yes! My family has been doing this for years. Everyone says we make great hummus, but then they laugh and say we are nuts when we say we peel the garbanzos. Good food takes some effort. :)
This post makes me so happy.. not only did I make the carrot soup last night (delish!) but I also (finally!) ordered both your and Ottolenghi’s books yesterday as well! I plan on making your hummus this weekend for my Golden Globes party. Thank you thank you!
I LOVE hummus. The Cuckoo Farm chickpeas sound amazing, even if you have to peel them. I will be working on this recipe this coming weekend. What is really funny is I have a chickpea post coming up on Thursday. Great minds do think alike… LOL
Looks delicious! Where’s that wooden tray from? It’s lovely.
You don’t know how excited I am about this. Truly. I’ve been a total hummus ADDICT for over a decade, and I am a major proponent of all things homemade. I even make my own ketchup. But every time I made my own hummus, I was so disappointed with the grainy texture, I gave up and bought Sabra. I can’t wait to try this – I even have every ingredient on hand, and plenty of time for once. All I have to do is finish the container of Sabra in the fridge! Thank you for this, Deb. My kitchen hero, as always.
Putting on a pot of chick peas right now because I can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
You’re not crazy! My Israeli coworker told me about this secret a year ago, and it really does make a big difference.
I agree with you 1005 about the creaminess removing the outer skin achieves… and about the 9 irritating minutes to get there. It seems like 9 HOURS!
Yum! I also found my hummus greatly improved when I followed Mark Bittman’s suggestion of adding cooking liquid from the chickpeas instead of water.
So is peeling chickpeas more of a pain than peeling hazelnuts? I loathe peeling hazelnuts, the way the skins get *everywhere*, and the dirtying of the towels. If peeling chickpeas is even slightly less complicated, I’ll say it’s worth it. More complicated than hazelnut prep, I’m going to the store.
Jeanne — Oh goodness, peeling hazelnuts is the absolutely most annoying process and this is 40x easier. They come off cleanly. Hazelnuts rarely do. And the towel thing? Dislike! I end up with a towel ridded with flakes that get everywhere when I even try to move it one foot to the next room.
Sherri — Yes! Forgot to add that in, too. Thanks for the reminder.
Love homemade hummus – peeling them, who knew!
I love hummus, and am happy to try to make it! Last time, my batch smelled like cat food… horrid stuff. Must try again. However, I don’t have a food processor… have you tried to blend with an immersion blender or conventional blender???
That pita looks like divine toasted perfection. Is that a different recipe from the one you have here? It looks more flatbread-y.
Cate — I bought it at a store. Don’t remember the brand. Nothing fancy. I think they’re pocketless pitas; I like them much more for dips.
Sometimes it’s the extra step that makes all the difference, no matter how long it takes. Next time I made hummus I’m going to try your peeling trick! Thanks :)
oh my gosh! Cannot even believe this, but I will definitely be trying it and SOON! Thanks for sharing your secret! Loving your new cookbook btw….
I am sure a lot of people will be annoyed at the idea of peeling chickpeas, but then there will also be some of us who #$%*ing LOVE the idea of peeling chickpeas. Life is too busy, let me have nine minutes to chill out and do just a single thing — no letting something render in the background while the dryer spins and veggies sweat and a podcast plays. I love tasks like this that occupy a kind of middle level of focus and don’t take all that long. They’re like tiny spa trips for my brain.
You are an artist, amazingly talented and beautiful.
I just read the intro to your book, so this was a happy surprise!
THANK YOU! You see, there are other crazy people out there who invest lots of time for the perfect technique. Totally worth it. I had the smoothest , creamiest hummus a few months ago. It was almost…whipped. I had no idea how they did it. Now, I’ll try this.
Try toasted pine nuts, chili flakes, cumins and lemon zest in olive oil as a topping. Divine.
Too funny, Deb. It’s funny because “restaurant people” (such as myself) often take the extra 9 minutes and I love that you do too. I do the same thing with soybeans…will never leave them in their skins! Great post!
I don’t mind a little chunk in my dunk but maybe I will try peeling next time. Your hummus looks delicious.
Funny, Melissa Clark hits this in her new (newer? newish?) book too. It’s a trend.
My name is Nikki & I freely admit that I have hidden the fact that I peel my chickpeas from the majority of my people to avoid the whole “hummus is too hard to make” talk.But once I *popped* the pea free from the skin it befuddled me what the heck would happen to the skin in the food processor so I peeled away. I also simmer my canned peas in a seasoned chicken broth if I want them extra nummy.
I freely admit it ~ I have issues but it looks like a couple of you did too!
Love this! And where in heaven’s name iis that gorgeous wooden spoon from? I have no idea why but that photo of drizziling the olive oil struck me — it’s beautiful.
You have patience, I’ve never pealed my chickpeas, I just throw it all in there and it comes out delicious. I LOVE hummus!
I am a little more abusive and wreckless with my chickpea peeling methods. Instead of putting my hands on every single pea (I make hummus every week), I use my sink sprayer to rush water onto the legumes, while shaking the pot or stirring with my hand to make the skins loosen. Then as the pot fills up, skins float to the top and I can dump off them and the excess water. Doing this twice generally gets at least 1/2 to 3/4 of the skins off, which I find is enough for me. It definitely does make a difference though!
I am married to a Palestinian, and hummus was the first family recipe that I learned to make. Peeling is super simple if you boil them first. I take 2 cans of garbanzo (Goya is best, but any brand will do) and dump them in a pot with the canned liquid (no extra water needed) and bring it to a high boil. As soon as it boils you turn it off, dump them into a colander and swirl them around with your hands while cold water runs. The peels just fall off. You don’t need to get crazy anal about it – but it is tempting, and therapeutic I find. The more peels you pull out, the smoother it is. A batch of hummus will take me no more than 10-15 minutes total.
I learned this trick when I was in Morocco during college. One of the students I met there turned her nose up at a bowl of Harira (delicious chickpea soup, traditionally used to break fasts during Ramadan) because the cook left the skins on. She explained how to make the soup, and hummus, and several other dishes. I was a total cooking novice at the time, and was duly impressed with her advice (I still am, actually!).
I have to confess that I often don’t take the time to do this, instead adding baking soda to the pot while I simmer the cooking beans. If I’m peeling, I skip the baking soda since it only seems to act to soften the skin.
Also: Mmmmmm, hummus.
I’ve never peeled my chickpeas for hummus, but I have found that if I soak them overnight, and cook them sloooooowly, that near the end of cooking I can stir a bit roughly and then just scoop out the skins that float to the top with a slotted spoon. It takes a while — now that I think about it, probably about 9 minutes — but seems less annoying than one-by-one peeling. And it makes a huge difference in fluffliness of the hummus whether I do this or not, so I’m guess that my method removes most of the skins.
This looks sooo good, and I’ve never been a fan of hummus. Mostly because it never seemed smooth enough. I will give it a try.
As for peeling hazelnuts, have you ever tried boiling them in water and baking soda? (seen here on Baking with Julia: http://youtu.be/F6ije1-i9YY) It totally works, and doesn’t make your kitchen towels smell like hazelnuts for all eternity.
Hi Deb,
I’m a long-time lurker, first-time commenter from the (currently freezing cold) Canadian prairies (Winnipeg, Manitoba). I got your cookbook for Christmas and its fabulous!
I don’t peel the chickpeas when I make hummus, but I’m definitely going to start. What a great tip! I always think the skins look so gross. I have no idea why I never thought to take the time to peel them.
Overall, this hummus recipe is fairly similar to my favourite recipe (which gets me compliments everytime I make it), but with two significant differences. The first is the amount of tahini: my preference is for a thicker hummus that acts almost like a vegetable spread on flatbreads and crackers. So my recipe has less tahini. The second difference is that instead of all that tahini, I add some roasted red peppers (usually out of a jar, although I’m sure it would taste even better if I roasted one fresh in the oven instead). It adds a great extra punch of flavour and is the “secret extra ingredient” I tell people about when they ask why it tastes so wonderfully different.
Your blog is simply the best,
Ashley
Do you soak the dried chickpeas before cooking them in the slow cooker or just toss them in and turn them on? Thanks!
Honestly, nine minutes to myself of just peeling chickpeas, a completely monotonous, mind-clearing event, with the end result being this delicious-looking hummus? I’d make it every day.
I think that sounds like an excellent use of 9 minutes, and totally worth it. I already soak and boil my own chickpeas (most of the time– though I also keep some canned ones as back-up), and I’d like to give your method a try too! (It’s got to be easier– and definitely with tastier rewards– than peeling fava beans.)
I’m only surprised to see that you don’t include any olive oil (even drizzled in during the last minutes of blending) in the hummus recipe itself. (I was also surprised to see water there instead!) Do you ever add olive oil to your homemade hummus? Or do you always save it for drizzling it over the top at the end?
(I usually add olive oil to mine in the food processor, but then, maybe that’s making my hummus a little more bitter than it needs to be…?)
Allison — Wherever possible, I love olive oil as a “finishing” oil. Added at the end of salads, vegetable dishes, hummus, I can really taste its delicate grassiness, and then I’m getting the most flavor oomph out of it.
Laurie — I usually don’t. But you can if you wish. It reduces cooking time.
Jennifer — I’ve always wondered if that ruins their dry/crispness when toasted. Do you find that? Boiling softens nuts in almost all cases.
Witloof — Peeling fava beans is muuuuch more difficult, promise. (Peeling lima beans is more difficult than all of the above, but that’s neither here nor there.) Chickpeas are so easy to peel cleanly, it’s kind of satisfying. Pretty much nothing else in my life works so efficiently. ;)
Ah! I read Ruth Reichl’s Gilt Taste article describing the serious virtues of peeled chickpeas in hummus last year and have been thinking it over here and there ever since. Yours looks so dreamy. The time has come!
I bought some ridiculously expensive organic fava beans and had to pop them out of their skins to cook them. I wanted to make a peasant recipe for fava bean and chestnut soup. I spent a loooooong time peeling them, then got absorbed in a project, and burned the whole batch. Not one of my finer moments.
Talk about texture, wow!
Well now you’ve just gone and raised the hummus bar. To be honest, I’ve never made my own hummus, so I figure if I just adopt this madness right from the get-go, I won’t know the difference. Yes?
Ahhh peeling the ole chickpeas. I used to read blogs and bloggers who swore that was the answer to the buttery smoothness. However, most of those people were not parents or apparently have more free time than I do or more patience. I put them in the VitaMix skins and all, and call it a day.
I find the Vita can get it smoother than the food processor, by far. But one day let’s call it a bucket list thing, I want to try your way :)
Wow!! I had never heard of peeling the chickpeas before, but have been disappointed so many times with homemade hummus. The watery, slumpy, grainy consistency just wasn’t the soft pillows of buttery smoothness I longed for, like what you have pictured here! Thanks for the tip and the recipe Deb!
When I worked for a Greek cafe, we would soak the chickpeas overnight with baking soda to help the skins come off in the cooking process. We simmered them and then roasted them in the oven with aromatics. When it came time for blending, we never peeled the peas and always had the most smooth and silky hummus!
You didn’t scare me off, even with a 5 month old at home. The hummus in your pictures looks just like the super smooth stuff I love at the Perfect Pita, so I will try your technique, especially given that you have granted permission to use Goya sometimes.
Oh, Deb! You’ve persuaded us to seed grapes for focaccia and you were afraid to ask this of us? This sounds way easier.
my boyfriend always told me “if you take off the skins i bet it would be smoother”. and i always thought he was crazy for telling me i should do this tedious task… i suppose “now that smitten kitchen says i should do it, i should do it”
needless to say, hummus WILL be on the menu this weekend ;)
cheers!
I make hummus this same way, and I’ve blogged about it as so on my blog. But I’ve discovered that it doesn’t really change the texture or smoothness of the hummus that much by peeling off the skins— I find the biggest differences are from using lots and lots of tahini, using chickpeas from scratch (and using baking soda in the process), and blending the chickpeas by themselves in the food processor first. But, I suppose the peeling guarantees smoothness, which can’t hurt.
I have had this kind of hummus before and wondered…!
I did this a few years ago and the results were fantastic. It just occurred to me one day while eating some cold chickpea salad (with whole chickpeas) that I really didn’t like the taste of the skins. So with all eyes around me rolling, I peeled the chickpeas the next time I made hummus and it was amazing. Thank you for reminding me, I think I’ll go make some more this weekend!
I’m making this today! Thanks for the recipe, my 5 year old son LOVES hummus. My husband hates it… I’ve never made it homemade. Hmmm I wonder if we’re in for a treat when we’re use to Sabra. Weird since I try to make most things homemade, something about the tahini scares me away, not sure where to find that in the grocery store, but today I will look. Thanks again!
What beautiful, creamy hummus! Worth 9 minutes, I’m sure. And ejecting chickpeas from their skins” sounds like a good hubby job to me…
Interesting, but totally makes sense. I’ve never heard of doing this before, but I’d definitely like to try it. I’m assuming it would only be worth removing the skins for classic hummus, and not variations where you’d add spinach or other, less creamy ingredients.
Game changer! So excited to try this, and thank you for putting those nine little minutes into perspective.
Just had to chime in on peeling hazelnuts. I never bother with the towel. Just dump them in a bowl and rub them between your (clean) hands. The skins will fall right off into the bowl with far less mess than a towel. Looking forward to trying hummus with peeled chickpeas.
Do you know if I can get the same lovely texture with a blender instead of a food processor? Thanks for the recipe, it looks grand.
It’s my weird personal mission to correct Bad Hummous at restaurants. Thanks for this post. This is fairly close to how my family makes hummous, though we always finish it with a sprinkling of good, fresh paprika and some Lebanese (not Chinese!) pine nuts toasted in several tablespoons of olive oil and poured over the hummous that has been spread flat on a plate.
I always pop those pesky skins off. It’s one of those meditative cooking preps I actually enjoy, particularly because it does make such a difference in the finished results. Yum!
Since I’m forever trying to get more fiber into my and my family’s diet, I probably won’t be peeling any garbanzo beans. But I will put a plug in for hydrating your own beans vs. the canned variety. In my opinion, THAT is time very well spent!
The hummus looks like a rose in that first picture. Beautiful! And looks delicious.
I’ve found that my high power Champ blender makes an extremely smooth hummus. It could probably turn a handful of rocks into a smooth hummus. Maybe if I take the time to peel the beans, my hummus will float away.
Thanks for the idea, and congratulations on the beautiful book.
I always wondered why my favourite Israeli restos hummus was so soft and creamy and why I could never get mine at home as good! I bet they are also skinning their chick peas.
Thank you so much for this!
I’ve spent so much time wondering how some places have such gloriously creamy hummus — this is the best secret. :D Gonna give it a shot as soon as I restock on chickpeas!
You are insane, however, I might be trying this, having just made a rather disappointing hummus (for the nth time!).
Hi Deb, lately I’ve been looking up recipes for homemade tahini. Tahini isn’t the easiest item to find and I feel like it always way overpriced. Do you have a recipe for it?
I’ve done the trick of peeling the chickpeas before, and it really DOES make a massive difference in the end product! It is such a pain though, but now that you’ve put it in perspective, it’s totally worth it. Heck, I can think of many other things I waste my time doing every day. Definitely going to be making this, especially since I have had some dried chickpeas hanging out in my cupboard for SUCH a long time!
Haha, I have no problem peeling chickpeas. The skin hanging off looks a little weird anyway.
I sometimes just use a good quality olive oil (Kirkland) if I don’t have tahini. I love the taste.
PS I am in love with the new Ottolenghi book also – I’ve been cooking my way through and it’s so fantastic. The roasted cauliflower and celery salad and the butternut squash with tahini are amazing. I made the butternut squash dish for 3 different events this holiday season – one for my family and for two groups of inlaws – and everyone loved it.
I am tempted to try the recipe using chana dal, which is very similar to split chickpeas – so no peeling!
Hooray! One of life’s little mysteries, solved! I have seriously been chewing on this recently and wondering. You are a gift from the universe, Deb!
Aha! Rancho Gordo chickpeas. I’m a big Rancho Gordo fan but never tried their dried chickpeas. Definitely on the next order.
Ooooh thank you for fixing hummus for me! Yay! Just finished making this and I can’t wait to eat it tonight. My taste tests so far say it’s perfect!
I was at a New Year’s party and one guest made hummus there. There were some compliments, but I agree with you about the need to let it sit to develop the flavours. (She also didn’t peel the Chick peas, so it was very grainy.)
I am also a huge Ottlolenghi fan. Just made his Swiss chard and chick pea stew (from Plenty) and it was outstanding!
As I overdid it a bit too much this holiday, I see some lovely fresh hummus in my near future…
I hate to even ask for fear of being mocked off the comment list, but do you have any suggestions for making this without the tahini? My son has a sesame allergy *sob* which has rendered us a hummus-free household. Clearly the tahini binds together the powdery processed chickpeas, so I’m wondering if there’s a suitable substitute.
Also, on a side note, I ordered Dori Greenspan’s Baking cookbook because so many of my favorite recipes from your site started with her, and now I want to snuggle up and sleep with it because every single recipe is so amazing. Thanks, Deb. :O)
Britniney — Don’t let anyone mock you! It wouldn’t be classic in flavor, but I wonder if another nut butter would be good — almond, cashew, etc.
Peeling chickpeas? Who would have thought? :) Regardless, thanks for sharing your secret!
yes! removing the skins – it sounds ridiculous, but i agree, it makes far superior hummus. also, whipping the hummus while the chickpeas are warm (you can nuke them a bit for that) somehow makes the hummus even more airy, if such things were ever possible.
Nine minutes in the name of hummus certainly seems more honorable than some of the time-wasters I spend nine (or more) minutes on. That first picture – wow!
Tuesday is my housecleaning day. Tuesday is NOT “drop everything and peel the can of chickpeas I bought yesterday for the carrot soup” day and then proceed make the dreamy hummus and lick the food processor clean. Thanks for a brilliant recipe…not for my unmopped floors.
Wow, that’s cool! I always wondered how store-bought hummus was so ridiculously smooth.
For “gassy” symptom reduction – I learned from the Chocolate&Zucchini blog that adding a couple of pieces of Kombu seaweed to the cooking water helps. And from trial and error, I think it was the game changer for me – as the baking soda alone wasn’t helping.
Thanks for posting your recipe – i always consult yours first. and I love your book – took over a month for it to arrive – I kept asking the doorman everyday for my package from Amazon.
I make it in my vitamix and it is the smoothest hummus I have tasted. I will try a peeled version for comparison but can’t imagine it being any smoother. I can never get things to be silky smooth with a food processor.
Interesting! Definitely going to try this as I, too, have been plagued by slightly grainy hummus. My husband always said that whenever he visits Israel for work it’s much smoother there. One thing I did try, really in a spurt of laziness since it was already on the counter, was to make it in a blender rather than my Cuisinart as I typically do. And that made it infinitely smoother too – I thought that was the trick – but now I’ll try this.
OMG!I lusted after something that must be similar at the Mediterranean restaurant in my old neighborhood in St Louis. I’ve been trying to figure this out FOREVER. I tried all the typical things like blending the heck out of it, adding more water, more oil, more lemon, and of course nothing worked. Thanks for sharing!!
PS. I received your cookbook for Christmas and have already prepared probably 5 of the recipes. YUMMO. My 2 yo loves cookbooks too, and for all your photos he stops and says “That looks good!”. :)
I actually received comments on the smoothness of my hummus on Sunday… can you imagine if I had actually known to peel the damn things? Socks would have been knocked off. I can’t wait to space out while pickin’ chickpeas next time. I love mindless tasks…
Baking soda?? What, why, who? I’ve never heard of putting baking soda in your beans. I already cooked my chickpeas (so I could make the carrot soup, and in anticipation of this recipe) in my slow cooker like I usually do, with salt but no baking soda.
I never thought about removing the chickpea skins before – I will have to take the time and try that the next go I make hummus! :)
Bahaha- blogga PLEASE!
Is this the new smack talk in the blogging world? :)
Can’t wait to try this…looks incredible
I echo many of these comments– who knew, and yet it totally makes sense. I used to make hummus regularly using my mom’s recipe, but over the years I tweaked it in search of that perfect, creamy texture, and I never quite got there. I just visited my family in Israel, and it has renewed my quest– and magically your recipe appears! Can’t wait to try– thank you for sharing.
By the way, as a fellow sloooowwww cook/baker, I really appreciate you mentioning that. I often read recipes that *seem* quick and simple, and yet they somehow manage to take me forever, so it’s nice to know that even for someone who doesn’t work quickly, this is totally attainable! :)
Wow, that hummus does look amazing. The last time I had hummus I was pregnant (my son is now 14 mos so that tells you how long it has been!). I made me so sick that I haven’t eaten it since. This is the first time I’ve craved it since, so that says a lot about your powers of persuasion.
Looks amazing! I peel the skins off edamame for one of my favorite salads, so this doesn’t sound crazy to me :)
I never thought of that! I too am a short of patience, minimize the prep kinda gal and skipping over those steps, although often leading me astray is just such an innate part of my being. Next time, however, I will spend the nine minutes to ‘free’ my chickpeas in the hopes that my humus is half as creamy as yours.
Alas, my son (and I, too) also has a tree-nut allergy and peanut butter just doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. I may just have to make it with the tahini and ban him from it because it looks too glorious to not try!
If it means I can have smooth hummus that looks like that, I will peel the chikpeas all day long!
Does it make hummus less healthy? I’m thinking we’re taking the fiber out. Although I read Sabra hummus is so good (to me) because it has more fat than most, so why worry!
I just made the hummus, it’s definitely smooth and tasty. Maybe since I’m new to homemade hummus, I think the tahini is a little overwhelming, or maybe it’s the brand I used (Joyva). Next time I’m going to reduce the tahini a bit, this hummus definitely won’t go to waste though!
Oh! This is is terribly exciting. I have all of the things to make hummus, and keep intending to, but forget. This is a great reminder, and a great recipe to try!
I’ve been wanting to place an order to Rancho Gordo – think this post just gave me the kick in the fanny I needed. Looking forward to trying it!
I usually peel my chickpeas before using them in my hummus too! But mine never looks this smooth – I think the real trick to smooth hummus lies in how long you process it. The real novelty of this to me is the fact that you didn’t use any oil in the actual recipe, only for garnish. Genius!
oh my good god, you’ve saved me a lifetime (okay, only a few years) of wondering why hummus in the middle east was so deliciously creamy and smooth, and why no matter which brand i buy hummus here is just never that great. now i know. and i will make my own and be happy and full. thank you.
The “blogga please” slayed me as well.
I will absolutely try this (with canned chickpeas). I do find that with 1 can of chickpeas, I have do more like 1/4-1/3 cup of tahini or it gets this strong, bitter flavor that I don’t love. I have also made the garlic mistake (adding too much, too early), so thank you for the cautionary note. I also probably triple the lemon amount you suggest but that’s because my name is Auburn and I’m addicted to lemon juice.
I’ve just started peeling my chickpeas and I’ve found it’s strangely therapeutic and once finished, there is a odd sense of accomplishment!
I will now peel the chickpeas!! My mouth is watering…..
Holy crap, chickpeas that cook in less than 3 hours? Why do mine take FOREVER? Vitamin Natural Grocers has good turnover, they’re not old.
I like to put a splash of olive juice in mine – try it some time!
The other day I met a woman who helps Ottolenghi with his newspaper column here. Her “job” involves going to his studio, chatting about food, tasting, sourcing ingredients, more tasting, more chatting, some cooking, more tasting… (I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t wanted to beat her to death with my Ottolenghi book then pretend to be her, but I desisted – she was lovely. Sigh. ) Oh well. I guess I should be grateful that I live in London and can visit his AMAZING cafes (Deb, seriously – you need to do a book tour over here…)
I *always* peel chickpeas. The first time I did this when making hummus, I saw the sheer quantity of peels one measly can of chickpeas — and how smooth the hummus was. If I’m tossing them into a salad or something, I don’t bother.
“Blogga, please” = hilarious
…I don’t have a food processor… Or immersion blender or anything of that nature (minus a small mortar and pestle). Could you please post some new recipes that don’t require a blender of some form?
Cheers!
You’re not crazy for peeling chick peas, because if you are, than so am I :) I’m pretty OCD with food (texture and appearance), so the really loose skins on some chick peas always drove me nuts on both accounts… to the point that I HAD to remove them. Then I figured I might as well do it to all of them for the sake of consistency, and I’ve never gone back after experiencing the amazing results. I usually enlist my husband to help me, and we get a little assembly line going of a bowl for the skins and a bowl for the peas. It takes the 2 of us, doing 2 peas at a time, all of 4 minutes. Again, my OCD actually finds this a pretty satisfying exercise and hardly a “waste of time”. I’m so glad I’m not the only one who does this!
I have been peeling chickpeas/garbanzo beans for as long as I can remember because my father insists on peeling them for every dish he cooks that uses them. As his sous chef growing up, that was my job. There was a photo of a soup with garbanzo beans in this month’s Martha Stewart Living and you could see a loose garbanzo peel swimming in the bowl. I thought if even *Martha* doesn’t peel them, then surely my father must be crazy!
Yes! An instructor taught me this in culinary school and I thought he was craaaazy. Until I tried the hummus. And I agree with Olga, heating them up makes for a fluffier hummus, too. Thanks for the reminder that it’s not actually that time consuming :)
Thanks for posting this! The hummus looks divine. I’ve never heard of it before but I’m going to have to try this peeling-the-chickpeas technique now…
Oh my goodness. This recipe is so finger-licking delicious! I just tried it and tweaked the recipe a bit. I added half a teaspoon of cumin and one whole lemon. I also added a small teaspoon of honey. I can not stop eating this! Thank you!!
How long does this fresh hummus last in a sealed container in the fridge?
I think I read on a website somewhere – maybe Bon Appetit, maybe NY Times – about the peeling of the chick peas, and so that is not new to me (and it does improve things). But I don’t think I spent enough time pulverizing, nor did I think to add water, so I’m excited to try this version!
I JUST finished making this! I read the recipe this morning and figured while I was out shopping, I’d pick up the necessary ingredients. I had to restrain myself from eating it by the spoonful. This is amazing.
As for where to find the ingredients, if you’re unlucky like I am and don’t have a Trader Joe’s/Whole Foods nearby, you should be able to find everything at your local grocery store. I found tahini paste and Goya chickpeas at Super WalMart.
I’ve peeled before, but in Norway I actually found dry chickpeas that had been halved and already had that outer bit removed. They were in a little Middle Eastern market in the ‘pulses’ section with lentils and other pulses meant for daal. I don’t know how they do it but I don’t question it. Huge time saver!
“Blogga please”
aaand water just came out my nose but it was totally worth it.
you. crack. me. up.
Hi, Deb! Just to be clear: if using canned beans we drain them but don’t rinse them? And when adding the liquid to the hummus do we use the liquid from the can of beans, or just plain water? Thanks!
My middle son loves chickpeas. He doesn’t love the skins, though. So we’ve been popping them out of their skins for years.
I made your other hummus recipe two days ago, actually. We added cilantro, roasted garlic, and jalapeno pepper. So very yummy. I also made fromage fort last night (with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and milk instead of wine). My kids got a kick out of dipping carrots in it at lunch today. (:
The last time I made my own hummus was a long time ago but I will definitely try it again soon with this recipe. Thanks!
One more thing done in may Lebanese kitchens is to add one dollop of lebne (strained yogurt) after the processing is done. It adds a bit more smoothness to the mix.
I love chickpeas and I love hummus. It’s a very nice recipe and I’m glad you’ve decided to post it.
Hi from Walla Walla!
Long time fan, love your book. I have peeled the chickpeas before, and really like the consistency. I’ve also used the food mill (big one), and that gives that velvety texture. This year a farmer friend gave me a Home Depot bucket of freshly dried garbanzos!!! So, Ive made a lot of humus. Let me just say, that getting the peas, fresh from harvest, also makes a smooth humus, skins and all. I agree with you about the garlic. It almost doubles in flavor overnight.
Thanks for the great blog, I look forward to it everyday :)
Sharon
I’m guessing you don’t like cumin in your hummus, but if I added some in, how much do you think I should start with.
thanks
Patty — I do like a little cumin, but I wanted to make classic hummus, I figured people can add in whatever flavors they like. I’d start with a 1/4 teaspoon ground, work my way up if it feels like it need more.
Mary — A week, fairly safely. Sometimes up to two.
JMS — I don’t usually used the water from canned beans because it always feels thick and a little weird. I’m sure there are preservatives in it. But bean cooking water is a delicious thing, and can be used in bean soups instead of water and other places.
Hahaha Deb! I absolutely love that you like to peel the chickpeas one by one. I enjoy this kind of stuff too. It happens to me especially when I clean green beans, I completely space out and loving it!
I just whipped up a batch using canned garbanzos. I did not use the tahini, just added the lemon juice, and some sesame oil and water until it was soft/smooth enough. The texture is fantastic!
I’ve found that using dried over canned works wonders as well. This is the most gorgeous hummus I’ve ever seen!
I don’t think this is finicky at all, not if the end result is worth it. Hummus seems to be one of those things no one really bothers investing effort into, and as a result, it’s always mediocre. I always soak and cook my own chickpeas – I think canned ones are disgusting. I will never understand how some cannot tell there’s a difference. If you use a pressure cooker, they cook super fast. For hummus, it helps a lot to have freshly cooked, still-hot chickpeas as well – it makes all the difference to the texture and flavour if you pulse them when they’re warm, and then thin it at the end with warm cooking water.
i love humus (??? ) i eat it almost every day with falafil and Ful medames Levantine-style(??? ???? ???????? ??????? )
Now that I have a HUGE bag of za’atar…I am going to make this to go with it! Thank you for the idea of peeling the chickpeas! Can’t wait to try…
Me again…so do we now have to peel the chickpeas for the carrot soup as well? Funny to go back and see all the skins in the photo that I didn’t notice before! Wonder what difference it would make…
LOOKS REALLY GOOD
Haha, I don’t know what to say, hmm, I always peel my chickpeas. At least half of them, because seeing that skin, I just can’t imagine eating it. Oops. But I will work harder next time and peel ALL of them. Now I’m hungry again.
I just love the days you post a new recipe. I’ve been following your blog for a while now and every time you post it’s an excuse for me to explore the recipes. So far, every single recipe I’ve tried has been wonderful! Now, when I don’t know what to cook or I’m looking for a particular recipe this is my first, and often only, stop. I’ve learned to use new ingredients and not to be afraid to try unconventional combinations. I feel like what I’ve learned here has made me a bolder and more confidant cook, which makes cooking for one so much more fun!
I’m not a big fan of hummus, but that grainy texture is a big part of what turns me off, so I think I must give this one a try, too!
My Lebanese grandparents would approve. Your hummus looks just like the hummus found on their table. Creaminess really elevates the dish.
Deb, what about if you hate tahini? Is there a sub? I cannot stand sesame. Call me crazy.
Michele — Do you like hummus? Hummus (the classic stuff) always has tahini in it so it’s possible that it doesn’t bother you in the spread.
Shannon — Absolutely not. Actually, it’s those skins that you’re trying to dry then oil then crisp up in the oven to (ideally) make the chickpeas like a crackly-exterior-ed nut.
This looks unbelievable. I seriously need to get myself a new food processor!
Whoa now WHOA! This is amazing- I’ve been a lifelong eater and lover of hummus but haven’t thought to peel the little guys. Will have to give this a try ASAP- I love to throw in some sundried tomato and miso for an extra zing of flavour. Can’t wait to rock it all in one!
I love hummus! Can’t wait to try this
The pictures are nice, but soaking the chickpeas seems pretty time-consuming. I’m not sure I’d try the recipe, based on that. Hope your 2013 is off to a nice start.
Amy — There’s an option in the recipe for canned chickpeas, and a note about how simply it works with them.
I’ve been looking for a good recipe for ages and here it is :) I’m totally doing this!
Hi Deb–
If I were to ‘strain’ the hummus through a fine sieve, would it possibly produce the same silky result? Have you tried this? Thanks you!
Emily — I haven’t because then you’d end up straining out chickpea bits, which we want. I don’t find it very difficult to skin the chickpeas; I was shocked it even took 9 minutes as it doesn’t feel like it takes that long. (Then again, I dawdle.) I find it far more annoying to work anything through a strainer, but that might just be me.
g — I haven’t used one but imagine it would work passably. It might not be as smooth but it will make hummus!
Thanks for the keeper recipe!
Can an immersion blender be used effectively? Or a conventional blender???
adding a little bit of yogurt will also help with the texture. The best kind to use is authentic labne or even greek yogurt will do the trick.
What is the flavor difference between soaking your own chickpeas and canned? I love saving time, but I’m all about flavor!
Such a good tip, it looks so deliciously smooth in the pictures. I have no qualms with investing an extra nine minutes into hummus!
I will happily peel chickpeas all day for ethereally smooth hummus! I’m so happy to see that someone else uses the baking soda tip! My husband’s Chilean grandmother told me about that and I know add baking soda to all the dried beans I cook! She claims they also soften faster. Chileans also stand by the pressure cooker for cooking dried beans, but I don’t have one (canned beans hardly exist there, hence all the tips). I can’t wait to try this!
That’s so funny! I always end up removing the skins, but that’s because I don’t have a food processor or a blender, and when you’re mashing with a fork they slip off/don’t mash well at all!
Wow, I love making hummus and have made it for years. So happy to know how to make it super smooth!! I just thought a home food processor wasn’t strong enough to blend it properly. Going to make some tomorrow now!!
This looks totally worth it to me for that beautiful, creamy hummus! Peeling chickpeas doesn’t sound any worse than blanching almonds. I am making hummus this weekend!
after years of making my own at home, i was curious as to why the store bought hummus was always so smooth and silky. lo and behold, using dried chic peas was the answer, they don’t have the outside layer that falls off during the drying process. soak them in cold water the evening before, then prepare as usual !!
The very best hummus I’ve ever had was at Zahav in Philadelphia. They have a variation called Turkish hummus that’s served warm, with grilled garlic and butter, and it’s to die for. It’s also silky smooth and I’ve always wanted to replicate it at home (since I don’t live close enough to just drop by for hummus and laffa).
I’m another who always peels my chickpeas. It was the first time I did it and ended up with a dingy-looking pile of chickpea skins that convinced me – I thought “That doesn’t look delicious!”
I will totally use this method though. I’m horribly guilty of “dump everything in and blend” which results in good hummus, but it doesn’t look this smooth and fluffy. My pregnant self REALLY wants some hummus now.
Excellent!
PS: Love Rancho Gordo
This sounds heavenly! Unfortunately I’m allergic to nuts and haven’t yet been able to find tahini that doesn’t say “may contain traces of tree nuts” on it yet. Maybe I’ll just make my own, because this sounds/looks awesome!
Thank you thank you thank you!! This sounds not like a January hummus, a resolution hummus, but a real one! I’d be making this now, if not for that silly thing called bedtime. Would this be okay with sesame seeds instead of tahini, and maybe a little more seasoning? Also: I know you don’t like to advocate certain brands, but have you found any brand of canned chickpea consistently better than others?
OH MY GOD thank you, thank you, thank you! I love my local middle Eastern restaurant’s smooth hummus so much and my quest to make it never came to fruition for years. So instead I have relied on the smoothness of Sabra brand hummus. Who knew it was only a matter of skinning?? Deb, once again, I love ya!
Thank you so much for this! I LOVE the taste of hummus but I am one of those odd creatures that has a thing about textures and usually the grainy bits get me. But smooth hummus sounds just heavenly!
xx Kait
Your timing is impeccable (again). I bought chickpeas for falafel at the store today, wandered the aisles, and thought, “I really want to make hummus, too. I should get more beans.” And, lo and behold, I got home and saw your post. Providence?
Now that I know to peel them, life will be good.
Have you ever tried making your own tahini?
I too do this. My 10yo daughter actually came out to help and declared it was “FUN!” She liked how they snap out of their skins.
Zaa’tar is the best too! I like a hummus, kalamata olive, cuke, tomato, feta, zaa’tar combo. Fabulous with fresh garden tomatoes.
That just looks ethereal. So soft and velvety, it would taste delish with some warm Pita bread. Love the post :)
Although I love hummus, I have never made it, strangely, not because peeling chickpeas would be too much to ask but because the tahini always comes in a large quantity and I never know what else to use it in. What’s the shelf life of tahini? or what’s a good way to use it up?
I love the stuff! I learned to make it from my mom and her secret to a smooth and creamy hummus is tofu! I normally am not a huge fan of it but throw half a block of extra firm tofu in your food processor and it really smoothes the texture out. There’s no difference in taste and you’ve got an extra kick of protein!
I don’t think that’s crazy at all, now it makes sense! I’m definitely doing this the next time I make hummus and finally, I’ll have a smooth and sultry version I’ve been trying for all this time! Thank you :)
I LOVE hummus, but I am not opposed to making hummus with canned chickpeas. I certainly know that fresh is better, but when time is a factor, I will happily set down to a plate of hummus with tinned chickpeas. Plus, I love to add in a bit of paprika to my hummus – it adds a nice little twist on the flavor that I quite like.
I made the hummus from Ottolenghi’s cookbook and it was yummy, but I can’t imagine peeling the chickpeas! (Maybe a job for my 8 year old ;) I really wanted to make every recipe in the book, one by one…
Deb, You need an iPad app for this site…I can’t lust over these recipes on safari ;)
Ummm. WOW. What a difference! THIS IS WHAT MY HUMMUS DREAMS ARE MADE OF! I’m so glad you shared this :)
@Jennifer (204), I had a jar of tahini in my fridge for 5 months before, no problems. I found more uses for it in sauces lately, but mostly I keep making hummus… or Deb’s warm butternut squash chickpea salad (so addicting)!
Can’t even tell you how many times I have started to pull the skins off the chickpeas when making hummus and then thought to myself, NAH! This is crazy!
Next time, I will absolutely persevere.
Must try, store bought hummus can be expensive for what it is! p.s. does anyone know how to “pin” Deb’s recipes?? This is how I like to keep all my online recipes…
For those of you with sesame allergies or that hate tahini, here is a recipe I use all the time that doesn’t use it (and no nuts in it either). Don’t be thrown off by the whole head of garlic either. It is roasted and really doesn’t taste too garlicky, in fact I often add some raw chopped to get enough garlic flavor.
1 head of roasted peeled garlic (I use the toaster oven. Separate the cloves first but don’t peel, then roast until soft and the cloves pop right out of the skin)
1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of oil used to roast the garlic
And then whatever you like for seasonings. I like a little curry powder, a little bit of chicken oxo bullion powder, seasoning salt, pepper, and a some raw chopped garlic (save a couple cloves from the roasted head if you want).
I’ve always used my immersion blender (bamix) to blend it.
you dont have to peel each one. In a very large bowl of water, rub a bunch betw your palms…the skins are rubbed off and most of them FLOAT..the beans sink.Just skim the skins off the top and voila!
Wow. Alex and Jacob are so lucky to have you! I feel very inspired to spend an extra few minutes to create the winter equivalent to berries and cream.
I’ve never been one to mind the texture of hummus. In fact, I kind of like the grittiness, BUT after purchasing a bag of chickpea flour (for a failed baking experiment and not having any idea of what to do with the leftovers), I made hummus. Chickpea flour results in super smooth hummus and one bag goes a long way.
Cooks Illustrated wrote about microwaving canned beans for a minute, then cooling to room temp before processing. They found it made smoother hummus, even after refrigeration. The heating breaks down amylose (starch) crystals, which then get coated in the fat (from the tahini, or olive oil if you blend that in), and thus the amylose does not re-crystallize, and thus the hummus is creamier!
Hi. I have a couple of corrections for you, Deb, namely that as long as you cook chick peas from scratch, you don’t have to individually shuck them.
1. The purpose of baking soda is not, as you say, to degas the beans but rather to soften their skins. A great way to prepare dried chick peas is to soak them with the baking soda. Do that ideally overnight then rinse them thoroughly, cover them in cold water, simmer them to completion, drain them, then cover them in cold water again. At that point the beans will fall to the bottom of the pot and the skins will float near the surface of the water where they can be skimmed off. *No tedious shucking is required.* You may mix around and rub the beans in the water to loosen any remaining skins but I should add that the skins come out so soft due to the baking soda soak that it’s really not necessary to painstakingly remove every single one….
2. To degas beans, it helps to:
– add a strip of Kombu to the water while cooking.
– skim off the foamy scum that rises to the top.
– not cover the pot while cooking.
3. If you really want to experience a good scratch hummus, then by George you must make your own tahini. It is as simple as toasting sesame seeds then pureeing them them in the food processor before adding the garlic and beans. That’s a very silly product to buy, tahini!
These suggestions come to you from a 2nd generation Greek.
Nice but nothing ground-breaking and nothing that Syrian and Lebanese cooks haven’t been doing since forever. Chickpeas are boiled, then strained and immediately rubbed between clean tea towels to remove skins. I was taught this by the Syrian cook in the hotel I worked in and he said it was very much the standard way of making hummus
I hadn’t ever thought of peeling the chickpeas, but now I must. It’s just the cathartic craziness I love!
I could float on a cloud made entirely of this hummus.
This is the very best hummus I have ever tasted!I don’t know whether to tell all my friends about it or guard it like the crown jewels. Thank you.
….or buy a Vitamix. I have relentlessly pursued the perfect hummus recipe for years ….I do mean years. The recipe in Jerusalem by Ottolenghi is the best for proportions but changing the order of the ingredients (up the liquid a bit) in a Vitamix and the smoothest, creamiest, divine hummus is all yours (I’m not paid by Vitamix!) without the peeling (which I have tried in the past on the hummus hunt).
Pictures and explanation gorgeous, as always. Happy New Year
Deb, you have just given away the secrets of Arab grandmothers everywhere! I always preferred my hummus with peeled beans and usually did it under running water with a bowl. Rub the beans together and the peels float to the top. Water is also another secret. Many of my friends would continue to add oil, tahini or lemon if the hummus was too thick and could never get their flavors right. Once I get my flavor where I want, I add water until it’s super fluffy.
P.S. Try it with a little cumin. Super yummy.
What is the reason for letting hummus rest in the fridge for 30 minutes or longer-I usually can’t wait that long! (Plus I enjoy hummus better at room temp. anyway)
If you put the chickpeas into boling wather isntead of cold, you’ll no need any baking soda and they’ll be the softest cheackpeas ever
How interesting! I ALWAYS peel chickpeas, whatever I use them in. No one has told me to. Just feels like the right thing to do. That skin on them is unappetising to me! Unless roasted I suspose. Glad I was doing the right thing all along :)
I love chickpeas but can’t stand hummus, apparently due to the tahini that is added (I can’t stand tahini). I’s love any ideas for substitutions for the tahini… Thanks!
My mother who is from Morocco always cooked fresh chickpeas for tajine stews and harira soup and my job as a child was to peel them. It is really very easy..
I make humus all the time, but I don’t like the taste of tahini. It is totally heretic but I usually make it without, have a Jamie recipe that I use with garlic, lemon, cumin and dried pepper. Lovely, and everybody always drools over it.
Hi Ronit, look up my great recipe for humus from Jamie Oliver. It’s probably online. Without tahini, so it doesn’t have that nasty mouthfeel ;)
You are so funny.
By the way, there is notering wrong with canned chickpeas if you don’t have time. Beats ordering pizza, not?
I think this sounds like a perfect hummus! I never have quite gotten a really great one when I make it myself, looking at this I think I don’t put in enough lemon! THANK you- I love these pared down versions of good things. I like the tahini, too.
My quick homemade guac is similar- avocado, minced onion, minced tomato, lime juice, seasoned salt- mash with a fork, done. I love the simplicity of the ingredients and how the taste of all comes through!
Looking forward to peeling my chickpeas! :)
If there is a chickpea heaven, it’s in Tuscany. We stayed in an agriturismo (http://www.agriturismobarbi.it/Inglese/prodottiing/prodottiing.html) that farmed the fabulous ceci that have a shockingly good flavor and have almost no skin due to the poor soil in which they grow. I have one bag left. Wish we could buy them here!
Ummmm. . . I actually have an easier method for peeling chickpeas. I started out doing it the way you do, by peeling every single one, but then I thought – Why don’t I put them on a clean towel, fold the other half of the towel over and gently roll the chickpeas in the towel. It works just as good. But, either method is worth it in my opinion too!
I don’t know Deb — this doesn’t sound “weird” to me. what sounds weird to me is waking up at 0630, checking the computer to find 106 messages, clicking immediately on theone from Smitten Kitchen, and at 0705 absolutely drooling over the idea of hitting the kitchen this minute and what time does the local co-op open and do they have the best dried chick peas or do I need to drive the 48 miles to the Hanover co-op to get the good ones. All before 8 a.m. of course. In any event, guess I know how my day off (first one in 12 days) is going to be spent. I’m wondering, if one WERE to succumb to the canned beans, would the juice from the can mixed with a little warm water work to thin the hummus… Maybe I’ll have to try both the canned and dried beans today…
Wow man! thanks for sharing this recipe… been searching for new recipe…
here in Chile you can also buy peeled dried chickpeas. I know there are some in my cupboard. I will try them in hummus!
This sounds great, but I may be one of the minority who thinks tahini actually detracts from hummus. Do you think just adding more cooking water and/or olive oil and/or lemon juice would result in the same creaminess?
When I lived in West Africa, my cook, Sammy, always made hummus with freshly boiled, PEELED chickpeas! Now that i am back in the USA I admit to being lazy and buying my hummus in the grocery store, but in memory of Sammy and his terrific hummus I plan to make a batch from scratch. Thanks for the post. By the way, he also oven roasted the peeled chickpeas with cumin, a tasty, crunchy snack.
I think you just changed my hummus world. I don’t think you are crazy at all.
I worked in Saudi Arabia in the early 1980. Hummus was a recipe I brought back with me. Gasp! Back then no one liked it!!!! And now it is ubiquitous. I always peel the beans…
This has just made it on my menu for Saturday dinner! I’ve never tried to make hummus at home but you made the whole process look quite easy and I think it’s totally worth a try, especially considering that hummus is one of my absolute favorite dish!
xo, Elisa
I have never peeled the chickpeas, but have found that if I microwave the chickpeas with liquid for 5 minutes, drain, and process the hot beans, the texture is quite smooth. Hmmm, do I want to add another 4 minutes to prep time? Will have to think on this. Thanks for the idea.
Just out of curiosity….how did you stumble upon this? I mean, how did you figure out that just the simple step of removing the skin made the hummus look so absolutely pillowy?
Deborah — My friend Molly insisted we do it this way when we were cooking for a party at our place in… 1999! (God, I’m old.) But I didn’t think much about it until my obsession with The Hummus Place kicked off when I was pregnant a few years ago. I think we eat there or from there once a week and their hummus is like nothing I’ve ever had. I started wondering if they did it with peeled chickpeas, and one day I ordered something that had plain chickpeas on top and I noticed they’d been peeled. I knew for certain that their hummus secret was the same as hers and haven’t looked back since. It’s so worth it.
Sara — If your chickpeas are hot because they were just cooked, it’s to cool them. In both cases, it helps the flavors settles. It’s not a requirement, but it does improve the flavor.
nicole — All recipes can be pinned! There’s a “Pin” link at the bottom of each full post (click on the title, top photo, or comments button to get to the template; if you’re reading a recipe or second half of a post, you’re already in it) before the comments begin. It will take you to a bookmarklet and allow you to choose the photos you want to Pin.
Jennifer — I’m not sure if I’m supposed to, but I keep it forever in the fridge.
Alexis — ZAHAV! I can’t even say the name without getting weepy. Only got to eat there once but I pine to go back.
Olivia — It will really depend on the brand. If you’re all about flavor, however, freshly soaked will always win. But, I find Goya to be a solid substitute when canned are needed.
(Of course, as always, for as long as this site has existed, nobody sponsors my brand choices. And I in general prefer not to discuss “choice” brands. But I’ve just opened soo so so so so many brands of terribly mushy, peeling, flavorless beans that I hope to help others avoid the headache.)
Peeling chick peas can’t be worse than squeezing & zesting a bag of tiny key limes…I think I’ll give it a try! Looks yummy, thanks for posting!
I’ve been “skinning” chick peas for years and everyone thought I was nuts. It is worth every extra second it takes and it makes all the difference in the world when you make pasta with chick peas.
Nothing can replace freshly prepared chickpeas. I always do mine up with sea weed. Also- if you have yet to try camelina oil- you must! A new and organic oil from the prairies and is heat stable. There is a great chill version that is amazing in hummus and drizzled over top.
A peeling method alternative that’s pretty fast: spread chickpeas across a towel (paper or tea) in a single layer, and cover with another towel. Then rub your hand over the top towel, sort of slightly rolling the chickpeas around under the towel. (Use a little pressure.) Remove the top towel and pick off the peels that have popped off.
I’ve heard (NY Times, I think) that processing the garbanzos while warm also makes a much smoother hummus. Haven’t tried that yet, so I can’t confirm. And, I too have an allergy to sesame so I’ve been using ground pistachios (found at Kalustyan’s) with a little extra olive oil or roasted peanut oil (which amps up the flavor just a bit). Using pre-ground nuts means that the end result is creamier; whole nuts never seem to process all the way down.
I know no one will ever believe me on this, but there is a better way than peeling chickpeas for hours. use a can of chickpeas in salted water and process in a blender, NOT a food processor. Add about half the water from the can and your preferred oil (sunflower for me) while the motor is running to make an emulsion.
I don’t quite know why a blender makes such a difference over even a really good food processor, but it does.
I have just been introduced to hummus at a local tapas place and love it. Always wanted to try it but never had the chance. Thanks for the recipe. The girls and I want to try making our own soon.
Holy Moly. That first picture is pretty enough for framing and that hummus looks so delightfully fluffy that I want to slather it on everything immediately.
I just read your cookbook cover to cover. It had been under the Christmas tree, wrapped neatly for a well deserving friend. She’ll get her own, un-violated copy soon, but not this one! I love this hummus recipe and can’t wait to peel some chickpeas! Your site is lovely, photos are amazing and the added bonus of sweet baby hands/fingers is the icing on the cake. Thank you, Deb!
I love hummus, but have never yet made it at home, so I’m looking forward to trying out your recipe this week. (Your carrot soup recipe, meanwhile, is on the menu for tonight!)
However, I do cook chickpeas regularly (channa being a regular part of Indian cuisine) and I have a question: why don’t you use a pressure cooker? I soak overnight, then toss into the pressure cooker and it takes a maximum of 15 minutes. So I don’t really understand why you would cook it for hours…Am I missing something here — are American chickpeas different from Indian ones or something?
Priscilla — I don’t use a pressure cooker because I don’t have one. If you have one, you should definitely use it. That said, I’m absolutely certani it will be my next kitchen purchase. I cannot resist any longer!
I am a decidedly un-fussy cook and tend to avoid all “unnecessary steps” (and many of the necessary ones, if I’m being honest) but I have been peeling my chickpeas for hummus for years! I feel justified now that you do it, too.
These comments are the best. Deb, I can’t believe you doubted your peeps! Look how many chickpea-peelers there are! I have also peeled chickpeas, but mashed my hummus, so it was by no means fluffy. I will try with a blender. And I wanted to second the idea above of boiling canned beans just briefly to soften further. I find that makes a big difference .. chickpeas, white beans, etc.
You can add some cumin. It’s tasty plus it will help to get rid of the irritation usually chickpeas causes when eaten mixed with other food.
The traditional medicine claim that when you soak dry chickpeas in water, it’s better to leave it for 2-3 days covered then cook it with the water you used for soaking and:
Drinking this water after cooking is good for back pain.
If you eat it with its water plus a bit of vinegar is good for stomach & womb cleansing. Must be eaten on an empty stomach the whole day.
If you added a little bit of honey to this water uncooked it claims to increase the sexual ability in men!
Eating cooked chickpeas generally cures some types of headaches and migraines. It also clears the throat and calms coughing.
People who suffers from rheumatism, arthritis, gout, and diabetes better to avoid it.
You have seriously Rocked.My.World!! I have been to Manila for several business trips, and at a Persian restaurant there I had the most perfectly smooth and delicious hummus in my life – like velvet on your tongue. I figured they used some kind of magic to make it so perfect, but now I know the secret! And I won’t have to travel to the other side of the world to get it anytime I want. Thank you! Love your site and your cookbook!
Just wondering if peeling the beans would lower the fiber content, which might lower the health benefits?
Thank you so much for sharing this. My husband makes his own hummus and the texture was never quite as good as I wanted. Now I will have to make it soon and teach him the real secret! Never seen any other recipe suggest that, but if it gets rid of the grainy texture, Oh, it will be worth it. I do love my hummus.
Hi there, I love your blog! I want to try this hummus recipe because I recently learned from my 2 year old daughter’s teacher that she loves hummus they serve a snack time. How long would the hummus last (I assume it is store in the fridge?)? Thanks!
I must say I have tried both peeled and not. I have found that using an immersion blender makes a creamy hummus and there is no need to peel.
When I have a few minutes to whip up tahini, then hummus I do not want to take extra time and it is more about the emulsion process for me.
Canned beans, garbanzos are great. Try a canneli bean with rosemary, or pinto with red pepper. The possibilities are endless. Instead of the tahini (oil source) use olive oil. Bean dips are great!
Was looking at the Hummus recipe, and noticed the Apple Sharlotka from a year ago. If anyone missed this AMAZING goodie you NEED to put on the list for the weekend. Simple ,flavorful and quite “a looker” besides… everyone will be impressed . I have some apples in the fridge calling me, right AFTER the chickpeas. Geez, the stuff looks so fluffy, who knew?
I must agree with Priscilla. My good girlfriend (yourresidentgourmet.com) hipped me to the Cuisinart electric pressure cooker about a year ago. We refer to it affectionately as the EPC whenever we’re raving about what we made the night before. Next to the coffee grinder, it is the most used gadget in my kitchen. It is a huge time saver without sacrificing flavor. Lamb shanks, beef short ribs, corned beef brisket, stock? Imagine having them done in an hour or less and still tasting fantastic. I haven’t bought a can of beans since getting it–I make ’em by the pound and freeze in ziplocs with the bean juice. You can soak them if you want, but I don’t even bother–just up the time on the EPC per the included handy dandy cooking guide. Garbanzos are two minutes out and as soon as the pressure releases and they’re cool enough to handle, it’ll be time to try out this new-to-me technique. I can hardly wait!
I like rolling the chickpeas around in a couple of kitchen towels to dislodge the skins. They come right off easy peasy.
If using canned beans, do you need to dry them out a little first, or will the skins come off if they are wet?
Brittany — The skins come off just fine if they’re wet. I do drain and rinse them usually.
I’m all about peeling my chickpeas for superbly smooth hummus as well. So worth those extra few minutes!
To easily peel chickpeas, I lay them out on paper towels immediately after draining them. Then I put another paper towel on top and kind of roll the chickpeas around. When I lift the paper towel, many of the skins have been released, and I just pick them up and toss them. I may have to do it a couple of times, but it’s definitely an easy way to remove the skin.
I would have absolutely no trouble with the idea of peeling chickpeas. Actually, it sounds very relaxing.
Love this recipe. BTW, cooking chickpeas in a pressure cooker (about 3 whistles) is much faster and also somehow ‘loosens’ up the skins…some to the extent that they are already off the chickpeas. Maybe its due to cooking under pressure. In fact when I need chickpeas with skin intact, I reduce the cooking time or not use pressure cooker at all.
How simple and yet so sneaky. I never would have thought of peeling the peas. Thanks.
That is the most beautiful picture of hummus I’ve ever seen!
You aren’t crazy- that looks amazing.
In the time I’ve been reading your blog (a year+) I’ve marveled at how delightfully you play with words, compares only to your mastery with food. Here’s what makes me smile: your turn of a phrase, the specific pleasure of popping the Garbanzo out of its skin, that your indecisions span from bangs to coffee tables to soups, or asking us to lean in, that you are about to tell us a brilliant secret that you’ve gone all your life not knowing, don’t let it happen to us! Fromage Fort. Your sense of humor and spot on descriptions are the scents that grab and put a kitchen utensil into our hands.
Wow, Deb! You’ve unlocked a secret to the most amazing hummus! I knew there was SOMETHING that makes hummus that silky smooth….
I will definitely add this on my list to try!
I Knew this would be your ‘secret’ as it is exactly how I learned to make hummus when I lived in France and worked one summer teaching English and French to the children of a Saudi Arabian family. I was very well-paid, but in addition, I shared the most amazing mid-day meals with the extended family. It was heaven. I begged for a few food lessons before the end of the summer and I’ve peeled the little chicks for 20 years now. Everyone still thinks I’m crazy when I tell them my ‘secret.’ But the queue ’round the hummus platter at parties is the best reward.
Thanks for sharing your story, Deb! It’s obvious from the comments that there are many of us who do not think the extra stop is Cuckoo. :) Happy Cooking!
I’m using my first comment not to tell you how much I love your site (I do!) or your cookbook (I totally do!) but that you totally slayed me with “Blogga, please”. seriously, I read it yesterday and it’s still making me chuckle today. Love it!
Do you use toasted/roasted tahini? That was all my grocery store had, but it seemed really strong in the finished hummus. But it was soooo smooth!
Also, do you have suggestions for added flavors?
Oh no you didn’t! But I may just try this anyway because I’m pretty intrigued and the photos are amazing. It almost looks like frosting.
Another vote here for the pressure cooker. I throw a couple of smashed garlic cloves in the cooker along with a glug of olive oil, but discard it when the garbanzos are cooked. I also peel them warm and use some of the cooking water, cumin and a bit of cayenne. Love mixing in more lemon juice when serving, top with drizzled olive oil, generous amount of smoked paprika, a few dashes of cayenne and a pinch or two of sumac. People don’t know what hit them! Thank you for your beautiful book!
What the—–
*sigh* Darn you. I know I’ll be trying this now, even with my short attention span!
Thank you! This came at just the right time. I am enjoying your book. Thanks!
I am actually sitting at the computer after just clicking on your page to check for a new post and dipping carrot sticks into the very same hummus you discuss above! I got Jerusalem for Christmas and I am slowly working my way through all the fantastic recipes. I also got your book, which I absolutely love and spent the last hour at spin class thinking about the brownie cookies so I will have to bake them this weekend.
As impressed as I am about your chickpea shelling patience, I’m even more impressed by the rose-like grooves you’ve got going on the surface of your houmous. Was that intentional? :-)
I’ve never made hummus with anything but canned chickpeas before…I’ll definitely have to give this a try one day when I have some extra time on my hands!
If this is madness…It’s divine madness! I went right to the kitchen and started poppin’ those little chick shells off, and making this recipe. I make hummus all the time, and thought it was really good, but this is over the top delicious. Creamy and smooth and yummy. I did add some cumin, coriander,and black pepper. Thank you so much for sharing this excellent tip.
I’ve been peeling my chickpeas ever since you did the post on the smashed chick pea salad and I didn’t like the way the little pea ghost looked in the mix :)
hey deb! got your cookbook for christmas- gonna try 1 recipe a week until i’m done with the book! :-) that’s my new year’s resolution. haha anyway, just a note to those readers who have rice cookers/steamers. i cook my chickpeas in my rice cooker two times and they turn out wonderfully tender! have you tried it? does it produce the same tenderness as the stovetop method?
Love hummus with celery. This is my choice of snack while making dinner.
I’m so upset that I just made a batch of hummus a couple days ago and I was thinking about peeling the chick peas, but thought to myself that I would be crazy to do so….now I wish I did.
I don’t actually like smooth hummus – to me, the slightly grainy texture is pretty essential. ‘Fast food’ in my home growing up often included souped up hummus from a can (extra lemon+tahini+garlic) (which I completely stand by as a surprise-guest alternative), and the palestinian version was always the one we liked best. It’s less smooth than the turkish kinds, or at least that was the case with the brands available to us. It led me to believe there is a country bound divide on hummus consistency – I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s a good guide line on the canned stuff :)
First, I LOVE your cookbook. I have a large cookbook collection that I’m quite happy with and haven’t found another to actually buy in years. Usually I just take out from the library. Yours is the first I’ve purchased in a long while and I am very happy with it. I’m finding it very hard to stop looking at the beautiful pictures and actually start cooking something from it. I’m scared I’ll get something on it. Coincidentally the same day I got your cookbook I also purchased Jerusalem and a bag of chickpeas from Williams Sonoma. So after reading this post I’m figuring its fate and I’d better just go ahead and make this hummus. It looks awesome! Best of luck! Kathy
Question: if I’m going to throw them into the blender to puree them anyway, how come I need to chop the garlic cloves first? Note: I am what the French would call “lazy”.
Have you checked to see if you are losing some nutritional value of the garbanzo bean by removing the husk?
my mum stumbled on this secret years ago, i agree it is the magic ticket! I can get a nice two-handed peeling rhythm going and it takes no time at all. Totally worth it.
I normally add cumin and a bit of cayenne pepper to my hummus too. I make a batch using a whole can of chickpeas then divide it into little containers and put some in the freezer….the thawed stuff is not quite as nice as fresh but the difference is pretty minimal, and it stops me from eating a giant bowl of hummus in one go :)
PS: got your cookbook for christmas, it looks GREAT. cheers!
My mind is absolutely boggling after reading almost 300 comments. Who knew that so many people make their own hummus? Or that so many people have a problem with tahini? Not me!
This brings back fond memories of taking an older friend to lunch at a Middle Eastern restaurant. They brought a small serving of hummus to share while our food was being prepared. My friend had never eaten hummus before, but she practically licked the plate clean!
We have made hummus with white beans which also seems to make it a bit smoother, although the taste is obviously a bit different.
Let’s face it: you are a GENIUS and this recipe is GENIUS!
Oh my. The picture of the ready hummus in the food processor (4th up) totally made me get up and put those chickpeas to soak.
I believe I can actually SEE how much creamier it is!
I made it last night with canned chickpeas and it was delicious! Pealing the chickpeas was not so bad. I added a little more lemon juice but besides that i stuck to the recipe. My fiance loved it too! Thanks Deb! Btw now i have the short ribs from your book braising in the oven and my whole apartment smells so good that i cant wait to try them!
oh dear, the bar has been raised regarding tedious kitchen tasks!
I want to second Alanna’s comment — chickpea flour makes the smoothest hummus I’ve ever had! That said, it might actually be too smooth for some people (like my partner…) so I tend to use half chickpeas and half chickpea flour.
Soaking your own chick peas is essential, AND peeling them, and a nice glass of Malbec wine.
I am sure this makes a lovely hummus, but who in this world has time for this extra step. Not everyone has a commercial style blender, but you know what, it makes the creamiest hummus ever. I like the comments regarding chick pea flour. Won’t catch me peeling chick peas.
Thank you for posting this, Deb! I’ve been flummoxed as to the secret to smooth hummus for so long; so happy to finally know the answer! I’m going to sic my boyfriend on it – he’s our resident hummus-maker. Love Rancho Gordo beans!
Ps. Made your gingerbread dutch baby for breakfast this morning – it was sublime.
How long does the hummus keep? Presuming you can refrain from devouring it all immediately!
My favorite middle eastern restaurant near me also peels the chickpeas, so I knew about this. Your recipe looks delicious!
While you are on a chickpea skinning kick you can make some crunchy chickpeas! They are a very tasty snack. I’ve made the Cooking Light version (http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/crunchy-chickpeas-50400000122937/) but I’m sure you could come up with a delightful version of your own.
Dear Deb,
Funny thing…when I have gone to the movies with friends from Italy we always bring along a jar of homemade ceci in brine. It seems this is Italy’s version of popcorn at the movies.
You sit for the two hrs or so popping the skins (which have become slightly rubbery from the brine) off these delightful morsels which are also seasoned in the brine. So you see, taking the skins off of ceci is one of my expert level culinary accomplishments!
I am making your recipe tomorrow as now I can put my expertise to the test!
Grazie mille,
Sofia
I’ve been making a different type of super creamy hummus for a few years. If you’re too lazy to peel the chickpeas (like me), you can achieve a similar result by first creaming the lemon juice and tahini together in the food processor before adding the chickpeas or olive oil. You want the lemon/tahini to froth up. For some reason, this helps the entire mixture to come together much smoother.
“Blogga, please” Snort!
Thanks for providing your wisdom on this labourious (to some) method. I now have an authoritative link to direct soon to be converts to.
What to do with the resulting chickpea skins? My beloved weirdo dog LOVED the chickpea skins as a snack or mixed in with her regular raw food.
Great post! Now I know how to AVOID that creamy textured hummus! Like Kat a few comments back, I enjoy a slightly grainy hummus, much like I prefer a textured whole-grain bread to Wonder bread. And I really like finding a loose chick-pea skin in a salad; YUM! Oh well, knew I was different….
As for leftover tahini, it’s great eaten plain on a spoon – my wife loves that, and I sometimes indulge, but we also make a nice salad dressing from it – tahini, lime or lemon juice, a dash of soy or tamari, and some toasted sesame oil, and water to desired consistency. Don’t even need a food processor, just a fork or whisk.
I worked at a Mediterranean restaurant that had excellent hummus- very smooth like yours here. We would soak the beans overnight then boil the crap out of them the next day, then we had them in a large container and would run cool water over them, stirring them occasionally, and the skin would kind of float to the surface allowing us to skim it off. If we didn’t get it all it was ok it would just get blended in. We were making very large batches though, but maybe this could help!
Great tip, Deb. Thanks. Will be peeling from now on.
Try pressure cooking the chickpeas after a good soak in plain water, overnight. You can then add a little (or not) baking sodat o the water in the p.cooker along with the c’peas. Saves time,pot-watching and fuel.
OH.MY.GOD.
I have been making my own hummus x number of times but never has it ended up smooth and silky, just the way you want it. More often than not i have ended up throwing it out! I have put it down to my food processor being rubbish (which it admittedly is) and before i even bother trying again i’d better invest in a new one first
….but now you’re telling me there’s a new trick! I love it! Maybe it says more about me than anything else but i have no problem whatsoever with peeling chickpeas, i bet it’s meditative – or therapeutic even!
THANK YOU, i am so excited right now!!
It’s so funny that you should mention peeling chickpeas…..just a few nights ago, I was making this wonderful carrot soup with tahini and chickpeas (wink wink) and as I was tossing the chickpeas in olive oil and seasonings, I noticed the skins falling off! I have used chickpeas many times, but never noticed this happening! I am beyond excited to make hummus sans chickpea skins and taste the difference for myself! I also received your cookbook as a Christmas gift and have been having a wonderful time reading through and making my shopping lists for the new recipes I will be trying! Have a wonderful new year!!
My best friend waited in line (again) in Austin at Book People (first time was for PW’s first book) to get me an autographed copy of your book for Christmas although I had pre-ordered 2 for Christmas gifts as well and have been cooking out of them since they arrived. The deepest dish apple pie, the gooey cinnamon squares, the chocolate silk pie not too mention many from the blog all these many years. Love the pictures, the recipes and Jacob! Can hardly wait to make this! It is good to have friends especially those that will wait in line for hours for something they themselves are unfamiliar…needless to say she is now a fan of yours and PW’s!
I have peeled them before & yes the Hummus was very creamy ! But it was a tedious job. Also how much fiber do you lose ?
Part of me feels sympathy for the poor naked chickpeas, but the rest of me is like MUAHAHA now this hummus is one step closer to complete hummus perfection. So I’m gonna go with the latter. thank you
Okay, Deb, I have to admit that when I first read your post I thought exactly what you said the reader would think. “HA HA…yeah, there’s no way.”
But you got me all hungry for hummus and then I just happened to be talking to my sister on the phone and had an open can of chickpeas and…well, the rest is history. Except for the part where I dipped my finger in it and “WO–OOOWWW” came out of my mouth. It is SO smooth!
And now I’m laughing to myself because one of my sisters doesn’t make her own hummus but buys it from the store – which I can’t stand! The stuff doesn’t even taste like hummus. Anyway, it is going to be quite hilarious to tell her to not only make her own, but also peel the chickpeas.
I do have one questions which I didn’t find asked in the comments (though, in all confession, around 240, I dozed off a bit)…your tahini looks a lot lighter than mine. Mine is much darker – it looks as dark as peanut butter. Does the color affect the taste? If it does – and yours is super good – what kind do you use? I know you said above you don’t like posting brands, but I’d love to know – if it makes a big difference – like peeling chickpeas.
Like a lot of people above, I added in the seasonings I usually add – and olive oil in the blender. I cannot WAIT to eat this stuff tomorrow. I mean, I had a hard time leaving it in the fridge overnight. I want to eat it all!
Oh my gosh. I’m such a blonde. I asked the brand of tahini question and then looked at the picture, and it has the name on it. Sorry for being an idiot. I am still curious about your thoughts on the taste of tahini and its relation to color. :)
With trepidation and blind faith I’ll give it a go (9 minutes of my boring life! noooo!) But only because I trust you so implicitly!
Question: I went on a bit of a smooth-hummus kick last year and googled all the internet looking for the secrets. A lot of people seemed to warn against the baking soda trick because it makes the chick peas less nutritious? Have you heard this? I might say what the hell to nutrition and go ahead and try the baking soda method because removing the skins seemed to help some, although it didn’t get me quite to Sabra-hummus creaminess (the holy grail for me).
Sorry, sorry, I didn’t realise you might not have a pressure cooker, Deb! In a land where dal appears on the table every day, it’s hard to imagine any kitchen without a pressure cooker. Do buy one if you like pulses, beans and lentils — pressure cooking makes life so much easier. It’s also much faster to cook meat, make stock, etc.
I’m also going to try the suggestion several people have made in the comments to use chickpea flour for smooth hummus. Besan, as it’s called here, is easily available in the shops, so if it gives me a quicker and smoother hummus-making process, I’m all for it.
While I was living in Saudi Arabia my Lebanese friend made the best hummus I’ve ever had.. She told me you had to peel the chickpeas and I always skipped this step. Made your hummus today and it was exactly like here’s. I mean exactly!! Yu-um!! I added a step that she does and that is to add a small pice of lemon to the chickpeas if you are cooking them from scratch.
Priscilla if you read this, how long do you cook the chickpeas for in the pressure cooker? I have a pressure rice cooker but am a bit scared to use it for the chickpeas since I don’t know the actual setting (it’s in Korean) so if I knew the time it should take then I’d be brave and try it:)
Oops sorry Priscilla, hadn’t read all 300 posts, lol, and just saw your other post with the time, 15 minutes. Good to know. I spent 45 cooking mine today. Hummus was yummy:)
I adore your writing and your recipes! Smitten with your cookbook, and this recipe looks incredible.
You know, im usually very fond of your recipes and takes on them but somehow its little downer this time. It just sound to me too much of similar than this, http://desertcandy.blogspot.fr/2007/07/hummus-dilettante.html. It can be just by suprise that there is so much of same with this or other libanese and arabic/israeli cooking sites talking of hummus.But honestly, there is just that much what you can say about it :). No matter how fond of smooth humus anyone is and im one crazy of it. But, still i like your blog very much and will be cooking from it tomorrow, its time for some more butternutsquash :)
I started off making a black bean hummus. One day I decided to go with traditional chickpeas and because it never came out smooth I stuck with black beans. I’m so excited to hear about these skins!!! I am going to make some this weekend, thanks!
Deb,
This is just one more reason I adore you. You give us the secrets even if they TAKE TIME, if they are worth it. The BEST food is rarely made the quickest way possible.
It was so thrilling to see you speak at Politics & Prose in DC on your book tour. You are a gem and every bit as genuine and delightful as you are on this blog.
love it ! I make my own too, but will definitely make it this way as well. Anyone know of a way to reduce the acid but keep the brightness that lemon adds ? Would a Meyer lemon sweeten it too much ? Thanks all !
Add lemon zest and use less lemon juice!
I’ve been doing it this way for years too! I don’t find it tedious at all. I never told anyone my “secret”, because I feared they’d think I was crazy. Looks like I’m not alone after all. I get requests for hummus all the time.
Deb, your photo!! I absolutely must compliment those gorgeous swirls, perfectly concentric, in the prepared dish. I’m chagrined that my homemade hummus is often just smoothed over, the easy way out. Your perfect swirls, glistening with olive oil, make the dish so much more appealing, if that is even possible with the perfection of hummus.
FYI I’ve made hummus both ways – peeled and unpeeled garbanzos – and the peeled is definitely smoother. The difference is not always important to me as I am not put off by the unpeeled version. But now that I can imagine all the blogger-sisters in a 9-minute skin-popping reverie, I may go skinless forever.
But mostly, that photo!!! Bliss.
I should have paid more attention to your instructions! I forgot to add the chickpea broth and ended up with what looked like a ball of hummus dough! hahaha! Still tastes amazing!
I peeled, I processed, and I enjoyed delicious hummus with pita chips last night. Your simple recipes always shine!
My wife thought I was nuts for peeling fava beans when I made falafel, but that made all the difference. I bet she’ll want to commit me when I peel chickpeas, but if the end result is as divine as the pictures look, I’ll be able to go buy whatever piece of technology I want and she not complain too loudly.
Only you could convince me to peel my chickpeas, Deb. Only you. :)
I KNEW it!!!!…..but was in denial. For as long as I can remember, I have been trying to figure out some way to make it smoother or creamier. Then came the day that I tasted chickpeas that I soaked and cooked. i just kept peeling and eating and peeling and eating and my 13 year old came into the kitchen and starting doing it too. The flavor of the ones you cook yourself is unbeatable. They were so good, that I made it her job to peel the rest of them. We used the chickpeas for our dinner and I kept thinking that peeling has to be the secret to a really smooth hummus. I didn’t want to believe it though…. that it had to come to that. I wanted a simpler way, but alas, the truth, in black and white. Okay.
i have chickpeas from an indian grocery store (chana dal) that don’t have skins on them. they’re smaller than the typical dried chickpea, but i can’t imagine they make a substantially different hummus. will have to try!
The recipe I use for hummus is similar to this, including peeling the chickpeas, but you leave it process for 2-3 minutes. It’s incredibly good. I was going to make some (along with homemade pita), but realized I have no tahini!
http://aliayunis.com/thecookbook.html
Scroll down to How to Teach an FBI Agent to Make Hummos.
This will be my “go to” hummus recipe!
Smitten, you know we are all your robots–if you say peel the chickpeas, we’re gonna peel the chickpeas! Just returning to work for the holidays–wherein I made several sk recipes and wished for a computer or pad in the kitchen. Happy New Year!
Wow! I just made this and had to stop myself from eating the whole bowl so I could share it with my husband later. It is wonderful. This will be my go to hummus recipe from now on.
Looks good, but I bet the hummus would be even better with some butternut squash in it! Ta Ta!
It never occurred to me to peel the chickpeas until a few years ago when I bought a cookbook by the chef from one of the local restaurants here in Vancouver BC. The peeling was time consuming but the results were well worth it.
My hummus is delicious. It took me a long time to peel the chickpeas so I was glad I was not in a rush.
“To serve, drizzle it with a little olive oil, and sprinkle it with paprika. Serve it with pita wedges or carrot sticks….or straight off your fingers…your spoon…your fists…or laying underneath a crock of it with the tap open like Barney Gumble from the Simpsons…how about a complete and utter bacchanalian fest of hummus love smothered all over your body…er…sorry…my fantasy world appears to have taken over my ability to type! Needless to say, this is the stuff that dreams are made of…
I have made hummus before using peeled chickpeas and it seriously does make a WORLD of difference!!
OK just tried this technique and am never going back to the lazy unpealed versions! The squeezing part was actually a soothing activity after a stressful day! Love it :-)
You may have just changed my world with this revelation–but then again, what’s new? Thank you so much for sharing this little secret, Deb!
That looks smoother than my grandma’s Oil of Olay! You’ve got me, I’ll try it. Heck, I peeled two pounds of blanched almonds and made my own flour for a clementine cake; this definitely can’t be any worse than that!!
Making you own Tahini is pretty cheap and easy too.
When I visite Israel a few years ago, several Israelis told me the secret to their amazing hummus was to add a little baking soda. I was tickled to see you had been let in on this secret as well!
Allright, I’ll peel the chickpeas. Do you have a favorite kind of tahini, or do you think they are all fine?
I love your cookbook! I made your latkes so many times last month-it’s the ultimate recipe, especially with Yukon Golds!
Yes indeed, peeling the chickpeas is the secret! It’s actually my father that gave me that trick. It’s a long childhood memory of peeling chickpeas with my sister whenever my father would make hummus for us. He made this “activity” very fun for us, but I understand today why he delegated that chore to his daughters! :)
DAMN IT, Deb, I just got your cookbook TODAY and have, oh, 2/3 of the recipes marked “must try” already, and you go and post this? A perfected recipe for my favorite snack food in the world, the one I wish to make at home but always regret because it’s just. not. smooth?
SHEESH, woman. You’re incorrigible.
I made Ottolenghi’s hummus from his Jerusalem cookbook and followed his directions to throw away any chickpea skins that floated to the surface during cooking. My hummus was wonderfully smooth even though I included skins especially since he says to process until smooth. Did you make the recipe both with skins AND without skins? I can’t imagine without skins would make that much difference in texture. I mean if it’s good enough for Ottolengi, his famous London restaurants and the generations of hummus eating people of Jerusalem it’s good enough for me. It also seems like including the skins would add nutritional value.
Damn you Deb.
I just spent 25 minutes peeling chickpeas, thinking the whole time, “This is insane, I have a baby sleeping, this isn’t the best use of my time……”
But it was, it really was, even though I had to eat it (all) really quickly before she woke up.
Im gutted, now I have to do this every time, and I suspect I’ll have to share too.
This was the first recipe I made today with my fancy new blender! My little 3 year old granddaughter helped me with the chickpeas – it was actually fun popping them out of their skins and into the blender.
The texture was absolutely amazing, almost mousse-like. Absolutely wonderful. I subbed a head of roasted garlic for the raw, as I am so partial to roasted garlic.
Truly an out-of-the-ordinary, delicious hummus!
BTW, tahini is super easy to make and so inexpensive. It’s just lightly toasted sesame seeds blended with olive oil to make a paste. Nice to know if you’re frugal, or have a hard time finding it pre-made.
Deb, I made this tonight and I couldn’t believe I finally made a hummus I didn’t hate. I used to always just buy hummus at the closest Mediterranean deli because homemade hummus always had a terrible texture. No more! This is exactly what I’ve been trying to make all these years! Thank you so much! I’m sure this is going to be one of your top recipes on the site from now on.
‘blogga, please!’ was my very favorite part of all of this.
Oh my god, this difference is HUGE! Chickpease just slip out of casingS and the result is a totally different animal. In case anyone is interested, this recipe works well without tahini (my son is allergic to sesame).
On a similar note, I run the peeler several times over my sweet potatoes (just until you get past the whitish outer area of the tuber) and find that the end result is much much sweeter. I slow roast them in chunks but I think it would improve any sweet potato dish.
If the legions chiming in are any indication, I think, Deb, you may have started a chickpea-peeling revolution. Or that we’re all nuts. Maybe both.
For my part, I’ve fallen hard for Jerusalem’s version of hummus, the huge throw of tahini, specifically. I’d always made it with a mix of olive oil and tahini, and more modest amounts of both. Not because of any false modesty in the fat department, just because that’s what the recipes asked of me. Yottam is so not shy with the tahini. I love him for that.
And Goya. Yes, yes, yes.
I made this yesterday and peeling the chickpeas made the difference. I’m a convert!! Thank you.
Your hummus does indeed look SO smooth. I’ve never peeled the chickpeas……I suppose it’s time to try it!
Yay! I am so glad you posted this! Thank you muchly.
Actually, this technique has been written about by Middle Eastern food writers and bloggers for years (see: Annisa Helou, Clifford Wright, the post Katy mentioned above, etc).
Brilliant! My hubs remains unconvinced about the wonders of hummus. I told him I would make it from scratch to show him how amazing it is! YUM!
I like to think I have a healthy obsession with hummus. I work at a winery in the Finger Lakes and we served hummus to our customers for an event. I wish I could have used this recipe! Tahini was difficult to find in my local grocery so I made my own and it was surprisingly easy (pulverized seaseme seeds and peanut oil). I recommend making your own tahini the next time you make hummus :) Cheers!
I only had store-bought hummus before that I didn’t really like, but your recipe made me give it another chance and I’m not regretting it! Just one issue: peeling the chick peas was far from easy for me. Some peels just came right off and I barely had to touch the peas, but with most the peel didn’t stay whole and was all over the place and very sticky, too. It took me over half an hour and I was quite irritated at the end. The result is still delicious, but do you have any idea what went wrong here? Did I cook the chick peas too long or not long enough? I only cooked them for 20 minutes, but I had soaked them overnight before. I would really love to do it again sometime, but 30 minutes peeling is really not my idea of a good time… so I hope I can find out what mistake I made.
I haven’t read the 376 comments before this one, but I suspect I’m not the only one reeling from this chickpea epiphany! My family HATES chickpeas, but I love them. I took the 9 minutes to peel the canned chickpeas I put into a delicious roasted veg/couscous dinner (From Everyday Food Light cookbook, RIP Everyday Food) last night and THEY GOBBLED IT UP! My husband especially noticed a difference in the texture. Thank you! I think we’ve converted them!
I tried. I peeled about a ¼ of them and gave up as that took me almost 15 minutes. And it still turned out smooth! Well, ¼ smooth.
My most favorite hummus comes from a local Lebanese market. It is so creamy and divine, I have never tasted any like it anywhere. I’ve seen the recipe they use and never understood how that recipe could equal such luxurious chickpea heaven. And now, I think I might know. ;-)
Lovely to see a recipe that starts from the dried bean rather than canned beans. I’ve never been able to get past the slight dog food aroma that seems to arise from hummus that has been made from canned beans. The peeling of the beans is great and only adds to the appeal of the recipe for me. Thanks for sharing!
I can see the texture through the screen. Amazing.
I caved, and bought tahini today to make hummus. The can of chickpeas has been in my pantry for ages, but your post inspired me to get going.
I did peel them, and left them to soak in water overnight, in hopes of reducing the canned/salty flavor thing (which I think worked).
My garlic must have been pretty intense, though, it’s a fairly dominant flavor. Not sure I’ll care for it tomorrow if the flavor gets stronger, but hey, at least I’ll be vampire proof, right?
I did like the result enough to buy some dried ones, just to play with later.
Seriously amazing. It looks unbelievably smooth. I am so excited to try this recipe. Hummus is a favorite of mine and this looks and sounds delightful.
Peeling chickpeas doesn’t seem crazy at all. I too enjoy doing dimple tasks like that as a form of meditation. It’s really calming. As a step in the process of making a delicious bowl of my favorite middle eastern food, venue better. Thanks for sharing Deb.
I’m not sure how this can be possible but I just found Smitten Kitchen (sorry- born in the 1900’s). I am in love.
Made this last night. Oh, actually I started it the night before when I soaked it…for about 24 hours because we ended up being out all day. Cooked it then cooled and started peeling, and peeling. Ended up running cold water on them, rubbing them a bit and draining out the peels that floated to the top. Rinse and repeat. Hubby, who never like hummus…really liked this one. I didn’t add any other seasonings, tomorrow for the leftovers, I may add some roasted red peppers, or cumin or ??? Will be making again though.
I also peel my chickpeas (and my almonds too, when I’m making almond milk). The trick is to do it while listening to a favourite radio show/podcast/audio book. It’s somewhat meditative. It’s all in the way you approach the task.
Not crazy…at least not to me. Because on Christmas I spent a solid 9 minutes pealing skin off of toasted hazelnuts for a “simple” dressing. You go into zen mode for those tasks. This looks like amazing hummus, by the way.
Gotta love you, Deb! Thanks for revealing this 9-minute gateway to hummus heaven! I can spend 9-minutes in the store deciding which flavor to try!
oh gosh that looks amazing.thanks i`m the hugest lover of hummus:)
This looks great, must do. Just got your book as a late christmas gift.. it´s awesome! Makes me want to live in NYC ):. Congrats and thanks for the great recipes.
Psst… the Target brand (I think it’s Market Pantry) low sodium canned chick peas come already peeled! The regular sodium ones might as well, I haven’t looked for them yet. There’s a few stray peels but you can probably save 8 of your 9 minutes. I found out on accident – I was buying them to make more of your roasted chickpeas (because, holy moly, are those addictive!). The irony is, the roasted chickpeas are better with the peels!
Thanks so much for the valuable tip! I just made a butternut squash hummus and I resorted to pushing it through a fine mesh strainer with the back of a wooden spoon (torture!) to get that smooth texture. Next time I’m definitely getting rid of those pesky skins!
Im fascinated to try this. What caught my eye was the color of the hummus. I suspect ths is also because of te added tahini.
I’m soaking beans now…first step! I’m eager to try this approach. Thank you.
Tested with a can of Goya — excellent, tasty results. The peeling was harmless; the skins pop right off! The thicker texture & lower cost vs. store-bought was so satisfying. A winner!
Hi Deb..do you have a New York source for Rancho Gordo Beans, or did you buy them on your recent travels?
Marcia — I order them directly from RanchoGordo.com. There’s a shipping fee, but it’s fair and I usually buy a few pounds at a time and sometimes spices too (and my goodness, they now even make hot sauce) to justify it. In NYC, I have seen a selection of their beans and hot sauces sold at Marlow & Daughters in Williamsburg, but at a noticeable mark-up.
Kate — Great tip! And you can’t win, can you?
Katy/Mercedes — I don’t doubt that this has been written about many other places (see also: the dozens of comments here from people who said they learned the technique from a friend or grandmother), but I didn’t look to see where because as I mentioned in an earlier comment (#255), I figured it out on my own (and through the suggestion of a friend from college). I always give credit to specific sources when they’ve inspired me and if you’re ever looking for Middle Eastern inspiration, Desert Candy is one of the loveliest food blogs out there.
Nutrition concerns — I’m seeing a lot of comments about whether removing the skins removes nutrients, etc. so I will respond, but it might not be helpful. Honestly, it might, but this is really just a matter of my cooking orientation: it doesn’t much matter to me; I eat/cook things because I like them, not just because they’re good for me. As long as peeled chickpeas are not outright wretched for us, I’m happy to use them to make the hummus of my dreams. If a few nutrients or fiber get lost getting there, I’m totally okay with that because I figure far more get lost when I make a skin-on grainy batch that I don’t much care for and never eat.
Missy — Sorry, I thought I’d mentioned it here, but it was in the previous post, comment #349. I mention that tahini comes both dark and light. Dark is supposed to have a more intense flavor but ridiculously enough, I’ve never once seen it or tried it, so my knowledge of it is mostly Google-based. Light tahini is usually what’s recommended for hummus but if you only have dark, use it to taste.
Mike — Great question, and you’re not lazy, just practical! I feel the same. However, this might just be a limitation of my Cuisinart FP, but I kept finding bigger chunks than I wanted of garlic, even when I pureed the chickpeas for a long time. So, I started by chopping or pressing the cloves (through a garlic press) and never ran into the problem again. Definitely wing it without that step if you think your machine is up to the task, or if you wouldn’t freak out if one slightly larger chunk of garlic snuck in.
Deb…Love this recipe and your hilarious banter.
This is almost the exact reipe of my grandmother who was born in Beruit Lebanon. She passed away at 102 years old, and our family has been making it like this for as long as I can remember…she always peeled her chickpeas. Her technique was a little different. She would boil either fresh or canned, depending on supply at hand, and then allow them to cool just enough to hold up when placed in a very slightly damp clean dishtowel. Though requiring some skill, rub chickpeas carefully between top and bottom layer of towel and the process is quite expeditious. Try it and hopefully make Hummus even more often and in larger quantitites…as it is quite good for you. A true fan of your site and your humor!!!
OK I think you qualify as compulsive. Having said that and having overcooked the garbanzo beans now with the kitchen strewn with Garbanzo skins I can say that the result was as advertised, smooth and delicious. Thanks
Hummus Place is ok. Try Moustache in the West Village – even better. Their pita arrives still puffed. Lamb cutlets, tabouleh, hummus and the pita… a perfect meal. I ate it pregnant several times a week and I think it’s why I catch my now 3-year old eating parsley by the fistful from our window box.
Nice!!!
I can’t imagine why I haven’t thought of this before. I used to make almond milk and do the same with the almond skins. I’d blanche the soaked almonds a little which would loosen the skins, and POP! Then one day I didn’t have the time, so since I didn’t want my soaked almonds to go sour, I put them in a ziplock in the freezer until I could get back to them. Would you believe it? The skins acted just like they’d been blanched and I didn’t have to heat them!!! To telll you the truth, I rarely skin almonds now. What’s wrong with having “whole nut almond pulp”? The slightly brown pulp gives a heartier appearance to baked goods recipes.
Hmmmmmm!!! I wonder if doing the same to chickpeas (soaking and then freezing them) before cooking might have the same result? Then you’d cook them skinless and they might cook faster and come out smoother! Just a thought.
Back to hummus…there has to be a REASON why commercial hummus is so smooth! Either they have a lot tougher food processor than I have, or they find a way to get rid of the skins too.
I have actually had hummus come out VERY smooth in the Blendtec or Vitamix, but it concerns me a bit, putting that thick of a mixture in there and letting it go long enough to get smooth enough. I often ended up putting in more oil than I’d like just to keep it moving and not burn the motor out. But maybe it wouldn’t.
Thanks for the tip.
Tara
for the record, deb, you’re not cuckoo. i spent the 9 minutes taking off the skins of these little guys and it resulted in a creamy and smooth end result. verdict: don’t be a lazy butt and just do it! this is so good, don’t know why i bother to buy it at the store, tastes so much better homemade.
Just made this. I took out all my aggression against the Broncos on the chick peas!!! It turned out ethereally : )
Long time lurker, love your blog. Made this yesterday and it was incredible. Took me a lot longer peel the chickpeas but it was sort of therapeutic! The kids scoffed it too will def. make again.
This recipe? Delicious. Yes, yes, yes, to skin-free garbanzos. It makes a world of difference, and ever since I found my way to “The Complete Middle East Cook Book,” I flatly refuse to go back to that chalky, too-easy-to-be-nearly-as-good-because-it-simply-isn’t business I used to eat.
But 9 minutes to peel them? Um… no. Exactly what brand of coffee do you drink? Oh wait, do you mean 9 New York minutes? I’m in California. Maybe that’s why it took me twice as long ; ) It could also be that you’re using the delightful Rancho Gordo beans (again, I really have not had better dried beans), which are far fresher than most dried beans and therefor the skins just faint off.
My sabra husband makes his own chummus every single shabbat here in Israel- this week I emailed him your method in advance and, come Friday, there he was peeling his chickpeas! It did indeed turn out smoother and silkier than all previous efforts, and he thanks you for the tip. We forgot the sumac and leant on paprika instead but either way, was a delicious way to begin Friday night dinner! Love your work.
Deb — Really, is there something in the chickpeas or in your posts that encourages insanity? I’m a travel nurse working, at the moment, in corrections, so when I read the hummus revelation i was on break and nowhere near a kitchen… but… as luck would have it, there were CHICKPEAS on a sort of thrown together salad the prison kitchen whipped up… You can imagine the looks and eye rolls when i was seen carefully separating the little chick peas and experimentally peeling them with thumb and two fingers. I believe I have been referred to Mental Health. With luck I’ll be dismissed and can retire to my own kitchen, mutter to myself, and peel chickpeas to my heart’s desire.
Perhaps I’m loony, but I don’t like smooth hummous. I live in Jerusalem and my favorite hummous is from Abu Shukri in Beit Hanina, if anybody knows that, and their hummous is thick and chunky. It also has what I believe is parsley in it, and minimal tahini, making a darker color and richer flavor. Over here, it’s common knowledge that smooth, light hummous is lower quality because that means it is probably store-bought and has more tahini and is more processed than the darker, chunky, fresh kind. Maybe it’s just different tastes because I notice that I find smooth hummous on the Israeli side and chunky hummous on the Arab side.
Anyway, my point is, I feel like I’m missing something because I don’t like smooth hummous. I welcome anybody to fill me in please!
So the peeled-chick pea hummus is now sitting in the fridge – and it’s definitely the prettiest hummus I’ve ever made! I can’t comment on the recipe specifically (I like to add soy & ginger to mine) but peeling the cp’s definitely makes a difference in texture. It now resembles the store bought hummus in a way that I was never able to do before.
Allie in Israel, I was first introduced to hummus from a recipe (Moosewood by Molly Katzen) that produced a much stiffer, chunkier result than what you typically find in US stores. I like both kinds – but I have to admit that the original (for me!) is my favorite…so you are not alone!
Hey Deb,
I made this recipe this morning.
The hummus is delicious with an excellent consistency! Not too overpowering with lemon or garlic, as some recipes I’ve tried.
And yep … I did peel the chickpeas one by one.
And now I am spoiled. I don’t know if I can ever go back to unpeeled!
When my hubby sampled the dip with a carrot, I casually mentioned that I had peeled each and every little chickpea one-by-one, he honestly almost choked on the hummus! But he loved it as well.
Just one little thing. I just wonder (from a New Year’s resolution kind of standpoint) if taking off the skin significantly reduces the dietary fiber content in the hummus.
Continued blessings!
This is life changing. That sounds over the top, right? But I am dancing around my kitchen. I am buying your book. I am never making houmus any other way. Ever.
I always peel chickpeas for a salad or other dish where they’re served whole, but figured the peels made no difference in a puree. Wrong. (same is also true for broad beans/fava beans btw).
THANK YOU!!
What a great recipe! I am going to make this one this afternoon – I’m sure I eat my body weight in hummus each week!
Deb! Peeling chickpeas? You’re killing me. And yet…I’m looking at that pic of your gorgeous ethereal-looking hummus and I’m looking at the beige, creamy-but-not-ethereal hummus I made a few days ago and know that I must. To quote Florida Evans from Good Times: “Damn! Damn! Damn!”
Oh. My. Goodness. Absolutely worth the peeling of those little chickpeas. This is definitely better than any hummus I’ve ever had. Soooo smooth and almost fluffy with a perfect balance of flavors… Wow. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this hummus this afternoon. After seeing the picture, I HAD to make it. I’ve been pretty loyal to the brand of hummus I’ve been eating. I like it. However, after making this, I can’t imagine purchasing hummus ever again. The texture is divine. And, I loved peeling the chickpeas. I plopped the bowl on my lap, turned on a Matlock rerun, and went to town. I may have to tinker with the amount of tahini…I think a little less next time. But, I can’t get over the texture. Thank you!
oh man. and I forgot to buy dried chickpeas at the store.. looks like I’ll be heading back!
Ha!
Guilty as charged, but in my defence my husband set me up. He told me about this post before I read it and I did a cartoon style eye roll and said “That’s not happening.” There was a silence and he said in a quiet, superior voice, “Deb said you would say that.”
Wha hahaha!
(and it may happen yet)
I just made this for our cooking class tonight & it really is the most amazing and smooth hummus. I added black olives to it while it was in the food processor & it came out AWESOME!
Made this hummus tonight, definitely the best I’ve ever had! So smooth, I could eat it off a spoon. Never thought of peeling the skins off, definitely worth the effort. Thanks for a great recipe!
BEST hummus recipe I have ever made. A couple things: I doubled it and it worked great. I also was worried that my chickpeas may have been too wet when I ground them up, but after some time they finally turned into a creamy texture but never looked like the picture.
And yes you do have to peel them! I used the slow-cooker method and found that after draining and cooling, I put more water in with them, swished it around with my hand to loosen the skins and then drained the water using my hand to catch the chickpeas and repeated a couple times. Then I put more water and picked out the chickpeas and removed the skin with my fingers (which didn’t happen too often). But again, the BEST hummus recipe! Garlic breath included.
Also, I made my tahini from scratch too (I was not going to pay $12.95 for a jar at my grocery store!). 4 cups sesame seeds baked at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cooled and then thrown into a food processor with 1/4 cup vegetable oil to start and then more added until a creamy texture is reached. Makes about 2 cups.
This is the Best hummus recipe i have ever made. Fantastic! I can’t wait to tell my friends how wonderful it was. Thank a lot. I really love this Food.
Wow… peeling the chickpeas sounds like a lot of work. I’ll try if it’s worth the effort.
Great recipe!
So, it took a while to shuck the chickpeas – I was having second thoughts after 20 minutes. BUT – i will NEVER buy hummus again. This is the best hummus I’ve ever had, and I made it. LOVE this. Thank you!
Wow. This is brilliant. Makes so much sense. Definitely going to try this.
You are my kind of nut. And I thought I was the crazy one making seedless raspberry jam annually, such a labor of love, and then you come up with this one?
Of course I tried it this weekend, it was just too tempting. And it really IS as good as you said. Got some flatbreads from my local Middle Eastern store, toasted them up, sprinkled some spices on them and the hummus was fantastic. I don’t think I can go back to the unpeeled version again, drats!
I bet my 4 and 6 year old would be great at peeling chick peas ;)
This is probably how the hummus in Israel is made- I have tried so many times to get mine as smooth! Can’t wait to try this!
Okay, I’m going to try to get over my irritation at the fact that you sat on such an important recipe for so long. You see, for years, literally 8 years, I’ve been on a homemade hummus quest, and while the America’s Test Kitchen recipe is pretty tasty and delicious, it is not smooth and dreamy, like almost all restaurant hummuses are prone to be. I have often thought that the key to a smooth hummus would be to peel them, but it was never mentioned in all the recipes I reviewed, nor was I quite sure how to go about it. But, you came through, and I am so grateful. My husband is so grateful. My children — you get the picture. And I have a wonderfully creamy hummus in my fridge that I can’t believe came out of my food processor. So, my irritation has given way to gratitude that eventually you realized that if you love a recipe, perhaps there are others, even if only one or two, that will appreciate it very much.
Mmmmm. You know, when I first saw this, I thought, rilllly? Peel them? She must be kidding! But then I read on, and I thought about all of the things I spend 9 minutes, or far more than 9 minutes, doing and figured, okay, I’ll give it a try. I do have a question: I’ve always found that hummus needs a little acid — in the form of lemon juice or za’atar or both — to balance it out. Do you not find that?
Also, I think it’s kind of fun to pop the chickpeas out of their skin. Soothing. But I’m a weirdo.
I made hummus yesterday and peeled the chickpeas, what a difference! The hummus was so smooth and creamy.
This is going to seriously impact Sabra sales in the state of New Jersey! :) Thanks, Deb.
This is super funny to me. I have made hummus once. And peeled the skins. It was delicious. But haven’t made it since because I was too lazy to peel the chickpeas. I only recently learned you don’t *have* to peel them!! Granted, I still haven’t made hummus again… but now I just might… and I’ll probably suck it up and peel them, too.
In Jerusalem (the book) Ottolenghi goes on at length about hummus. One thing I noted is he says to thin at the end with “ice cold water.” We did not remove the skins from our canned chickpeas but we had the fluffiest hummus we’ve ever experienced. I wonder what the ice cold water has to do with it. Please, someone explain.
I KNEW there had to be a trick! Peeling chickpeas is easy! I’m so doing this next time I make hummus. Which, now that I know the secret, may be very, very soon!
I have to say, I kind of like mindless kitchen tasks like shelling peas, cutting vegetables, and now will add skinning chickpeas :) always looking for a good hummus recipe, mine always tastes so grainy, nothing like the stuff I grew addicted to during trips to Israel!
I just want you to know that I bought a jar of tahini today just so I can make this hummus. So. Excited. I always popped the skins off of my chickpeas as a kid, so this should be fun!
Now I had about twice the chickpeas you have in your recipe, but man, that did not take me no nine minutes. It was almost an hour. Phew! But it was totally worth it – it really does make a difference! I’ll never not-peel them again.
I read through the initial 200-odd comments the other day and thought … Hmmm. Went home to make something else entirely (sausage & kale stew/soup) which called for chickpeas and thought i’d give the peeling/ skinning thing a whirl— and WOW. I will never, ever again cook with unpeeled chickpeas!
Oh goodnessss I’m drooling heree~~~~your hummus looks so fantastically smooth that I wouldn’t mind sticking my hand in there, lol! And wow–peeling the skin sounds tedious, and the funny thing is I can totally picture my mom doing that and my dad helping her. Korean older people sure have patience when it comes to peeling stuff! :P
Cannot go through all the comments so am very sorry if it has been noted earlier. In Greece you can find the chickpeas without skins.. so I am sure that you can find it there… Also, there is another way to get rid of most of the skins in no time…
After you boil them drain them and put them inside a pillow case or inbetween two towels. Get your rolling pin in hand and roll them… Some or more than some may break depending on your strength but the sure thing is that the outer layer will pop right out so you only have to pick them through…
I made this recipe yesterday. I only had enough dried chickpeas for my falafel so I used a can of chickpeas for the hummus. This hummus is absolutely delicious even with canned chickpeas. Even with your dilly-dallying, you are a speed demon compared to me. It took me 18 minutes to peel the chickpeas. I had a timer set for something else so I kept track. But it was strangely fun and relaxing and the ones that went flying kept my dog happy.
This was absolutely the creamiest hummus I’ve ever eaten and it was delicious. I’ll definitely be peeling the chickpeas from now on.
Can you use dried garbanzo beans instead of chickpeas? Are they the same thing?
When I first read “peel the chickpeas” I was like AS IF
But the I saw the photos of the creamy creamy insanely delicious looking hummus and thought about how good it would be with homemade flatbread. SOLD!
Plus who am I to judge? I’ve spent two hours before poking holes in cranberries with a pin to make cranberry infused vodka, and hours forming teeny tiny little buttons out of sugarpaste to put on dress shaped cookies.
Thank goodness I made a double recipe. REALLY good. I did add the bottled red pepper to half.
I love the hummus recipe in Cooks Illustrated, but it might be even better if I peeled even half of the chickpeas (I’m totally lazy and use canned almost exclusively). Yum!
If you are slow in kitchen prep, then I am molasses. I have no idea how you accomplished this in 9 minutes! It easily took me 25, but the results were definitely delicious. Thanks for the tip!
Absolutely delicious hummus, and the chickpea peeling is super easy!
These details are what make a special dish extra-memorable and delicious. A friend found that he could remove that dusty gritty feeling from chili powder by purchasing (and growing) dried peppers whole and removing the stems and seeds before running them through a food processor. It took extra time, but the resulting dishes made with this seasoning are so much more flavorful and their texture is devoid of that sandy feeling!
Saw this, fell in love, made it, fell in love harder. SO SO SO good. I totally over-cooked my chickpeas though, which turned my “peeling” into an hour-long ordeal, but I did get a lot of good, simultaneous tv-watching done :) I will be making this hummus on repeat.
I made this (with canned chickpeas) and it is delicious–the closest I’ve ever gotten to my favorite restaurant’s hummus. But I wonder if there’s a way to make it looser and creamier once it’s chilled? It was perfect at room temperature, but once chilled it was too pasty. I did try adding more water at the start, but once I hit double the recommended amount I stopped. Any thoughts? Keep going with the water? Or another technique?
Dori — Ottolenghi recommends keeping it at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. It should soften up a bit as it warms.
I read that in the middle east, chickpeas are ALWAYS skinned. To not do it would be like not stringing string beans.
This.Hummus.Comes.From.The.Gods. Holy CRAP I was excited to make this and NOT disappointed at all. I will never ever buy store bought hummus again. Thank you! I love the blend the lemon and the garlic have. It’s just divine and such a healthy snack!
Thank you so much for sharing your secret! Can’t wait to give it a try. Any tips for homemade pita to go with it? You are my “go to” for all things deliciously homemade – your recipes turn out perfect the first time, every time. Thank you for sharing your tried and true treats with other perfectionistic bakers like me!!
I tried out your recipe today and the hummus turned out incredibly smooth! – I usually add two good tablespoons of apricot jam to my hummus which gives it a nice fruity note without being overpowering. I also like substituting some of the chickpeas with red lentils. It gives the hummus a nice blush and a subtle peppery finish.
I’m one of those people that loves spending hours in the kitchen, so an extra 9 minutes for perfect hummus sounds more than reasonable! Great tip.
I have a trick to make peeling the beans easier. I put the cooked beans into my canning sieve. I have one that I use when preparing my home-made apple butter for canning every fall – it has an attachment that removes the skins from the apples to save the hassle of peeling them, and it works great on chick peas too! It not only separates the skins from the beans, the sieve will actually break down the beans to a fine mash as well. I can do a whole one pound bag of beans in less than two minutes and never get my hands dirty! They are available at most farm supply stores for a lot less that you will pay at a big box store. I paid around thirty five dollars for mine, which isn’t much if you are someone who loves to make hummus from dried beans frequently. Once you have one you might even start making your own fruit butters as well, which are delicious and sooo much tastier than anything you can buy at the store!
Yes, yes, and yes! Finally, the perfect hummus recipe! The extra time it takes to peel the beans is completely worth it. Thank you!
I’ve been reading (and happily cooking from) SK for a good while, but this is my first comment, and it’s to say OH NO! Because you are right! It took me much more than 9 mins and was a total pain – maybe skinning tinned beans is easier than cooked dried ones? – but I can’t go back to skin-on hummus now. So good! Thank you, I think ;)
Wow, I would have never thought of this! Excited to give chickpea peeling a try!
Please tell me you coined the “Blogga, please.” call?!
I simultaneously cackled and snorted… Wonderful stuff!
OK…been following you for years but never have commented. Love, love, love the SK! I made a totally SK dinner tonight…with carrot soup, pita wedges and hummus {which was a total fail because of me…oh well…it happens}. Congrats on the book & getting to meet the divine Ina Garten!
I’m so excited to try this! Fortunately, my kids love humus, but I’ve never even heard of this trick. They’re going to love it, and it’s yet another reason to support my argument for the Kitchenaid foodmill attachment!
Who knew people would love peeling chickpeas? I was excited by something that I read in an Indian cookbook – a passing reference to split and skinned chickpeas, chana dal. It turns out to be a different variety of chickpea, more fibrous, so maybe not as good for smooth humus. I read that they are have a lower glycemic index and higher protein content.
But they come already skinned! Worth a try…
Almost a shame for some to give up the meditative activity of skinning chickpeas. Keep peeling them if it brings you peace!
This produced resteraunt quality humous!!! thank you!!!! THIS was the trick!! PEELING the bean!!
I just made this recipe, a double batch. About half way through peeling the chick peas I swore I’d never do it again. However, I now take that back. The hummus came out incredible. I will never not peel the chick peas again. Thank you so much for this recipe, the work involved in peeling the chick peas is beyond worth it!
What to do with the skins?!!!!!!!
I’ll bet this hummus is to die for with fresh beans, and probably worth a little extra work. All the best things in life pretty much are! Thanks for the recipe.
Peeling chickpeas (and soaked almonds) is right up there with my favourite mind-clearing things… also a great little task to do with the kids
I must be insane because I peel my chickpeas for everything! Not just hummus. I think the taste/texture is sooooo much better that way. Plus, it’s kinda addicting… the pop feeling between your fingers once you start.
Oh. My. Word. This is the most amazing hummus I have ever made in my life! I just cooked up 2 pounds of chickpeas yesterday in my slow cooker using Alton Brown’s method with the intention of making this hummus today. I will now probably be using all the other cooked chickpeas I have to make this again and again. Both my husband and 14 month old sone at hummus daily-I can’t wait for them to try this! Since I no longer live in New York I can’t frequent The Hummus Place- this will definitely fit the bill when the craving comes! Next time I will be sure to save some of the cooking water. Thank you thank you thank you!
I just made this and it was so so so so wonderful! I cheated a little by using some ground cashews from some “meh” cashew milk, so it wasn’t entirely chickpeas. It’s still so incredibly smooth and luckily for me it made more than two cups! I like the touch of water instead of oil, mmmmmm.
I grew up in the middle east so this is SO great to see! I couldn’t figure out why the hummus overseas was SO much better (different) than the hummus I could buy or make here. Finally a friend in Dubai told me she peels her chickpeas, and though I haven’t tried it yet now I’m excited to! Thanks for the nudge and the promise it won’t take too long ;)
For Mike’s question, and others, I have a little tip for taking care of the garlic in the food processor. If you combine garlic cloves, lemon juice, tahini and a little water first, you get a wonderfully fluffy emulsion. Then add the chickpeas and blend until smooth, and add the rest of the water as directed.
I’m glad to see I’m not crazy! (or at least, not the only one!)
I peel my chickpeas too when I make hummus, and when I tell people about it, they are in shock.
I once had a friend come over to help me cook for a party, and we sat down to peel chickpeas and exchange stories together… and before we knew it, we were done! That said, I hope this friend comes back… though she’s equally crazy as I am in the kitchen. :)
Thank you for the tip about peeling the chickpeas. I tried it today and the hummus turned out beautifully!
Made it yesterday evening to the delight of one and all… I honestly can’t believe what a difference the shucking made to the end result. I’ve made hummus for years and this was the best batch everrrrrr. Recipe has been linked and shared repeatedly on Facebook.
I just made this, and it truly is ethereally smooth! What an amazing trick. And I find the peeling of chickpeas to be strangely calming. Thanks for the tip!
Deb – Small thing, but it would be helpful for lazy recipe skimmers if the water/chickpea cooking liquid were included in the ingredient list. I missed it, which is totally my fault, but as I’ve made hummus a million times I didn’t really read the food processing section carefully. And then I was sort of surprised that I ended up with a paste, rather than a fluffy dip.
I know the work you put into writing these out and apologize for not reading thoroughly!
Saralinda — I don’t usually include water in ingredient lists, just a stylistic choice, but yikes! I’ll note that water will be needed.
Well indeed it does sound like madness, but I’m definitely going to try it anyway. Looks well worth it!
Deb, I am indebted to you for many, many wonderful recipes, but I wish I had never tried this one. It’s delicious, but 9 minutes?! It took me more like 20… at least. It’s so good, that now I can’t bring myself to buy hummus and I’ve added another 30 minute assignment to my weekly to do list. Le sigh.
LOVE this recipe!!!!!!!! making some more tonight!
Looks delicious. Dallas has a great restaurant called Cafe Izmir, and this looks just like their hummus. We are cleansing and fasting this week – freaking torture for a food blogger, but this will be on the list as soon as the cleanse is done!
I always wondered how my favorite hummus place (actually called Hummus Place in NYC) got their hummus so smooth and creamy. Now I know! I tried your recipe using canned chickpeas and it turned out great, so I went to make it a second time using dried chickpeas, and unintentionally found that if you overcook the chickpeas (mine were kind of a mushy mess), then you don’t even have to peel to get the same smooth results. Thank you for the recipe! I’ll be making hummus a lot more now.
My 11 month old loved this but whoops, I added too much garlic…
When I mentioned to my granny about peeling the chickpeas, she was all “of course, you have to!” Well, news to me granny!
Thanks for the great and easy recipe.
just whipped up a batch – it was a little heavy on the tahini for my taste (complete personal preference), but using the whole lemon balanced out the flavor nicely. in the future i’ll try 1/3 cup tahini and add a bit more water to gain the moisture. the texture is fabulous!
Now I’m gonna get the perfect hummus! Thank you!
Wow, I never thought about de-skinning my chickpeas before making hummus. If it makes it better, I think it’d be worth the effort.
As long as you promise it will be worth it.
I came to your signing in Austin and brought two books (one for me, one for my co-blogger). It was wonderful to meet you and I’m very glad I came down.
Really looking forward to trying this, as I desperately need a go-to hummus.
I’ve always made at least a half hearted attempt to skin chickpeas for hummus. I’ve found it much easier to take a big bowl, dump in a rinsed can of chickpeas, then fill the bowl with water. You can do all your pinching/shooting of the chickpeas underwater (and spend less time chasing them from under the fridge) Plus, the skins mostly float, so you can just scoop them off the top of the water.
And, if you don’t feel like peeling those suckers, white bean “hummus” is even easier and no peeling needed.
I made this hummus yesterday and it was so delish! Perfect activity to do while catching up on the prior night’s Downton episode. Thanks so much for sharing! I might try adding different seasoning just to see what happens next time. It came together in no time!
I made this yesterday and I just have to say THANK YOU! I got a food processor for Christmas and was ridiculously excited by the prospect of homemade hummus. It seems I need to get some sort of technique nailed down for taking the skins off the chick peas – It took me 12 minutes to do 19oz, even though I ate the last little handfull.
Next time – with roasted garlic! YAY!
I didn’t make this recipe, so I can’t comment on how fabulous I’m sure it is. However, I need to tell you about my dream the other night after reading this post. I was meticulously squeezing chickpeas out of their skins, and was singing as happily as can be. I woke up smiling, all from dream hummus. I share your weirdness I guess…
Anna — Ha! Love it.
I traveled to Istanbul late last year and wondered how they got their hummus so creamy and smooth. It was unlike anything I’ve ever had here. Now I know they must have peeled them! Thanks for the tip! I will try this as it seems easy enough.
My husband loved this so much, he is peeling chick peas as I write so we can make another batch. Thanks for this!
I’ve heard about this method before and was like, YEAH, RIGHT. Let me tell you… this is The Best Hummus Ever! I made a double batch and skinned the chick peas while watching a show on TV so it wouldn’t be as laborious, and the results were superb. I just made another batch, and for some reason the skins were harder to get off, like the chick peas were mushier, so I resorted to swirling them around in water to help loosen the skins. In any case, we’re hummus-lovers anyway, but this is far superior to other recipes and store-bought versions. I added a bit of olive oil, red pepper flakes and a dash of cumin – yum!
I told a friend of mine that I peeled 2 cans of chickpeas to make this hummus. She thought I was NUTS. She’s right bc it took over 3 minutes BUT it is seriously the best hummus. I added roasted red peppers to mine bc I could taste the tahini and I didn’t want to taste it so strongly. I definitely suggest that addition!!
It really looks delicious! I would not mind peeling the chickpeas if this will really make a difference. Anyway, your technique “pop” seems easy to do.
Contratulations!
I’ll never buy hummus again – this turned out so well!! Peeling the chickpeas, who would’ve ever thought!
Oh Deb, you are so wonderful! After a few failed attempts years ago, I completely stopped eating homemade hummus (mine or anyone else’s)… all because the texture was so lumpy and terrible. This was so smooth!
I originally tried to use roasted garlic because I love the flavor. Sadly, the roasted garlic didn’t have enough flavor to come through even after adding 5 cloves. So I gave in and threw in a clove of fresh garlic. That was (surprisingly) just the right amount. Yum!
I just made this with canned chickpeas – which I peeled – and it is incredible! How long should it last in the fridge, assuming my husband doesn’t eat it all up tonight?
I am a convert to peeling the chickpeas! I made two batches of this recipe – one with peeled chickpeas and one without peeling – it was a huge difference – WOW :)
Of course! I always peel the garbanzos (chickpeas in Argentina) is a secret hidden like the steal letter, nobody knows why my hummus is so awesome, and if i tell, nobody believes me :P
This is a must-try. I love all kinds of legumes, and especially check-peas! Love the lemon flavor, too.
I did a sample run of this recipe – you know, gotta taste test before the big game. It was a huge hit. Hands down the best hummus I’ve ever had. Thanks, Deb!!
Oh, and I used fresh chickpeas (the same kind you bought in the bag). I highly recommend cooking your own chickpeas…these are the bomb!
When the water has cooled, put your hands in and massage the chickpeas. Sluff off the skins which will float to the top. Skim off and continue. Faster and effective. Also key, in the food processor do the tahini and lemon juice first for way creamy. Finally, garlic powder is better than real garlic. I know, it sounds criminal but try it. I don’t know why, but it works.
There is another way! Just as the previous poster says, emulsify the tahini and lemon first, then add chickpeas. And yes, massage them. I have a hankering to put them between two nested, but facing each other, bowls and shake the hell out of them as I do to peel a truly large amount of garlic — it would bruise and batter them, but might work.
Adore the photos, as always! This is the 2nd time now–after broad bean bruschette–that peeling does the trick. Thanks for pointing me that way. Far too much tahini though, I’d say start with a quarter of the amount and work up to max. half. Otherwise you will have tahimus, sort of (plus the calories the stuff has, oyvey …)
I just made this hummus. I used a can of Goya chickpeas, drained them, and heated them in the microwave for 3 minutes to soften (I thought they’d be easier to peel). Once they were cool enough for me to peel you’re right- it was 9 minutes of contemplative..ness : )
MAN OH MAN- it’s etherally light, warm, fragrant, smooth, delicious… it’s everything I wanted it to be and more : )
Ok, I’m pretty sure that I sound like a crazy lady now but I don’t care- thanks so much for posting this.
What a great idea to peel the chickpeas! It only took me 10 minutes with canned. Came out delicious and creamy smooth. I lived it, but, husband less so. He said it missed the “earthy” chickpea flavor of my usual chunkier hummus. Also, I wonder if and important aspects of nutrition (e.g., fiber, protein) are lost by removing the skin. Thank you for great recipe!
513 – now 514 comments – and we had to coax you into posting the recipe! Thanks Deb. We really needed another hummus recipe – especially one with essential tips about cooking and prepairing the chickpeas.
I first remember hearing of the peeling trick when I read “The Situe Stories” by Frances Noble. I peeled a couple of batches and for some reason let this method leak from my brain. It’s firmly implanted now, along with the notion of a good long pre-soak for the beans. I’ve not had consistent luck gettinig them to cook through. And from now on, I will remember to add a little baking soda – it is a miracle ingredient.
Now I’ll be dreaming of eggplant for babaganoush to go along with the hummus.
Thanks again.
too much tahini :(
Hi Deb! I made this recipe the other day and absolutely loved it. It’s amazing the difference one little trick can make! Peeling the chickpeas by hand didn’t take too long, but I’ve read that using a foodmill is an easy and quick way to remove the skins. I was wondering if you had tried doing it this way and if there would be any reasons not to use the foodmill.
Delicious! I may or may not be eating it with a spoon while I wait for my pita points to toast :)
How long do you suppose this would store in the fridge (If I were to make it for a party)?
Thank you so much for the chickpea peeling instructions. I was a little nervous about trying the technique, but your step-by-step made peeling the chickpeas easy and — dare I say it? — fun!
I did make this with canned chickpeas and unsalted tahini, and, though the texture was incredible, I found that it tasted bitter. Next time I will cook the chickpeas myself and use a bit less tahini to start. Because there will definitely be a next time!
Really, best hummus ever! I will never buy the $4 tiny processed plastic tasting tub again. Of course, i just made it 15 minutes ago and it’s nearly gone, but alas. Delicious on a little Greek sandwich…mmmm.
Yum. So easy to make it fresh!
All it takes is removing the skins?! DIOSA!!!!
Deb thanks for saying this cuz I thought I was the only one that the dang skins were an issue for. I’ve been taking them off by hand, but never found anyone who referenced this. And then they act like, oh yea, sure it’s so lovely. Nope, gotta take off the skins! aloha
I was hesitant to believe that the skins would make such a large difference in creaminess but OH MY WORD, you are completely right! Although it takes a little more effort, it is 100% worth it!
SO GREAT! Thanks :)
Deb, what a wonderful recipe, and photos! I love chunky hummus, but this looks so creamy and delicious. I like both!
You might be interested in hearing this though (the idea is not mine, I have seen this done on many occasions when travelling in the Middle East): If one uses yellow split chickpeas (Chana Dal), one avoids both soaking on the previous day AND removing skins. And the result is still super creamy and delicious!
:)
Returning for the sole purpose of applauding the extra step of removing the thin casing from the chick peas. What a beautifully smooth result is right! Thank you. I made a 2 cup batch and then whirled some red roasted peppers in the cleaned out processer bowl to drizzle on top along with a few toasted pine nuts.
Keeper tip!
http://www.sears.com/mirro-50024-2-quart-foley-food-mill-stainless-steel/p-SPM176638107?pageInd=product&PRODUCT_TITLE_BRAND=mirro-50024-2-quart-foley-food-mill-stainless-steel¤tProductTitle=mirro-50024-2-quart-foley-food-mill-stainless-steel&prdNo=1&isSEOCanonURL=true&catgroupId=SPM176638107&catalogId=12605&blockType=G1&storeId=10153&partNumber=SPM176638107&blockNo=1&i_cntr=1359677176722
I personally prefer to use a food mill when faced with a challenge of this sort.
This hummus looks as smooth as whipped French honey. Want.
I just made this and it is AMAZING. I might eat it all tonight, no joke.
THANK YOU for introducing me to Rancho Gordo beans! We eat a lot of beans and I can not get over how much of a difference there is between these and any other I have used before.
This looks so lovely. I have alway been told to add the lemon to the beans first so it helps the skins break down. But from now on I’m peelin’!
I admitt: it’s delicious. But 9 minutes – well since we usually produce huge amounts of humus it took a ‘bit’ longer…(and yes, in the process I thought ‘why do I always believe such things?’) But I didn’t want to change my habit of cooking in big bowls for a recepie that was promising to be SO good. And I am SO glad I have made this entire salad bowl full of humus. Yeah !! Thank you for the 9 minutes description !
Looks great! I don’t own a food processor. Do you think a Vitamix would suffice? I use it so seldom I’m not in tune with its capabilities. Thanks!
I peeled them!!!!!!! great!!!
Just today I came home from the grocery with dried chick peas and tahini, determined to finally start making my own hummus! And then, just today, found this recipe. Huzzah! I trust it’s as heavenly as you say :)
I made this today, and I think it took me a lot longer because my chickpeas were a tad overcooked so they kept smushing—but oh my gosh, this is deadly good. Thank you!!!
Alright Deb, you win. I was mighty skeptical about taking the time to peel, rationalizing that all my friends already rave about how great my hummus is, how smooth, blah blah. Just last October a friend had me make a giant batch for her wedding. I think these people must have inflated my ego, because I just finished making it your way, and although no one else has had the pleasure to try it yet, it is far and away the BEST batch I’ve ever made. Even though it took me 20 min to peel (I’ll get more efficient, right?), I think I’m a convert. Cheers!
Oh my gosh, it’s true. Peeling is the answer!
NEVER. GOING. BACK!
delicious!! made it twice and huge compliments both times. question…if i’m using the vitamix do you think it is still necessary to peel the chickpeas? thanks.
renee — Not if you’re happy with the texture you’re getting with unpeeled chickpeas in your Vitamix. I don’t have one, but with fussy steps like peeling chickpeas, it’s really only worth it if you were unhappy with what you’ve been making thus far.
Lady, you have got to be….okay I’ll try it. It really does look like pillows and plumes. Yumm.
So happy to se I’m not alone in this madness…. but I do have to get myself a food processor…. because my madness, after peeling the beans, is to crush them using a fork and a sieve. Very long! But so good!
YUM! I don’t know what looks yummier – the hummus or the bread. I want both. Now. ;)
And peeling chick peas?! How soon do you think they’ll have a robot for that? Heh.
Hello, I’ve purchased your cookbook 7 days ago…
I am not sure how to say this to properly depict how I feel. I have many many many cookbooks, hundreds for sure. (my husband says its a problem.) I know how some books just dont turn out, or arent worth much more than the pretty pictures …
Since I’ve gotten your cookbook I’ve tried 13 of your recipees and they’ve all turned out perfect! I have 2 boys a 3rd on the way anyday now, we’ll be eating your recipees for years to come!
Cant wait for your next book..no pressure!
Corinne.
I tried this for Superbowl weekend and it was a big hit. Yes, everyone thought I was insane for peeling the garbanzo beans, but that was before they ate the hummus. It’s amazing how creative people get with football snacks when this hummus is around! Everything from broccoli to BBQ potato chips seemed to go well with the hummus. :)
The recipe is delish. All cooks in the family are now making it to raves. However, being VERY lazy, instead of plucking the skins off the chickpeas, I decided to pretend they were hazelnuts and try to rub the skins off between 2 tea towels. A time saver and a big tedium eliminator. Thanks for all the good and fun recipes.
Blogga, thank you. This is good stuff. Pickled some celery today too ;) cheers to you for all your success! Also, I kept thinking “slippery little suckers” circa pretty woman as I utilized my preschool tripod grip ;). Also being so intimate with chickpeas helped me realize they look like little prebaked chickens. Or brains. Or little butts.
Deb,
Last time I made Paula Wolfer’s hummus (your version) and the tahini made the hummus beyond heavy. It was the heaviest hummus I have ever tasted in my entire life by far. I used this Joyva Tahini. I notice in your photograph you have a different tahini. Is this a lighter version. I guess my question is what do you recommend using. I am about to make hummus again and 1/2 cup tahini paste is concerning to me.
Anna — I love Joyva Tahini; it is my favorite, it’s just not what I found this time. I like tahini-heavy hummus but it may not be to your taste. You should definitely adjust the recipe so it is more to your liking next time.
I’m not sure if I just did it wrong, but it took me well over half an hour to peel the damn things, and I didn’t really notice a difference. I blame my lack of dexterity. :)
Holy crap, Deb. I just made this, with a little red pepper, and it is so good and now I am eating it with some garlicky barley and lentils and OMG <3
Seriously.
I have to take you at your word that peeling the chickpeas will give you that magical, smooth and fluffy perfect hummus, but…it just ain’t gonna happen.
I enjoy your blog, my dear, and no doubt will continue to do so in the future, but making anything ‘perfect’ or the pursuit thereof when it comes to culinary items, puts me in a place that borderlines the crazy train. Perfect, the term, is elusive and, frankly, doesn’t exist in nature, unless one takes the tack of the old est guru Werner Erhard of the 70s and 80s who felt that perfection is ‘as it is’ (and I paraphrase); in other words, a perfect hummus can sit right beside another…made entirely differently (in this case, say, without peeling chickpeas for 9 minutes).
When it come to most anything, the search for ‘perfect’ is an interesting intellectual exercise, but is another wild goose chase…IMHO.
Chris J — Peeling chickpeas is much less about chasing perfection than it is a question: are you happy with the texture of the hummus you are making? If you are, of course, there’s no reason to try anything new/change how you’re making it. If you aren’t however, this is a technique that improves it. Wild goose chases rarely have such practical results.
Lesson learned – gotta use good quality chickpeas and good quality tahini. I skimped on both and ended up with very smooth bitter hummous. Am doctoring it now with more garlic and oil. But it’s very very dense and the flavor needs some work. I used generic on both. Won’t make that mistake again.
I tried it, and it tasted fantastic! Such a delight. Much smoother and nicer hummus. Thank you for this smart idea, I qualified my room mate to peal the chickpeas with me :)
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the most amazing hummus. I used rancho gordo’s chickpeas and made the whole thing with an immersion blender and it was the smoothest authentic hummus I have had in a while. It rival’s Beirut’s best Lebanese Restaurants hummus.
I used to think I had the world’s best hummus recipe. Back in the 80s, I was conducting at a summerstock theater in CT. Around the corner from our housing was a little Lebanese hole-in-the-wall, open for lunch only. Proprietors: Mom, Dad, teenage daughter. When I was walking to rehearsals in the morning, they were prepping, but not open; eventually, they let me in for a pre-rehearsal breakfast hummus and tabouli. I read my book while they chopped and mixed. Three summers in a row. Every day. By ’88 I knew I wasn’t coming back and asked Mom for her hummus recipe. After days of hemming and hawing, she finally gave it up. It was basically this recipe, but without hulling the chickpeas. Makes a huge difference, and I bow down in deference, Deb. This is the best hummus I’ve ever had. Completely worth shucking all those chick peas. (That’s what NPR and audiobooks are for.) Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I finally got around to making this today. I had tried peeling the chickpeas before, but what I had never done was put them in the food processor all by themselves first. That, I believe, is the key step. Thank you so much. This is the best hummus I have ever made.
Hi Deb! You are right, peeling the chickpeas is soooo worth it!! I just made hummus for lunch and it was delicious…
I’m so excited to see you using rancho gordo beans! They are my absolute favorite!!!! Now to find a local carrier of them!
I just finished making this and it is, without a doubt, the prettiest hummus I have ever made. I peeled chickpeas while watching a movie and it was totally enjoyable. One quick question – peeling took way longer than 9 minutes. My chickpeas just wouldn’t pop out of their skins. I tried the reader approved towel method, which helped, but it still took forever. I’m wondering – this was my first time cooking with dried chickpeas. I used your slow cooker method and didn’t pre-soak. Did I possibly over or under cook the beans?
Dayna — They’re undercooked if they taste that way — firm, rubbery. It would definitely make them harder to peel.
Delicious hummus, like everyone else, it’s answered that long time niggling question I was talking about with a friend the other day about why our home made hummus was so unsatisfactory. Just one thing – I’ve read that you *shouldn’t* add bicarb of soda to cooking water of beans, etc, as it destroys the nutrients in the beans. I don’t know if this is true or not, but never add it and my beans cook fine. I nearly always soak first and, for chick peas, have found that if you leave them in the water for an hour or so after they’re cooked, they soften up that extra little bit and are even yummier. And now this hummus .. mmmmmmm
Hummous is not Hummus without Za’atar. If you’ve not made Hummus with Za’atar then you’ve not made hummus. You can either make it yourself or buy it online. If you’re obsessed with organic, like me, then you’ll want to google organic za’atar. It’s available. I buy organic za’atar from Whole Foods. Also, you have to add cilantro. I add about a 1/4 cup to a recipe of this size
this hummus, my dear madam, is quite simply the best i’ve ever made. what a difference a skin makes! not only did i give my dear dear friend claire your cookbook for christmas (and was desperately excited to for months before) but i read your blog and your blog alone for new, creative ideas for recipes. usually i just improvise m’self based on what i have in the ‘ol cabinets. thank you, my dear, for being so entirely awesome.
Amazing. Worth it. Nom nom nom.
I am very excited to try this! I have all the ingredients…but am lacking a piece of hardware, the food processor! Can I do this with something else? I do have one of those “Magic Bullet” things (received from Santa, a few years ago). Would that work?
I was skeptical about popping off the chickpea skins, but this really did make an incredibly smooth hummus. I also love that you don’t use oil in the recipe base!
great tip thanks! :)
Took a quick browse through the comments and did not see this, but could have missed it with the volume out there.
I made the basic hummus recipie today from “Jerusalem” (now available in the US). The process there calls for soaking the beans overnight (approx 1 C dried peas), then rinsing, then essentially sauteing them over high heat with 1 teaspoon of baking soda for 3 minutes, then boiling them until quite done.
This is the first time I did this and it softens the peel to the point of non-existence – I might try it next time with a bit less baking soda but seems to work quite well – smooooooothest hummus I have ever made.
One last step that a friend swears is what makes the difference is adding a little ice cold water at the end of the processing
Growing up we never seemed to get our hummus recipes just right. We’ll have to try this to see how it turns out! Never would have guessed about needing to peel the skin.
I’ve never made hummus without olive oil–with the practice of peeling the cooked beans and adding some of the cooking water to the processor, I think it’s key to a silky finish when incorporated.
Will also encourage everyone to look for raw, rather than cooked/canned tahini. There is a huge taste difference, just as there is with dried beans versus canned–plus you don’t suffer the exposure to the plastic that lines cans. I have seen some raw varieties on the shelf in jars in places like Whole Foods, but for those in New York, I encourage a stop at Integral Yoga on West 13th. They make some brilliant raw tahini; find it in the refrigerator there!
I made this last night and it was everything you said it would be. The smoothest hummus I have ever tasted in my life. It was amazing. It did take me about 30 minutes to skin a 29 oz can of garbanzo beans, but yes, it was worth it. My husband had some, and his comment was that it was too smooth and next time I should try to make it a little grainier! Talk about clueless.
This turned out amazing!!!
I just made this last night and it was smooth and deeeelicious!! My husband really isn’t a huge hummus fan but I saw him continually dipping celery sticks in the bowl when he thought I wasn’t looking. I thought peeling the chickpeas would be annoying but it really was a bit therapeutic and made the finished product very smooth and fluffy. Thanks for posting this, it is my new go-to hummus recipe!!
I tried this last night: SO GOOD. My big complaint about my own homemade hummus (until now) was the texture, but I never would have thought to peel the damn chickpeas until I read this. Absolutely worth it!!!
It helps a lot if you simmer your canned chickpeas, maybe with a litte added water and reduce to half, takes about 10 mins, maybe longer for a large can, I use 1/2 A can at a time, almost all the chickpeas will have shed their skin without any help from you. Just saying.
First of all WOW, you weren’t kidding, this hummus is the smoothest and most fluffy! However, I used dried beans, soaked overnight and cooked for about half an hour. I think that ever though my beans were a good consistency for the hummus, they must have gone longer because the peeling took me FOREVER. Like around 45 minutes. The larger beans (which must have been less cooked) popped out just fine though. The smaller beans would just mush if I tried popping them. So I’ll cook less next time.
This was amazing!! I’m writing a post where I talk about some recipes I’ve tried lately, and will definitely be linking to this one!
Thanks for sharing :)
Wow, who woulda thunk it … All my life, I’ve been making hummus using chickpeas with the skins on. Because that’s how my mother did it, and all my grandmothers before her. (We’re Lebanese.) This will take my mother’s already-awesome recipe, which is universally adored and requested by my family and friends (which uses a LOT more garlic … to the point where it has a bite) from “rustic” goodness into the realms of a religious experience. Thank you!
Finally got around to trying this out — I was planning to wait until my 2 year old was old enough to be tasked with chickpea peeling but…. I couldn’t wait! It totally works! I’m thrilled. This is restaurant-quality smooth hummus. I’d never have thought to peel them to get it. Thanks so much for sharing!
DELICIOUS. The best and smoothest hummus I’ve ever had.
I cannot thank you enough i have tried making hummus and every time my hubby wouldnt like it
he would always say it is not the same and blah blah
i do not have words to thank you he just loved it and is right now finishing the whole bowl
Oh, Deb…. you do it again. Your site is MY personal Google for recipes and the very first I search anytime I am on a hunt for something. Only after I see that you have not yet tackled it do I venture further out in the inter-webs to find a (never foolproof or totally satisfying) recipe. I think that my two and four year old kids ate more than half a batch tonight! Thank you for all your hard work and for sharing your trials, tribulations, stories and successes with us.
This is the best hummus recipe I have ever made…and trust me, I’ve made this one too many times to count. In fact, I’ve become something of a chickpea peeling fanatic and have been preaching the benefits to anyone who will listen to me.
For tree years I had tried to make my hummus like the Lebanese restaurant where I often go with my family, but with no success. And exactly before reading your little secret, I discovered my self and it was great. But I’m asking myself…are they doing the same? Whit so many orders in the same time? One of our friend suggest that they probably have some chickpea powder, like a flour or something. What do you think about it? Can we do this with our regular cooking tools? Why we cannot find a Lebanese cook to en-light us all? :D Anyway, many thanks for your advice and your great work here and in the kitchen.
Be blessed!
A Romanian big fan hummus family!
The hummus that I buy here in Switzerland has, for some odd reason, fromage blanc (sort of a smooth cottage cheese) in it. Along with chickpeas, tahini (“pate de sesame”- so I’m assuming tahini), salt, vegetable oil (nothing about olive oil). I usually buy 3 pots, scoop it all into a tupperware, add a lot of olive oil, some fleur de sel, and about a tablespoon of sweet paprika. People go nuts and ask me for the recipe, and I just grin and cheerfully admit to cheating! The un-tweaked version is OK, but… uninteresting. Why the fromage blanc, other than bulking out something already cheap with something even cheaper, I do not know. My four-year-old loves it, though- I’m not sure what she’d think of the real stuff, although I do have plans to make it some time soon.
To kickstart the peeling – put the cooked & dried chickpeas on one half of a silpat. Fold the other half over the chickpeas and then rub back and forth. :-)
just tried this…truly people, if you are hesitating at peeling the chickpeas please don’t! so worth the slightly extra expenditure of effort. really really amazing.
I just made this last night for a dinner party and everyone LOVED it, including me… and I’m Israeli, so I’ve had a lot of hummus in my day… it’s one of the best ones I’ve ever tasted! I’m already looking forward to making it and eating it again. This time maybe I’ll try and tackle making pita too.
This method made lovely, smooth hummus. So smooth, it resembled freshly churned ice cream. I cooked dried chickpeas and it was a huge pain to remove the skins. For the heck of it I opened a can of chickpeas to test them. It was amazingly easy to remove the skins from the canned chickpeas. Not sure what the difference is, but I will probably stick to canned ones in the future.
It’s Mother’s Day. Here I sit, patiently popping chickpeas out of their skins….having picked wild blueberries in the past, or snipped the ends off mountains of green beans for canning, this is just a pleasant little interlude. Kind of Zen, actually. Can’t wait to try the finished product!
First time I have had problems with a Smitten Kitchen recipe. I cooked the beans in a crock pot for 3 hours on high per Deb’s directions, but they turned out mushy and overcooked. When I tried to peel them, they just disintegrated. I threw them away and tried soaking new beans overnight and will try Ottolenghi’s method tonight. Good thing I have an extra night to try to make this before serving the following night. When you use the crockpot method, do you need to still soak the beans overnight in adance?
You didn’t make your own tahini?
It’s easy.
Hi Ken — It is easy, and anyone who’d like to try, should. But I am very fond of the stuff I can buy at the store, and in the end, I think we’re all making the choices in cooking that make sense for us.
I’m not doubting the superiority of this hummus recipe, but I’d like to know how peeling the chickpeas for this is only taking everyone 9 minutes. I spent over an hour peeling, and was still only 3/4 done, so I just dumped the remaining unpeeled ones in with the peeled ones in frustration, thereby rendering all my efforts pointless. What am I doing wrong?
Jessica — It might be faster for me because I’ve done it so many times. I hope it was still worth it.
I made this hummus last night with canned chickpeas, and it came out beautifully. I doubled the recipe, and added more lemon, garlic, and a little zest. Definitely worth the extra time spent peeling.
I know I’m late to the party, but this is the best hummus I’ve ever made and it’s not my first time at the hummus rodeo! Peeling the chickpeas was well worth the extra time. Thanks Deb!
Took me 18 minutes to peel, but well worth it. I’m calling this one “life-changing hummus!”
Like others, it took me more time than expected to peel the chickpeas. However, this isn’t really a problem because I’ll probably get lots of chances to practice and get fast at it because I just made the best hummus of my life.
Deb, this hummus is so good it almost makes me want to go wake my 11 month old up from his nap to try it!!!!!
Oh my gosh. Thank you!
I went to one of my favorite restaurants the other day, and was blown away by how good the hummus was. Ever since then, I’ve been in the mood for a good hummus again! I didn’t realize mine always came out sort of thick and not so smooth until I was eating it there and it was just so amazingly light and smooth. I wanted to find out why mine came out this way, an a simple google search led me to this. I tried your method and WOW. Smooth, delicious, and light hummus. For me, it does take a little while to get the skins off of the chick peas, by it is so very worth it! I’ll be using this method as a base of any and all hummus I make in the future.
Count me among those who could have used less tahini. I recently tried halva and had to spit it out! I should have known my tastes better than to use this much tahini!! :)
Here are the changes I’ll make going forward: Goya’s chickpeas, 1/4 c tahini instead of 1/2 c, 1/4 c or more lemon juice, maybe a little olive oil for texture. I also only used 6 tbsp of water and found that it was still too thick for my liking, so I’ll probably add some more next time. I can’t wait to make the next batch!
I started with dried beans, soaked with baking soda, then cooked for an hour. The skins weren’t loose not did they slip off in 9 minutes. Could this have been old beans or did I not boil them rapidly enough? I’m going to try again but could use some pointers, please.
Hi Nan — It could be either, but probably, older beans, which take longer to soften. If you can, try to buy ones in vacuum-sealed or airtight containers, and not those deli containers a lot of stores wrap with a clear plastic tape… they always seem to have the stalest dry goods. :(
Just made this! Since growing up in the Middle East and moving back to the UK, I have always struggled to make hummus that was just as good. THIS. IS. IT. Thank you!
I’m going to make this hummus and your pita recipe this weekend. So excited! Hopefully I will have time to blog about it. I just want to confirm that if I’m using canned chickpeas I can skip the cooking step and go straight to peeling. Is that right?
Canned chickpeas are already cooked.
I read this recipe when you posted it but just made it for the first time the other day to take to the lake. There was something cathartic about *popping* the peas from their skins into a bowl and it truly did make a difference in the texture of the hummus. Rave reviews from friends. Btw, I learned from a friend to dip tart apple slices into regular old hummus. Pink Ladies are a good choice. Grapes are yummy too, if you don’t mind licking hummus off the tips of your fingers. Thanks for the recipe. Today I’m making another batch for another trip to the lake, along with your salted browned butter krispie treats, which I’ve also gained notoriety among friends for. :)
This hummus recipe was excellent, and made a great base for my “spicy as ****” hummus. Check out the recipe on my blog, and I def added a link back to the original!
Curse you Deb, I spent an hour yesterday peeling the chickpeas for a large batch. I love creamy hummus, and must make my own because I’m on a low-sodium diet. But I’ll peel them from now on because I’m convinced, it does make the difference.
Good recipe. Definitely peel the chicks! You’re not nuts at all
As serving recommendation, please try serving your hummus (or baba ghannoush) with a little pile of chopped ripe tomatoes and fresh chopped flat leaf parsley in the middle (in addition to a good sprinkle of quality olive oil). These two things are heaven combined with either hummus or baba. If you are already serving with tabbouleh (which should be at least 85% parseley plus tomatoes, scallions, lemon juice and olive oil) you get the same effect if people combine them, but try it anyway.
And as a side note, if making baba, cook the eggplants on the barbecue with some fruit wood for smoke flavor (char lightly over coals then roast indirect with cover on until soft). Smoky roasted eggplant gives the best flavour, you won’t care how smooth it is and won’t need to add yoghurt or whatever.
I just made this today – used canned garbanzo beans, but made my own tahini. I toasted the sesame seeds before processing them in the cuisinart with olive oil. The tahini was very strong tasting! So much so that I ended up doubling the batch. I just tossed the balance of the ingredients into the food processor after making the tahini (which was still in the bowl). The hummus is delicious and smooth, despite not following the directions :-).
I wonder though about trading smoothness for fiber which is probably diminished when removing the skins. Still V. Tasty, though!
Thanks for the tip on peeling the chick peas. Came out much smoother, like you said and only took about 5 minutes.
Great recipe. I made some roasted carrot chips to go with it and just about ate the whole thing!
oh my. I thought I didn’t like hummus, but I made this tonight for a baby shower I’m hosting tomorrow. There might not be anything left to take to the shower… I can’t stop eating it! awesome recipe! (it took me 15 min to leisurely pop them out of the skins, not a big deal and totally worth it.)
Hi! Thank you so much for this convenient and delicious recipe. Just one query, though the taste is amazing, the texture is a bit firm. Not just on cooling,meven when it was freshly prepared it wasnt as flowing as the restaurant variety. Any idea where I went wrong? I used canned chickpeas and followed the recipe to the letter.
Hi Sam — Chickpeas and tahini both vary in their stiffness, so I advise in the recipe to “drizzle in water or reserved chickpea cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get very smooth, light and creamy mixture.” I only needed 4 tablespoons but if yours seems stiff, you should use more. It can still be added now.
Deb, I’ve been thinking about this recipe for months, and every time my husband adds chick peas to his salads, I notice those baggy skins. The only way I like chick peas is in hummus, and I usually make it from dried beans, so this was the missing link for me! I use my slow-cooker to soak the beans, (with a quartered lemon, a handfulmof scallion bulbs, salt, and a splash of toasted sesame oil in the water) on high for an hour, and then on warm for. Few hours, and rhen they sit overnight. I just made a big batch using your recipe for a Greek dinner party I’m hosting tonight. I’m already glad I made so much, since I’ve been snacking on it all day. Thank you!!!
I made this last night for dinner (along with Israeli salad (yours!), marinated feta and olives, and falafel), and OH MY WORD. I’ve made hummus with peeled chickpeas before, but it’s never been like this. I’m never buying hummus again. I’m eating the leftovers FOR BREAKFAST. I’m not even an unconventional breakfast kind of girl. I used Goya chickpeas and drizzled the hummus with olive oil, then sprinkled it with za’atar, and a bit of smoked paprika. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hey Deb! Thanks for the prompt feedback, gave it another go today. Scrumptious as ever. Thanks a ton for the lovely recipe and even more so for the feedback. Bless you
I made this yesterday, and then again today! Peeling the skins off was not hard or meticulous. If I had a kid, maybe I’d sit out on the front porch with them and do this, like my mom did only we were snapping green beans.
Thank you for this idea! My brother in law found out from a favorite restaurant that skinless chickpeas were the trick to perfect hummus, but they didn’t peel them, they bought “split chickpeas.” If you live in an area with ethnic Middle Eastern markets, you can usually find them. Alas, I do not and had never even thought of trying to peel them myself! Hooray for the possibility of smooth hummus in the middle of the French Alps! :)
I love this recipe and seem to make it at least a couple of times a month. But I don’t know how you manage to peel a whole recipe’s worth of chick peas in 10 minutes. To peel two cans of chick peas takes me about 45 minutes — and I’m doing it just as you say, just pinching the pointy end. It’s still totally worth it. :-)
Over 60 years ago, a Lebanese family taught my great aunt to make a salad much like Tabouli. One of the main ingredients is dried chick peas that have been soaked overnight and then peeled. They called the salad Seouf Souf (sounded like SUFF-SO to my Southern ear). Has anyone else heard of this? It gives the salad a nice crunch and is really deliciious!
PEELING TIP
I didn’t wade through all the comments here but another way to peel chickpeas is to do it BEFORE you cook them.
– soak chickpeas overnight
– drain and sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda
– leave for an hour
– put the peas into a dry towel and then rub the peas between the towel, this will remove the skin. You’ll still have to pick through them but it’s another way of working.
– then you cook them
Giving Alton Brown a run for his money!
I work with a Lebanese person and they make the best hummus I ever had, the trick she told me was always use dried garbonzos soaked overnight and deskinned after simmering. I’m trying this theory out right now :)
would a 4 cup food processor be too small to make double this recipe?
Peter — Yes, but you can also just blend it half at a time.
Long-time admirer, first-time commenter: I’m another lover of chana dal for hummus, as it cooks faster than chickpeas and is already peeled.
Thanks for this! It really is the smoothest, creamiest, most delicious hummus ever. I was recently reading a cookbook that said that peeling the chickpeas doesn’t make any difference, but I now think they were wrong. I did alter the recipe a tiny bit – I replaced half of the added chickpea water with EVOO. Yum!
However, I seem to peel much more slowly than you… My husband, upon seeing how long it took to make a double batch of this hummus, found a tutorial for me for how to remove the skins quickly: As soon as the chickpeas are done, dump a few cups of cold water in to “shock” the peas and the shells will come off and float to the top. If they don’t all come off right away, stick your hands in the (now cold) water and gently rub the beans. Maybe that’ll speed things up!
I made this yesterday. Peeling the garbanzos was a cinch–I am never buying hummus again. Thank you!
Thank you for this recipe. I wrote about making this hummus on my blog, it turned out fantastic! Thanks again :)
The recipe doesn’t exactly state, should you cook the canned beans?
Danielle — No. Canned beans are already cooked, don’t need additional time.
Others have said it, but chickpea flour is the way to go. Absolutely dreamy hummus.
I thought you might like this video, which shows how to skin canned chick peas without having to individually shuck every one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hh9tDJoUjw
Deb! I was just about to post a video on skinning chickpeas faster and easier, but Wicked Goodies just above me seems to have beat me to the punch.
Fab recipe. For anyone out there who is finding the raw garlic taste overpowering or too far out front, I suggest blanching the garlic for 90 seconds before chopping and adding it. You get plenty of garlic flavor but the harsh, raw edge is gone.
As anyone tried placing the cooked chick peas through a ricer to separate the skin from the center?
We love hummus here and, due to my DIY nature, I decided that I needed to try my hand at making it. So, I hit up my Asian market, got the dried chickpeas and tahini and got down to it. It was so easy and the final product was so good that I will never buy commercial hummus again. The worst part for me was skinning the chickpeas… next batch, that will be my daughter’s job. We like things spicy, so Sriracha was added to our final product. We are hooked, thanks for the recipe!
So I soaked the chickpeas overnight, sautéed with baking soda and then simmered for 15 minutes, which was too long, and they were too soft & mushy to peel. I used them anyways and the chickpeas with the soft skins blended up very nicely. I still ended up with pillowy, billowy, fluffy hummus.
I second the idea of adding sweet potato; just 75g or so roasted in a single piece until tender/soft gives this hummus the body that can sometimes be missed by not being coarse. While of course still allowing it to be beautifully smooth.
Great recipe!
This is by far my favorite hummus recipe I’ve encountered. Peeling the chickpeas really does improve the texture significantly enough to justify the effort. And I love how much tahini is added. Most recipes I’ve seen only use a couple tablespoons or maybe 1/4 cup, and I always thought the flavor seemed a bit off. I thought it was because I just didn’t love tahini, but it turns out it’s because it needed more!
I love knowing this trick!! I have always wanted my hummus to be more like the super smooth hummus you can buy in a store. Now I know the key! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing the secret.
Hi Deb – I have tried your recipe & several others to make hummus in my VitaMix. I don’t peel the chickpeas because the VM is so powerful it makes the hummus very smooth anyway and, besides, I thought the skins left on made it even healthier anyway. I’m very discouraged though because my hummus ALWAYS comes out so blah tasting. I’ve tried extra garlic, lemon juice, cumin, you name it. And I’ve soaked and cooked my own beans too, in addition to using canned varieties, with no improvement in taste.
Could I be soaking the beans in too much water? Overcooking them? I’ve always followed recipes to the letter but am REALLY disappointed that my hummus doesn’t taste better. While it has the good consistency I’d get in a restaurant, the taste is not very good and I don’t understand why. Should I try some “special” brand of chickpeas? I know where there’s a middleeastern market near me.
Have you used this recipe? Many Israeli restaurants make it like this, with a higher proportion of tahini, as I do. To increase the flavor, salt, lemon and garlic should do the trick.
I love popping out chickpea skins, too. You’re not weird. Thanks for sharing.
AnimalFriendly – I found that I had to add a lot more water sometimes to create a dipping consistency, especially as I use it over 4-5 days and it became quite hard in the fridge. To offset this flavor wise I add paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, cinnamon or sometimes even five spice. But the true gem of this recipe is the consistently good consistency =D.
ugh, it’s true! I just did it today, and it made a HUGE difference. I’m sold. Actually once I got good at popping them out of the skin, it was kind of therapeutic.
I have been making hummus for some time but I am always disappointed by the coarse texture. I think you have explained why! Does the commercially mass produced hummus they sell in supermarkets use skinned chickpeas do you know? If so, I assume there is a machine of some sort the does the peeling.
Both recipe and technique sound very interesting but what really fascinates me here is the food styling in the first photo – that is some truly fantastic work!
I have been following this website since 2006 and it is always a joy to read. The pictures are beautiful and the writing is impeccable. I have since become gluten-free, but that doesn’t stop me from reading every recipe you share – even if I can’t make it I still like to hear about your process and drool over the pictures.
I made this hummus and am loving it – the texture is exactly what I have been looking for (just like in a middle eastern restaurant!) and could never seem to recreate at home. Can’t wait to make more. Thanks for all the great blogging!
Mouth watering thank you for posting perfect pictures I will try
Just made this tonight and it came out so damn good. Peeling the chickpeas made a world of difference. It’s amazing. Thanks!!
Another fantastic recipe. I just made this for tonight’s New Year’s Eve celebration, soaked the beans over night and once the skins were taken off it’s so easy. I will never buy store bought hummus again. Thanks for always making me look like a great cook. :)
This. This is wonderful. It’s been a while since I last made hummus, and my last two containers from Trader Joes have not lived up to my expectations. (Not even close – one was just plain I-will-not-eat-this gross even though I don’t like to waste edible food.) This recipe, however, looked at my expectations and said, “I can do better than that.”
Peeling the chickpeas wasn’t so bad with some time to spare and an Alton Brown podcast playing, but next time I hope to try what some commenters have suggested: submerging them in a big pot of water and rubbing them together and skimming the peels from the top of the water. I was making a double batch, and it took quite a while.
Ok, so This must be the technique for the insanely smooth hummus I used to get at a Persian restaurant in DC, long ago. I’ve never been able to replicate it, til now! Thank you !
It’s…it’s beautiful. I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for a WHILE.
I have always wondered what makes other hummus so much smoother than mine! I accidentally added in the whole 1/4 cup of chickpea juice at once, so mine wasn’t as thick looking as yours, but it was still very creamy! I also added some cucumber and dill to it for a little extra flavors. Although, it look me a little more than 9 minutes to peal the chickpeas, I will definitely be using this method again! Thanks!
Hi Deb-
Please do get a pressure cooker. I’m a longtime reader of smitten kitchen, from the early days, and would *love* some SK recipes for the pressure cooker.
I, too, have wondered for years why commercial hummus was so much smoother than mine – thought it was the food processor. Love, love the smooth texture of peeled, and will never look back. I dislike the tahini that I have purchased and have been using peanut butter instead (which is delish) – but decided I needed a change. I made tahini out of $2.50 worth of sesame seeds & almost ate it all before making hummus! I also made pita bread & thought I had blown it because I over cooked it. Then I realized I had actually made pita crackers! I had rubbed a combo of dried basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme & sea salt on bread before baking & it was so yummy that I mixed more of the herbs into hummus.
Had some issues with peeling the chickpeas, even trying two techniques. Using a food mill failed miserably, then used the baking soda trick & found peels sticking everywhere. Both trials took MUCH longer than 9 mins.! I will continue to experiment til I find the right way for me, since it is so totally nirvana! (Laughed hard at vision of dogs chasing flying chickpeas around the kitchen)! Gorgeous pictures, Deb- you certainly make food look so appealing that we have to make it!
You don’t have to peel each individual bean to remove the skins. Just put them into a bowl of water, put your hands in and gently rub the beans. The skins will come off, then you scoop them out of the water and continue until there are no more skins left. Very easy and quick! And doesn’t seem quite so nutty.
So, I soaked and cooked my own chickpeas, and peeled them. But I used my own recipe. Unless I missed a step, the peeling is crazy time consuming, but yes, it came out much smoother. I am going to try the baking soda, it works with boiled eggs, so it probably helps make the skins come off easier. I also add cucumber and pickle juice to mine, so delicious.
This was the most amazing hummus I’ve ever had! Thank you so much for the awesome recipe. I think this might be one of those “make every week” kind of recipes.
This hummus is DIVINE, however I tend to make large batches and peeling 4 cups of chickpeas the other day nearly undid me.
And then I had a momentary lightbulb moment …. CHANA DAL. Aka dried split chick peas. That happen to have no skin on them. Get thee to your nearest South Asian grocery store.
Soak them for 3 hours, then boil in salted water for ~ 18 minutes.
Carry on with the hummus recipe.
Peel only the garlic.
I just made 6 cups of hummus from about .67 cents worth of chana dal.
My life is changed.
boodyshoes — Quit it, you’re blowing my mind. I’m going to try to find them and report back. Thanks for the tip!
This hummus is amazing! I tried your method with a mix of another recipe and the outcome was a creamy, tasty, amaaaazing hummus! Thanks a lot for this recipe!
http://haltegourmandecheznanou.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/houmous-maison-cremeux-a-sen-lecher-les-doigts/
I use my trusty food mill to remove the skins from my chick peas. But it is an extra piece of equipment to wash.
I don´t think its weird to skin chickpeas… is it? I skin almonds as well…
:-) Thanks for the lovely recipe
Skinning the chickpeas FINALLY yielded restaurant quality hummus. I did it by hand the first time but next time will try this brilliant technique: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hh9tDJoUjw
Thanks for steering me in the right direction! Never considered that skins were causing the graininess.
Best hummus I’ve made so far was with your recipe. Thanks for helping me step up my game :)
I was making up my mind to finally buy a food processor, because of my wish to make hummus without that yucky, grainy texture. So to have come across this page was a true wonder. I KNEW it was the skins! But to individually peel the chick peas seemed mental. And how could they make huge commercial batches, peeling the beans one by one? But it seems that is the trick for home recipes. I had resorted to a Foley Food Mill, but it took forever, was a huge mess, and it was still grainy. To those who have mentioned chick pea flour– I tried that bright idea, using Bob’s Red Mill brand, but it tasted awful to me, like raw beans. I suspect the flour is ground from the dried, uncooked beans. I can’t believe several people tried it and thought it tasted good. And I couldn’t imagine that it would work to “cook” the flour mixed with either water or other of the hummus ingredients. So I am definitely going to try the peeling, and if that doesn’t do the trick along with using my blender, a few people have recommended the Vitamix. Thanks for all the helpful information.
I finally made good chumus!!!! Thank you so much!!!! :)
I even used techina that I made from scratch from this recipe. http://www.yumsugar.com/Homemade-Tahini-Recipe-25190494
I love this site!!!
It took me a long time to peel the chick peas and when I was finished, I thought this hummus better be really,really good. I can’t believe how fluffy and light it is compared to store bought. Just realized I forgot to add the tahini, and am not going to. Is delicious as is! Added some cumin, salt & pepper and topped with olive oil.
Just peel the chick peas in a bowl under running water
With running water just overflowing the bowl
As you agitate the peas underwater the water current lifts away the shells
And soon enough all the shells are in tye bottom of your sink
simply strain water and enjoy
1 Second skinning technique: use a pressure cooker to cook your chickpeas and at the end of the cookingtime do not let the pot cool with the lid on but release the steam immediately by tilting the small lid (DO NOT open the big lid! That is will let out very hot steam). Due to the sudden pressure fall all skins will be off! :-) If you need your skins to be on for other recipes, find settings that allow you to let the pan cool fully before opening it.
I made this hummus for a 20s and 30s lunch and then told my mother about it. When I last visited her she served me an even smoother hummus, I asked how she did it, and she said she couldn’t be bothered to peel them, so pushed the cooked chickpeas, skins and all, through a sieve, which removed their skins and any textural irregularities – sheer genius! Thought I’d share the tip.
HELP – Hi! I made this last night, tasted awesome – brought some for work today, still tastes great but very, very stiff – I’m being stupid, just from being in the fridge??
Hossai — If it was the right consistency going into the fridge, it probably just firmed up in there. Some olive oils will solidify a bit when cold. When it warms up, it should loosen. If you still don’t like it, you can reblend it with more water or lemon.
This is the first time I’ve made hummus, and love the super-smooth texture, but have a few recommendations for others: Don’t be afraid to add extra water! I ended up having to use 8 tablespoons due to how dense the tahini was that I bought (Once Again Organic brand). Also, would recommend leaving out the chopped garlic until you’ve tasted the base of it all mixed together before you start adding water. I did not do so, and between the paste and the garlic cloves, it’s way too garlicky for my taste. I will definitely make this again with adjustments to the seasonings. Peeling the chickpeas is WORTH IT!
Hi Deb,
Love your blog! Zahav has the very best hummus and their recipe was published somewhere. If you want it I can dig it out. In the meantime, I did a work around to slipping the skins off that worked quite well. After processing, I ran the dip through a mesh strainer.
PS Sorry! I forgot to mention that I hate raw garlic, so I took the olive oil and lightly poached the garlic cloves in it for about 5 minutes. Much more enjoyable for me.
I’d rather alphabetize my canned goods, which I did last week and which sounds like a lot more fun, than peel a can’s worth of chickpeas. I skipped that step, and my hummus was more corporeally smooth, which is smooth enough when you’re drunk and lonely late at night. Me, I don’t touch the stuff.
Hi, looks lovely, by any chance do you have the recipe for that Pita Bread? It looks appeticing.
Thanks and best wishes.
Carlos — I didn’t make the pita bread pictured here but I do have a recipe that I like.
Thanx to you and everyone who posted for the peeling tip, worth it! I used dry/fresh beans and roasted an acorn squash and threw that in (peeled also of course) :D It added moisture, flavor, and beautiful color.
The peeling really helps avoid any sogginess if you ever make spicy roasted chick peas too, btw.
I made this hummus last night and am so sad to say that it came out (almost inedibly) bitter! After some investigation, I found out bitter tahini was the culprit- even though it was a brand new jar! Just wanted to warn you guys to consider not adding the whole 1/2 cup at first, but instead adding little tahini, then taste. I wish I had! Do you know of any fixes, Deb? I peeled all those little chick peas and had such high hopes!
Have been eating hummus for 40+ years, starting in the middle east. No question about it, peeling makes a much smoother dip. I believe most if not all of the creamy hummus is made this way. I only wonder whether those discarded peels or husks contain loads of fiber, which normally aid digestion and cleansing, and we are just tossing out. Anyone looked into that?
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=58
This article touts the high fiber content of garbanzos- just wonder how much is in the husks. My guess is people from India and the middle east, for whom this is a staple, rarely peel them otherwise.
I didn’t know how much baking soda to sauté the chickpeas in, so I dumped a tablespoon or two, which led to a cauldron-style boil up, when I added water. I should have known better, but I was amused nonetheless. I’m guessing an 1/4-1/2 teaspoon or so should do it?
Thank you for this recipe. I finally made hummus the other day, it was delicious. I’ll never buy hummus again!
I just had to say that they do sell dry chickpeas that are already peeled. They crack them somehow to peel them while still uncooked. Most restaurants in Lebanon use them. Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve made this recipe several times now and I love it. It was especially excellent when I was liberal with lemon juice and garbanzo liquid at the end. Deb, I’m wondering what you think about letting it sit in the fridge for two days before a party. I don’t have enough prep time on the day of…. because I’ll be busy frosting your best birthday cake and making your amazing green bean fried almond salad (among other things) !!!
I my school life I went to my friend`s house and saw this delicious recipe. The test was super!!
You have the worlds most picturesque kitchen. I appreciate this.
Chickpea flour makes THE BEST super smooth hummus!
Yes! This is what I’ve been looking -no- searching for. This recipe made me get up and do it because sometimes the obvious is not so obvious… and it is so perfect. Thank you for sharing your secrets. xo
Made a huge batch for a party. Delicious! Perfect! Yes, work – took me 35 minutes to pop the skins off but what incredible results. I cold water soaked the chickpeas overnight. Started with fresh water and 1 tsp of baking soda, cooked the c’peas for 20 minutes – wow – what foamy water! Drained and popped the skins off. Then started with fresh water, this time cooking for 30 minutes with diced, soaked kombu sea vegetable for better digestibility. Popping the skins off makes all the difference in the world in that perfect texture! Thanks a whole bunch!!
This looks amazing and worth every effort to make it so. I am gonna make this for my 7 month old to try. We are doing Baby Led Weaning and dips are a great part of meals. I was wondering, how long does this keep in the fridge would you say? I think I know the answer to this, but have you ever tried freezing some for later?
Nice blog here! Also your website loads up fast! What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol kebdccbdagdfgdga
well, this is a regular hummus recipe, nothing special… and, by the way, or should I say most importantly, could be nice another text style in the blog. Now it is so uncomfortable to read, plus you talk so much.
Peeling the chickpeas makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. It’s totally worth the extra work. This recipe is really delicious. I have made it many times, and my experience has taught me a few things. First: using dried chickpeas is far superior to using canned chickpeas. I don’t use baking soda, I either overnight soak the beans or do a quick soak, as directed on the package (I use Whole Foods’ 365 organic dried garbanzos) and then cook as instructed. I save the cooking water to add into the food processor later, which I have found makes a better hummus over using just plain water. Also, my hummus always comes out very garlicky, even with just 2 regular sized cloves. And I LOVE garlic, but it’s too strong in the hummus. Contrary to what Deb says about the garlic “blooming,” for me, the garlic flavor tends to mellow in the fridge over time. Not sure why that is. From now on, I am going to only use one garlic clove and see what happens. I also want to try using roasted garlic cloves. YUM. Also, you need plenty of salt in this recipe. I sprinkle some kosher salt and paprika after I generously drizzle good olive oil on the finished product. Delicious! Bon appetit, everyone.
Ok, I’m sold. I am going to PEEL MY CHICKPEAS. Has anyone tried using both hands? I’m not ambidextrous, but this seems like a task that could possibly be done in 5 minutes using both hands. I’ll try it and let you know!
Deb,
My husband and I are obsessed with hummus…we make it once a week, at least. We went to a Turkish restaurant, had the best hummus which beat my tried and true and found the secret was, just as you say, to peel the skin. You must be a fast peeler because it takes me twenty minutes and it’s twenty…frustrating…minutes. In any case, had leftover chickpeas after making your chana masala and used them for hummus. No need to peel the chickpeas if you cook them in crockpot for 8 hours on high and then let them be on warm until you are ready to use them. Just as creamy and no peeling needed. So excited I just had to share :)!
I could not have made it through this herculean effort without wine. Peeling those chickpeas was an ennui that even the “Serial” podcast couldn’t cure. But – BUT – what made it better was peeling the chickpeas under a trickle of water in my colander. GENIUS! Or…was it hiding the hummus from my husband in the back of the fridge? Ok, ok, it *was* worth it. Damn.
Just wanted to say thanks! I tried making hummus from scratch last night, but as I finished, it just didn’t taste right. Now I expected it not to look pretty (it was my first try), but I didn’t expect the truly weird taste. Subsequently, I immediately started searching to see what other people’s recipes said and what mishaps they’d encountered. When I found your recipe I not only learned how the get the smooth creamy texture–have to try that next time–but also found your very sound advice for waiting to let the garlic bloom. Best insight of the day! I left my hummus in the fridge, thinking I’d just suffer through my flub, but this afternoon, I tasted it, and while it’s not perfect, it’s not bad. Thanks for the tip! Most appreciated!
Mmm, all of the creamy delicious humous. My boyfriend is Israeli, and we’ve been making it religiously. One awesome tip: Add one avocado to the mix. No one will be able to notice. We got this idea from an Iraqi lady’s YouTube channel, and she said she heard it from an Afghan lady. Who would have thought!
Much love :)
Maybe I’m doing something wrong…it takes me way more than 9 minutes to peel chickpeas…maybe because I make a large batch at once. Any less time-consuming way to do this? :) I’ve tried it after cooking my dried chickpeas, maybe 2x and it’s taken me AGES…!
Deb I just made this and seriously it is the best. hummus. ever. Peeling the chickpeas was finicky but absolutely worth it. Love it :)
Made this today to go with some spiced lamb and your pita recipe, and it ended up very thick. Tasty, yes, but thick. I tried adding more lemon and water, but it didn’t all fit into my tiny food processor. Maybe I need a bigger one!
To skin them, I rub them by the handful between my two hands, and the skins fall off. Then I rinse the whole thing, and the skins kind of gather together, which makes them easier to pick out.
I just tried your “peel the chickpeas” technique. Brilliant! My pals couldn’t tell that it was homemade (and they’ve all been there for those failures) and ate the whole batch.
Just wanted to say thanks and keep up the good work.
Deb, you saved my hummus life! This is smooooooth to the max! I use can chickpeas though, because I love it too much to plan ahead my cravings … I made it last week for the first time, and I just made my second jar today. We actually had it once alongside some quinoa, feta cheese and the butternut & chickpea roasted dish, that I also found on here and that is so so yummy, so you’re ruling my stomach heart about now! Thanks !!!
This is genius!! I love homemade hummus but have never liked how chunky it gets. makes it harder to eat with veggies. You are amazing! I just tried this with peeling first and its incredibly smooth. Perfect. Delicious. Thank you!
Just made this. First time making hummus! Oh boy, this is good. Even my dog likes it. I made the tahini from scratch because I have a huge jar of toasted sesame seeds. I never knew hummus could be good warm– it has a toasty/nutty flavor, divine texture, and may not even make it into the fridge before I eat it all. Thank you!
I just made this today for my kids that LOVE hummus. It was a huge success they said they liked it better than the Sabra Hummus we usually buy at the store. It was so easy to make and the girls loved helping to take the skin off the beans. Thank you SO much for sharing this.
TIP! Greeks eat a lot of chick peas – and only use dry. Can’t find canned! They prepare them this way: After soaking over night, strain and return to bowl. Stir in a spoon of baking soda and leave for 5 mins. Rinse really well. Then add to a pot, cover with water plus a bit more and boil until soft (an hour-ish). Scoop out the white foam. The baking soda softens the chick peas and the coating flakes off. Then when you drain (keeping some liquid to the side of course), if you rub together a tonne will come off.
I serve it with wedges of raw white onion……Just the way the did at the RED FEZ back in Bostons Back Bay….
I have made SO many hummus recipes over the years and this is the first one that comes close to the hummus I love at my favorite Med place. So creamy. Tons of flavor. Absolutely delicious. And really, the shelling is not that much work.
Thank you!
Ok, finally got around to trying this and you are absolutely right – its ethereal! Biggest question I have for you – I noticed in one of your other posts that you were using the tahini in the can, which I just tried yestu(usually use the kind in the jar) and I could NOT get it stirred! I’m considering putting the contents in the food processor, churning it up, then back in the can! Advice?
My father remembers with pride the time he peeled walnuts for an hour for a recipe from “Like Water For Chocolate.” Your writing style is lovely as well, but on the eve of a Backpackijng trip I AM NOT GOING TO PEEL THE CECI. next time, I promise. thank you for your style, recipe and downright sexy pictures. Good blog.
There is a recent post on Food52 on the best tips for the preparation of Morrocan food from Paula Wolfert. Here is her genius trick for peeling chickpeas!
*How to Peel and Cook Chickpeas*
Many Moroccan recipes call for fresh peeled chickpeas, which taste better and are more easily digested than when left unpeeled. Soak dried chickpeas overnight for at least 10 hours, drain, and spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a cloth kitchen towel. Cover with another towel. Then, using a rolling pin, firmly (but not heavily) roll it back and forth over the chickpeas about ten times. Almost all the peels will roll off.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to the boil, throw in the chickpeas and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for a few minutes. The remaining peels will rise to the surface. Remove them with a skimmer, then continue cooking the chickpeas as directed in the recipe.
As much as I dreaded peeling the chickpeas I decided to try it as I haven’t been able to figure out (until now) how to make a creamy hummus. It took me longer than 9 minutes but I must admit the result was worth it. Super creamy and delicious. The best hummus I’ve had in a while (restaurants included). Am not sure I’ll make this often – but it’s worth the effort once in a while. Thanks for the recipe!!
No need to peel, just put dried beans in a slow cooker for 8-9 hours on low via Alton Brown. Never. Going. Back.
Tried your ES Hummus recipe. Love it and here’s a hint on peeling garbanzos.
Pour the can of peas in a small pitcher or somesuch then just cover them with boiling water for maybe 10 mins or so.
Pour off and wait a couple mins. It made a real difference in loosening the skins.
I did 3/4 of them in the normal way as described and the last 1/4 in the boiled water. Anecdotally the latter were MUCH looser thus quicker to ‘POP” the skins.
Enjoy!
I thought the whole idea of the baking soda was so that the skins come off by themselves; now you tell us you still have to remove them one at a time?? Look on YouTube where they are said to come off without effort after the baking soda treatment. I haven’t tried it yet.
This is my second review and I wanted to share what I’ve learned making this recipe. Don’t use canned beans. The difference between dried and canned, for me, was significant. I cook the chickpeas in the crock pot. When done, I scoop out some and place on a quarter size sheet pan and add a little water to cool them down some. I then drain most of the water off, but leaving a little to keep the skins moist, while “peeling.” The skins slip off easily if 1) the beans are cooked long enough and 2) they’re kept moist. FYI: I just swirled pesto into a portion and it was absolutely divine.
Hi There: I’ve been lurking for a while but feel compelled to chime in (I know, a bit late…) I’ve seen this trick on a lot of blogs but always felt it was too much work to skin the beans. It was NOT a lot of work to do (sometimes I welcome a little mindless task) and the texture is amazing! I gave up on home-made hummus because the texture was always nasty. Next time, I’ll make my own beans and see what happens. Now if someone could only give me an easier way to skin hazelnuts, I would be super happy.
I have been making my aunts Hummus recipe which is very similar to your recipe and of course it calls for peeling your chickpeas. My friends make fun of me that I stand and peel chickpeas for hours but this is the secret to proper textured hummus. I did hear from someone that she rubs the beans after cooked in between paper towels and that takes off a bunch of the skins.
I love this recipe. Thank you Deb!
Its easier if you put the peas in a bowl of water, 1-2 cups at a time, and take a handful and roll them around in your hands like you would when you rub your hands together to try and warm them up. Do this for about 30-60 sec. Because the skins are lighter/more buoyant than the peas, you can pour out the water and along come the shells! Repeat this step once or twice, and then repeat the skin removal with your hands part. You may need to repeat a third time. Using a flat slotted spoon also helps with this method. Transfer the peeled peas to a bowl and repeat!
I just made some cumin roasted carrots (like the ones from the carrot-avo salad) and put them in this hummus and it was so good that I seriously considered licking the food processor blade. FYI.
The brand is crucial, I think, since I gave up after 45 minutes of peeling chickpeas because my feet were numb, I had a small bowl of halves and parts and a few whole, and lots scattered about the sink, counter and kitchen because they sometimes (but VERY seldom)popped out of their skins. Buy Goya!
P.S. The brand I used was organic and low salt. Great tasting but not worth the work at all. Buy Goya!
Dear Deb, I have been experimenting with your awesome inspirational recipes for years, but have never commented just because I normally don’t. This time I Had to. This is not awesome. This is a REVELATION!. I love hummus and have been endlessly disappointed at my attempts to recreate the velvety smoothness of the most store bought stuff. Though I believe in cooking from scratch I bended as much to trying the perfectly mushy canned/jarred chickpeas. They simply don’t cut it, nothing did. Until now. I dare any hummus lovers out there to be dedicated /crazy/ enough to try your method! Peeling the chickpeas has been the best spent 10 min. this weekend!
I played around a bit and came up with some speeding up the process trick. I boiled the chickpeas just a noch below readiness /14 min. in pressure cooker after lazy soaking in hot water for 30 min./. Drain, put in a heatproof bowl and ditch in the freezer for 30 min. Pour boiling water atop and start the fun part. Don’t drain the water – it rinses your fingers as you go and makes everything slide easily. This little trick seriously speeded up the process for me, making me feel just a tiny bit less crazy for doing it!
Wish you all happy hummusing!
Forgot to mention that I additionaly simmered the peeled chickpeas with little water till they are completely mushy!
Yes indeedy, peeled chickpeas is time consuming but so worth it. I can only do organic chickpeas – which are much smaller, and so it’s a double bind. But I do make a Moroccan cannelini bean dip with preserved lemon and I slip those little beans out of their skin too.
In your instructions you way to drain the cooking water/water in the can from the beans… I recently learned about, and tried aquafaba (that ‘bean’ water that we usually toss) and how it is an eggwhite replacer. I tried it and it’s pretty cool – I used it successfully in chocolate mousee and less successfully in baking – I wonder what you can do with it. If you haven’t already tried it, look it up!
No crazier than blanching almonds and removing their skins, which no one seems to think is weird at all.
Excellent!! I discovered this post last year and have been skinning my chickpeas ever since. I make a lot of hummus, and quite frankly, this tip changed my life. And my hummus. However, I do not stand to peel them; I take a bowl with me for the skins and park my fanny in a comfortable chair with my feet up. It’s a tedious task but so worth it!
Am I missing something on the directions for using canned chickpeas? It says:
“Drain the chickpeas (saving the chickpea broth for soups or to thin the hummus, if desired) and cool enough that you can pick one up without burning your fingers.”
which makes me feel like I should be heating them up, but I’m not positive!
Steph — Those are part of the directions for cooking your own chickpeas from dried, not canned. Unless I have a typo I’m not seeing (which, of course, happens all the time).
It took me 30 minutes to de-skin my can of chickpeas, BUT, it did make the creamiest, smoothest hummus I’ve ever made soooo… worth it, I think :) Thanks Deb!
I agree with others – dried (fresh?) chickpeas are so much better than canned. I use canned often because of convenience…but when I’m preparing a special meal, good quality dried chick pea is the best.
Excellent hummus. I didn’t know the beans had skins on them but had never made homemade hummus before. It’s a great base recipe that I’m sure could be changed with other ingredients. I added some Greek olives for garnish. Thanks!
great recipe, but even easier since it requires no peeling of chickpeas, is using chickpea flour to make a smooth, light, creamy hummus.. https://alustybitofnourishment.wordpress.com/2016/04/14/the-secret-to-homemade-hummus-chickpea-flour/
Deb,
Do you add liquid to the slow cooker? I soaked them overnight and want to do your hands off method of using the slow cooker, but not sure if I just throw the soaked chickpeas with their liquid into the slow cooker.
Thanks
Scratch that last question. I looked at the recipe again, now my question is: in your method do you soak the chickpeas overnight or instead of soaking you use the slow cooker?
I’ve used this recipe many times, with canned chickpeas and dried, plain and with sun-dried tomatoes or olives mixed in, for myself and for others. It’s always met with acclaim, even from people who thought they didn’t like hummus.
Would you believe I read this recipe over 2 (3?) years ago and promptly went out and bought the Goya garbanzos and tahini to make this recipe and only tonight got around to making some hummus? The tahini I threw out long ago because I didn’t use it by its use by date but the beans didn’t expire until a year from now. How about that! What can I say? I’m a procrastinator. And the results? Just as creamy as advertised. It was as good or better than Sabra store bought, the only brand I bother with from the store. I wanted more garlic though as I ate it as soon as it was all mixed but heeded Deb’s advice about adding too much garlic. Maybe tomorrow it will have more garlic flavor as she suggested.
I have to say though I never got into a rhythm with peeling the beans. The skins would always stick to my fingers as I tried to discard them; it took me far longer than Deb’s 10 minutes and I have to say it was a bit frustrating. But the end product was worth it. Would do again. :-)
I have been ‘lurking’ this recipe for years – last night while grocery shopping my husband put a tub of Sabra hummus in the cart and I decided it was time to make it. We put the Sabra back and went on the hunt for canned beans and tahini.
The store was out of Goya so we went with Ziyad beans and tahini. We bought 2 and doubled the recipe. It took me about 25 mins to peel both cans of beans, it was my first time and it wasn’t difficult. My mom came into the kitchen while I was doing it and acted like ‘of course we would peel the beans’. She does it when making her traditional Vietnamese dishes – I had no idea :D
Followed the instructions for using the canned beans except for the salt. As the beans had salt and were tasty out of the can (good texture too), I did not add any salt. I used the Vitamix instead of the food processor and won’t do that again – it was too hard to tell the consistency of the hummus and I was worried to make it too runny. Too thick is easy to fix, too runny, not so easy. I scooped all the hummus out into a bowl and hand stirred in the juice from the cans until the consistency was right. So tasty and very smooth – we licked all the utensils as if they were cake batter LOL.
Can’t wait to taste it again later today to see if the garlic ‘bloomed’. Great recipe Deb!
I have just recently scored some Rancho Gordo garbanzos so cooked them yesterday in preparation for making the recipe ‘for real’ this time. I trusted Steve (Rancho Gordo founder) and didn’t soak nor use any baking soda when cooking the beans. Just rinsed them and put them in a crockpot with a couple of bay leaves and 6 cups of water. It took about 6 hours on HIGH, they are done when you can smell them cooking. I turned off the crockpot but left the beans in the liquid overnight (fridge when they cooled enough) and am draining them now.
I snacked on a few – so delicious. I can’t even describe. I will update again once they’ve been peeled and hummus’d.
Hey Deb! They do sell pre-peeled (if that’s the word) cracked raw chickpeas. They’re usually used for falafel. We use them all the time for fast creamy hummus. I’m pretty sure you can find them in Mediterranean or Lebanese specialty food stores. Best! xo
Is it possible to write a simple instruction how to dehulling chickpeas, without hassle. Thank you.
Absolutely the smoothest hummus I have ever tried. So yummy with pita and fresh veggies. Perfect amount of garlic. I did add a bit more lemon, but I am pregnant and lemon-obsessed!
P.S. Definitely don’t over-cook your chickpeas or it turns into a mushy shelling nightmare!
Peel the chickpeas after soaking and sautéing with baking soda but BEFORE cooking them. Just rub them vigorously between your hands and rinse them off. I do this by putting the rubbed chick peas in a large bowl, cover with water, swirl and poor only the water with the loose skins through a strainer into another bowl leaving the chickpeas behind. Then I repeat using the reserved water again and again. If you do this after cooking, it makes a mess of the chickpeas and isn’t quite as sanitary.
first things first, the hummus in the end was delicious. the only thing i think i would change is the resting time. i loved it when it was first done, but 30-60 minutes later when we ate it, not so much. it wasn’t bad, but was heavy on the tahini and kind of bland. but the next night i tried it again and it was back to being perfect and delicious. so i would make this a day ahead of time, if you can.
so, also…i tried to take a couple “shortcuts” that really did not work for me. another lesson to always Trust In The Deb.
1. the much praised alton brown crockpot method…took hours longer than specified, and resulted in very unevenly cooked chickpeas which made peeling them a disaster. a portion popped out of their skins as promised (and if they had all behaved this way the peeling would have been a breeze) but an equal portion split in half, and a fraction just totally disintegrated – not into mush but little pieces. i.e., they seemed both over and undercooked simultaneously. 40 minutes and one backache later…
2. as my mini processor and i are on a break (i cut my finger pretty badly while cleaning the blade and rendered myself useless for like a week) i attempted to use my immersion blender. (never used it for hummus, but had used it to puree homemade pinto beans with ease.) it worked, but man, it was a workout. it also took quite a bit more cooking water than 1/4 cup. (not an issue as i reserved all of it just in case, for once ;) but just a note.)
if i get up the nerve to try this again, i’ll use deb’s method all the way and report back. we had this with the chicken gyro salad dinner which was awesome.
I have been making this recipe as published since it was posted, and finally yesterday it hit me: Chana dal is basically tiny garbanzo beans that have been peeled and split. I cooked some up and made hummus and Deb it is THE BEST even better than peeling the regular sized garbanzo beans. Plus faster. I am so excited about this!
okay, i am totally going to hunt those down!
Bob’s Red Mill sells 1# cello bags of Chana Dal
ooh, thanks for the tip!
Woah. This is very exciting – why haven’t I thought of this before? I always have Chana dal around. Going to make this tonight. Thank you!
Chana dal is split BLACK chickpeas, in case u didnt know. So thats one reason for some subtle taste differences! :)
Finally made this. Shouldn’t have waited. Yum.
I usually use canned beans for convenience and have long sought greater smoothness for the end result. I have tried multiple methods, including removing skins (not so bad for one can, but two or more and my back hurts), which did not work so well for me. The only method that has given me consistently smooth hummus is to heat the canned beans in the microwave (after draining them) for a couple of minutes. And except for adding 1/4 cup olive oil, I follow your recipe – I think it gets all the proportions just right.
I’m sorry for being dense, but I’m not clear from your instructions whether we’re still supposed to cook the chickpeas if we’re using canned? I realize they’re already cooked, but maybe we need to cook again to soften them even more? Or do we just peel and process without cooking? Thanks!
No need to cook if canned.
The “tahini paste” ingredient- you mean the stuff from a jar that is just sesame seeds? My favorite, go to hummus recipe is from Michael Solomonov (Zahav) and it is totally amazing… but it calls for making tahini sauce, (an emulsion of tahini, lemon juice, garlic, water… fantastically delicious, but time consuming) which adds WAY more time to the whole process. If this just calls for tahini from the jar, I’ll certainly try it your way – please write back to clarify what this ingredient is!
His also calls for peeling the chickpeas, so your recipe will actually save time, if it doesn’t require fussing with the tahini first. Many thanks.
I’ve tried many hummos recipes, but this one — insisting on peeled chick peas — is the winner. The hummos came out great. In fact, today I’m soaking another batch of chick peas so that I can make hummos tomorrow morning. Thanks, Deb, for another great recipe. Your technique results in excellent hummos.
I’ve made this hummus recipe numerous times and it always turns out delicious. Yes, peeling those chickpeas can be a bit time consuming but grab a friend and it’ll fly by. I made this and other dips for New Year’s Eve festivities and it was polished off before the ball dropped!
https://aluminumfoiledkitchen.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/double-dipping-for-new-years-eve/
I love the taste of roasted garlic rather than raw, and use a whole bulb. The tip of peeling the chick peas is new, and easy.
Deb
I notice some hummus recipes use oil in addition to tahini. Would you happen to know the reason for this? I notice store bought hummus always has oil in it. Wondering what does the oil do?
Not sure at all, but tahini is quite oily so maybe a recipe with less tahini (this is tahini-heavy, as we like it) will use more. Storebought stuff often has random ingredients in it that we don’t use at home, of course…
Hi Deb,
In your method to cook chickpeas, do you put the dried chickpeas directly into the slow cooker or do you soak them overnight first? From your note, I think you put them directly into the slow cooker but wanted to confirm. Thanks!
I’ve always wanted to try make your hummus – thanks! Question though, have a spouse with a sesame allergy – is the tahini essential or is there a substitute? And side note, a friend made some meringues last week from the tinned chickpea brine and they were surprisingly delicious.
My daughter has a sesame allergy too and would love to know what I could substitute for tahini.
Technically speaking, I think you could use any “natural” nut butter, the kind that’s quite runny, needs to be stirred, and contains just nuts and maybe salt. I would think cashew butter is mild enough to work here. However, it is not traditional, and the taste will be different from regular hummus. You could try to make a small amount and see if you like it.
Try experimenting with different roasted nut and seed butters until you find a taste u like. Think sunflower, pumpkin seed, almond(my fave), peanut. U can also add olive oil for authentic flavour and smoothness
Ah… yes! This, unfortunately, is the ONLY way to hummus nirvana! I discovered this years and years ago (and my husband and I would giggle like the fools that we felt we were while doing this)! We only told a couple of friends about the technique and decided not to tell anyone else because the looks we got were enough to suggest that we should keep this obsessive behaviour to ourselves! You are very brave, sharing this with us – but the fact is, it really does ensure the BEST hummus EVER! 😊😊
Amazing hummus – better than any store bought I’ve found. It was just ok the day after making it; I could taste the tahini too much. But after 3 days it was perfect! I will use this as my standard hummus base going forward, maybe just adding 1 more garlic clove. I can’t wait to try variations! Roasted garlic, sriracha, green chile, artichoke, sesame, roasted red pepper…
The peeling took just a few minutes, but it was nice to zone out and listen to music for a bit. Definitely worth it!
We don’t always take the time to make our own hummus these days, but when we do, this is what we make! It is worth every second of time to peel those chick peas! Thank you for this recipe.
If doubling the recipe, do you double the garlic, or will that end up too overwhelming?
Mmmmm mmm! So good. I’ll skip the tahini next time (I’ve never been a fan) and will replace with olive oil. Will also up the lemon a lot again. Shelling the chickpeas was fun!
Just wanted to share my shortcut, from one obsessive to another. I had heard from Syrian that peeling chickpeas made a difference, so I made this recipe several times and loved it but just couldn’t take the time. (I found it took nearly triple your estimate. Guess I’m that much slower!)
So: Soak dried chickpeas overnight with 1 tsp baking soda; drain, rinse and add more baking soda and more cold water. Boil 10-15 minutes until the skins start to dissolve — watch that the towering crags of soda foam don’t overwhelm your stove. When the peas are almost mushy, plunk the whole pan in your sink, add cold water and skim handfuls of “skin soup” off the top. Once most of the water is gone, you can scoop chickpeas from the bottom, rinse them a bit and dump them right in your food processor. It may sound complicated but it’s a 2-minute process, tops.
I use a slightly different ratio, adapted from The Lebanese Kitchen: 1.5 c dried peas, 3 cloves garlic, 6 T lemon juice, 4 T tahini, 1 t fine sea salt. I always stop there and taste, and it’s always perfect. Just in case you ever want to revisit yours. :) Thank you for always inspiring me!
But did you see this?!
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/6634-for-creamier-hummus-skin-your-chickpeas
I’ve made this perhaps four times now. Each time it is delicious, but there’s one hitch. It always comes out thick, like paste, not creamy …. even after adding as much as 6 tbls. of cooking liquid. Should I just keep adding more liquid?
Keep adding liquid. Tahini is like a sponge; it looks loose but the second something when hits it, it becomes crumbly and thick.
Not crazy at all. I’ve been doing this for quite a while. My local middle eastern grocery has a wonderfully smooth hummus in their deli. They told me they use canned chickpeas, but remove the skins first. Makes a remarkable difference — I even think it tastes better. This recipe is similar to the one I use, which is from the South Beach Diet book — yeah, I know, but it’s a very good hummus.
Just found this post and I wholeheartedly agree, removing that thin skin makes a world of difference. I’ve been doing that for about 5 yrs now and everyone loves my hummus – it is soooo smooth. I found that if I place a drained can of chickpeas on a paper towel then place another paper towel on top and roll the little balls around between the towels with my hands, most of the skins will automatically shed away. Yes, there are a few of those babies who will cling to that wrap aggressively. For them, I’ll take the time to personally remove that skin. It actually cuts the prep time to just a few minutes, sometimes mere seconds. OH, and I always use the reserved chickpea juice for enhanced flavoring. BTW, good recipe.
If you value your time, don’t use organize chick peas! I made this once with regular canned chick peas and it took me a grand total of 7 minutes to peel all of them. Just finished peeling all those tiny little organize chick peas and it took me 18 minutes! Ha.
PS. this is the most amazing hummus ever.
Am I the only one who had difficulty peeling the chickpeas? I used Rancho Gordo chickpeas–soaked them overnight (about 10 hours) and then simmered for 20 minutes. Most of the peels shed and broke up during simmering, so there was just a bunch of peel “sludge” floating around and no satisfying peels to pop off from the beans. This made it difficult to separate the beans from the peel remnants.
I read the Rancho Gordo website after making the hummus, and it seems like soaking is unnecessary–or any soaking beyond 6 hours, anyway (a few of mine did start to sprout because I soaked them longer than 6 hours). The hummus still turned out great–I added garlic scapes so it wasn’t especially smooth, but it was pretty tasty. I imagine I’ll make it again (sans soaking) and I’ll try adding roasted garlic!!
I did have the same issue!
LOVE this recipe. Even though the “shelling” of the chickpeas takes a bit of time, the results are incredible!!! I will search for the shell-less dry peas and try it again! Well worth the effort!!! Thank you.
I made this today to be the base for your recent recipe with hummus heaped with tomatoes & cucumbers. I forgot how really delicious homemade hummus can be! I was making it for a work function later in the day, so I didn’t bother with soaking dry beans or peeling the beans. I’ve made this recipe before and did use dry beans & peeled them and am not sold on it being worth the effort. Either way, thanks so much for a reliable (and delicious) recipe!
If you place the chickpeas between 2 towels and gently roll them around, most of the skins will plop off, and you can just pick them out! It’s not as satisfying, but it is less time-consuming!
So funny! I am 58 and have always been passionate about cooking and reading about cooking. About a month ago my Dil gave her smooth and decadent hummus recipe. I called her to make sure I was really supposed to peeling these things! It’s the only way people!
Nooooo on the baking soda! :) Why add it when, without it, you can use that liquid for making gorgeous aquafaba meringues?! I’m totally up for trying this, maybe this weekend. Thanks!
This is a revelation. The best hummus I’ve ever made.
I found this really thick.. should have added more water I suppose… peeling the chickpeas is definitely worth it.
Man-oh-man, this is scrumptious! I used Yotam Ottolenghi’s directions for cooking the chickpeas, and it did indeed speed-up the process. Removing the skins is tedious work, but well worth the effort. I’ve probably made hummus hundreds of times, and this is the first time that I would describe the result as “luscious”. Thanks for doing the experimenting for us! I added a bit of Harissa for some zip!
Hi Deb,
Do you think it’s okay if I cook the dried chickpeas in my Instant Pot for this recipe? Do you have any suggestions on water amount and cooking length if so? Thanks!
HI Deb,
I thank you for giving me a recipe for fantastic hummus. I’ve been makin my own for years now but by tweaking the method I did before, never knowing exactly how much lemon juice or salt I was adding. This is fantastic and my go to way to make hummus now. I’ve done it with and without peeling the chickpeas… Both were great. I love your website and have come to check. It prior to making dishes. I have yet to be disappointed. Thanks!!
This was my first attempt at making hummus. I cooked dried chickpeas in the slow-cooker on high for three hours. They were really mushy and fell apart, and I wasn’t able to peel them at all.
I decided to just throw the ingredients in the food processor anyway because I figured that it would taste ok, it just wouldn’t have the smooth texture.
I processed it for a total of three or four minutes, with occasional pauses to scrape the sides. I also doubled the lemon and added a teaspoon of smoked paprika.
It turned out great! It looked just as smooth and fluffy as it did in the photos pictures. There wasn’t even a hint of graininess. I will make this again (without bothering to peel), and maybe next time add some roasted red peppers.
I know, I know, this is probably a super dumb question but forgive me, I’m sleep deprived; if I am doubling the recipe should I also double the baking soda?
I don’t quite remember, but I think two people were killed in this family.
bague bulgari prix imitation http://www.aluxury.nl/fr/
My girl tried a different recipe, and it went totally wrong! So I decided to send her this one because it sounded so good! She decided to try this one, and WHAM! the ball was out of the park! Thank you very much! After trying this recipe, there’s no need for Sabra hummus ever again! She made it plain, and with olives. Truly good stuff!
Hello Debby,
I have recently let beans/peas sprout. While this is a cumbersome process, on my last batch of black bean soup the beans were silky and the broth more combined with the other vegetables. Have you sprouted beans to use in soups?
Also, I steam cauliflower al dente and chill a bit. Then place the flowerets in a bowl and combine with graded ginger and pesto. I’m sure many people suggest ideas so I’m not counting that you try this.
Abraço
I was skeptical about peeling the chickpeas but went all in based on reviews here. My teen son walked into the kitchen as I was just beginning the task and incredulously asked, “You’re peeling all of those?!” He picked one up and started helping. After about three he said, “This is the worst job ever!” However, he stuck with me. After about 15 minutes, our task complete, he said, “That’s actually kind of satisfying.” Agreed. And the end result is delicious. I only wish I’d made a double batch, because this hummus will disappear fast!
Is there a particular brand of tahini that you prefer to use? I made hummus last weekend (and did remove the skins from the chickpeas). The recipe was similar to yours in terms of ingredients and proportions. Texture was heavenly, but I was struck by the bitter bite of the tahini. Wondering if I got a particularly bitter brand or batch – or simply used too much. I actually added a pinch of sugar to neutralize it a bit. I’m sure that’s not recommended but it was desperate times!
Tahini is bitter and I know the taste isn’t for everyone. This is an Israeli-style hummus, heavier on the tahini than it often is from other areas. You can definitely use a couple spoonfuls less next time. I switch between a few brands.
This is very legitimately the best hummus I’ve ever made! I didn’t do the baking soda part, but my chickpeas were already cooked from earlier in the week. The one big difference from what I usually do is adding the bean juice instead of olive oil. I wonder why it changes the consistency so much, but omg it’s so good. Bonus: a few less calories and I don’t have to use up my precious olive oil on this.
I read on the web somewhere that using baking soda helps with the removing of the skins
It’s kind of embarrassing to admit that I had no idea how hummus was made…or even what it is made from. This has got to be the easiest and best recipe ever. Made a half batch last night and then added the tomatoes and red onion, as mentioned in another of your recipes. Heaven!
This is a link from Cooks illustrated regarding de-skinning chickpeas you might find interesting:
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/6634-for-creamier-hummus-skin-your-chickpeas
A little late to the party but this recipe made my hummus dreams come true. It’s like eating a cloud. I had tried the Balaboosta recipe, but this one worked out much better for me. The perfect thing to make on a lazy, rainy Sunday.
I have been dying to make this recipe since you first posted it over 5 years ago but have never had all the proper equipment for it. I recently purchased a Vitamix and this was one of the first things I knew I wanted to make. I bought 2 pounds of organic dried garbanzos at my local grocery store, soaked them for 24 hours, drained them and slow cooked them per your method (except I used Kombu instead of the baking soda) with great results. Like many other commenters I couldn’t believe the depth of flavor the broth provided.
I fished out enough cooked granbanzos to triple the recipe and started popping them out of their skins. I don’t know why but this process took me ages. I had a rhythm going but it took far longer than 30 minuets (I tripled the recipe). I think it had more to do with my beans than my speed. Your Rancho Gordo’s look a little bigger and more plump, like they have a much creamier interior than my beans imported from Argentina. I will definitely be ordering some Rancho Gordo’s for the next batch.
I threw everything into my Vitamix all at once and it definitely struggled. I added the full amount of broth and tahini (I used Trader Joe’s tahini). The end result was a dense, dreamy, creamy hummus. I can’t even imagine how much better it is going to be with high quality beans. I still have some of the unhulled beans in my fridge and plan on making another batch of hummus with those to do a side by side, I will report back.
Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
P.S. Deb, do you ever add anything in to make a flavored hummus? Roasted peppers, jalapeño, chipotle’s, etc? If so, do you have a favorite and would you simply reduce the broth to compensate for the additional moisture?
I haven’t made other ones because I love the classic, I guess I’m a little boring about hummus (but I love putting other vegetables and stuff on it, see here). I use Goya dried beans all of the time; I think they’re just fine here. I order from Rancho Gordo maybe 1 to 2x a year but it’s never enough for the amount of beans we eat.
My partner & I made this recipe last night. I never read the food blog part before the recipe, I just scroll down and start cooking. When we got to the peeling part we thought, “Well, first and last time we’ll ever be doing this! Not so convenient!” “False” as Dwight would put it. We ~will~ be doing this again, peeling and all. Now the bar for hummus is simply set to a higher level, no going back. Love this recipe. I even read the blog part this morning to pay my respects to Deb, and she does warn you but don’t let it scare you. ^-^
I love Hummus with peeled chickpeas. But did you know you could peel your chickpeas much, much easier? I think I read that on food52. You soak dried chickpeas, then before cooking, wrap them in a kitchen towel and roll over them with a rolling pin. Then you put them in water and all the husks swim on top. Really Genius! Here´s the link: https://food52.com/blog/13228-paula-wolfert-s-10-genius-tips-for-preparing-moroccan-food
Best. Tip. Ever! Thank you so much. Will never do it another way again!
Hi,
What brand of Tahini would you recommend or use? Is it also possible to make Tahini at home? Looking for a recipe :/
I have made hummus too many times to count. Really. This is by far the best one – ever! I thought I was a little nuts peeling the garbanzos, but the results were so worth it. Silky smooth and wonderful flavor. I started with Rancho Gordo dried beans. That makes a huge difference, too. I have only used RG beans for about a year now. They are so fresh. Worlds better than supermarket beans that have been sitting around for who knows how long. And – I made my own flatbread using Amy Thielen’s recipe; this time brushing olive oil on it and sprinkling with Penzey’s Zatar, per your suggestion. Wow! My current favorite food.
I also am puzzeled at your direction in prepping dried chickpeas. Do you mean to soak them overnight, then put them in a crockpot with baking soda the next day? Or no soaking prior to putting into crock pot? I would also add that once, in an accident of timing, I served the hummus right out of the food processor. It was a delicious, completely different experience. Just sayin’
Soaking is optional. I shared two cooking techniques, one from Ottolenghi (where you saute with baking soda then simmer) and also mine (I use a slow-cooker, or these days, an instantpot). For more chickpea cooking tips, there’s also this post.
In a restuarant in Bristol I once ate the most devine hummus. I haven’t ever found out why it was so smooth. I believe you have created and published what must be the equivalent the recipe! I am cooking this weekend and what with it being winter here on Dartmoor I feel the need to use up this seasons stash of pulses. I had already decided to make hummus and serve it with homemade pitta and fire roasted peppers, but I wanted a really special dreamy hummus. I typed ‘really smooth hummus’ into the search engine and here you are! This is going to be eaten by my friends on Saturday night in my kitchen in the dark, misty and cold back end of Devon, followed by Slow Roast Lamb with Oregano, Lemon and Potatoes, followed by Hot Panetonne Pudding. Thank you. I Love what you do!
My friend from Algeria asked, “Do you peel the chickpeas?” “Huh?”, said I… “Oh. I have my kids do it while I’m making the rest of the food. They love to help.” Genius!
You, my dear, are NOT a weirdo. I’ve peeled chickpeas for years, and completely understand the rhythm of peeling them!!! My chef husband rolls his eyes at me, but I know that the difference in the finished texture is worth it. I learned much from this article/recipe, so thank you! Keep on keepin’ on, weirdo’s unite and all that good stuff! btw, I like to sprinkle the za’atar on top of a drizzle of great quality olive oil, along with some toasted sesame seeds, before serving. (A trick I learned at the Middle Eastern restuarant where I had hummus the first time.) YUM!!! Guess what I’m going to go make!! :D
You should seriously reconsider the “Blogga, please” joke. What are you even trying to say with that? It strikes me as extremely tone deaf.
Ugh, you’re right. Fixed!
So, I noticed you didn’t address the question about the cute flower design…how did you do that?
Yesssss! I figured this out ages ago too, when i also ate the most amazing hummus ever. It was so silky smooth, and now a bit time consuming, but totally worth it.
The best hummus recipe I ever made didn’t call for peeling the chickpeas but it did call for microwaving them in their liquid with the garlic for 5 minutes before blending. Not only does it come out perfectly smooth, it solved the problem I have with most hummus recipes, which is that the raw garlic makes it a little bitter.
This was my first time making hummus! It’s so creamy – definitely worth the peeling time! Is there a way to added roasted red peppers to make that flavor? Thanks for the recipe!
Hello from Alsace, France!
I do not have a food processor and your recipe made me wanting purchase one!
Could you advice me what brand/size would you recommend? Not only for this Humms, but also for all your recipes call for a food processor.
Thanks!
These days, a lot of people are buying high-speed blenders instead, like VitaMix. Not a sponsored suggestion or anything, but just to note that food processors aren’t your only option. I have this one; as you can tell, I use it a lot!
Success the first time out. Should have thinned mine a little more when first put together. Used some no-name dried chickpeas. Making it again right now using Rancho Gordo so hoping for an even better batch!
Popping chickpeas is now one of my favorite hobbies.
Also, if you use a whole lemon, highly recommend zesting your lemon and throwing all the zest and any extra juice into a half batch of dreamy cream scones.
Hummus is great and my wife makes it all the time. To be honest, I always defer to her when we want it in a meal, but I do know that one of her secrets is lemon oil! It gives it an even more zesty type of flavor without being bitter. Kind of like lemon pie really. :) Anyway, I think everyone should try it!
My 8 year old is the hummus maker of the house (he’s picky – lots of lemon, no tahini for him). He’s happy and likes it so I never bothered to browse recipes. I couldn’t resist clicking on yours and was shocked that it was water and not oil that made it so smooth! We made it with his preferred proportions, but replaced his usual oil with water and it was nice and light and smooth. And healthier – win/win!
I like to simmer my canned chickpeas for 30 minutes to one hour on low. Then, put them in a tupperware container filled with water, cover and shake, shake, shake! Most of the skins come off this way all on their own!
okay, i am making everything smitten kitchen. just made the hummus. delish! and tonight i am making the kafta (lamb). i can barely wait a couple more hours until dinnertime.
How long will this keep in the refrigerator? I apologize if this has already been answered; reading through 800+ comments wasn’t feasible at this time.
It keeps. Firms up a bit. If you can bring it back to room temperature or a little cooler, go for it.
So I decided to try this with my second half of the lb of beans I cooked in the instant pot (game changer! – so quick! Anyway, I started to peel these and thought “what have I done. No way this is going to be worth it.” But I kept peeling. I had such a pile of peels! I had no idea! Wasn’t hard, just took some time (with 2 kids and trying to multitask it took way longer than 9 minutes). And then I discovered I had no tahini!! At 10:30 at night. But I did have sesame oil, and pine nuts so I forged ahead. HOLY MOLY this stuff is as creamy as peanut butter. Not even. More like whipped cream almost. Ethereally is the best term for it.
I have been trying literally for years to make a smooth hummus. I have tried a slow cooker and an instant pot to cook beans. Always grainy. I resisted peeling because most recipes don’t specify. My daughter gave me Israeli Soul for Christmas and they sell Zahavs hummus at our Whole Foods and it’s unbelievable. Tried his recipe which is very much like yours and it was also grainy. I went back to your recipe and read the notes about Chana Dal being essentially peeled chick peas. Just placed an order at Kalustyans for Chana Dal and a Turkish tehini. I’m confident this will work and I can’t wait.
Amazing! I made this with canned chickpeas and will never buy hummus again. Definitely take the time to peel the chickpeas… I haven’t done this for other hummus recipes and the difference was noticeable. Can’t wait to try this again with some add-ins like sundried tomatoes or roasted garlic.
Amazing! Really so easy, and peeling the garbanzo beans wasn’t bad. Also the first time I tried cooking dried garbanzo beans. All totally worth it – the best hummus I’ve made for sure.
I just made this, using chana dal, because I’m too lazy to peel all those chick peas! You’re right: it’s deliciously silky, which I love. (Next time I’ll put in more lemon, though….)
My question is: your measurements are for whole dried chick peas. I’m wondering how that translates to the amount of dal, which are smaller, so more bits fit into ⅔ cup (I think). Following your quantities exactly, my hummus came out to 2 full cups, which suggests that it’s got more chick pea/per unit hummus than if I’d made it with ⅔ c. whole chick peas. I don’t mind having more, mind you! I’m just thinking maybe that’s why the balance (especially re. the lemon) tastes a little off.
Good point — you will have more yield from chana dal. I find that 1 pound of dried beans cooks up to the equivalent of about 3 cans of drained beans, but of course, once peeled, your can yield will be much smaller.
The chana dal hack is GENIUS. It yielded the silkiest hummus I’ve ever made, and it only took 15 minutes in a pressure cooker (following an overnight soak). Thank you Deb!
I’m here to say that the Chana Dal trick has changed my life. I cook up a whole bunch and freeze it in what I consider to be just-enough portions so I can make hummus quickly whenever I want. It’s taken me from making hummus when I have extra time to never buying store-bought again. (also I bought my Chana Dal at an Indian market and was astonished by how cheap the bag was – it’s also made my hummus incredibly inexpensive!) Thanks Deb!
I did this (peel the cooked chickpeas) – once. It took me more than 9 minutes to peel what had been 1 cup of dry chickpeas. … and then you put the chickpeas in a FOOD PROCESSOR! Unless your blades are really dull (they’re not that hard to sharpen with a file), or you’re using a small low power f.p. it’s gonna chew up those horrible nasty skins pretty good.
I guess now I’m gonna have to actually make TWO batches of humus on the same day, starting with same cooked beans, and doing everything the same, except for the peeling thing.
Sigh 🤤
I roast my garlic, and include a whole bulb. And yes, peeling really does make a difference.
Tip for those with a sesame allergy: Deb, I’ve been a long time fan of your hummus recipe, but stopped eating it when I developed a sesame allergy. I have missed it so much, as I used to make and eat variations of hummus or baba ghanoush weekly for lunches. After trying to make with substitutions and being fairly underwhelmed, I finally had success with raw cashews. I ground them with about 1/2 tsp olive oil, but you could use store-bought cashew butter-I just never buy it. The result is sweeter than traditional tahini hummus, but the flavor is much better than other nut replacements, and the aesthetic is the same as sesame.
Don’t see my first ‘review’ but forgot to mention that I ate almost the whole thing; shared a bit with my tenant. Will make it again today but this time with lemon and garlic ;-)
So good! Made today for the second time…first time with dried chick peas. They were a bear to peel. It took me an hour!! Worth it in the end.
This is so good and so easy. I don’t think I’ll ever buy hummus again.
Loved the results! Peeling the chickpea skins brings this up a big notch and is completely worth the effort.
I prefer humus that includes tahini and is creamy/dreamy. This ticked all the boxes. My minimal changes were that I used a tad less garlic, more lemon, and when I plated the humus, I sprinkled chopped Italian parsley and a handful of whole cooked chickpeas along with the olive oil and paprika. A keeper!!
My stepdaughter tops hers with finely chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta…a mini riff on a Greek salad. Delicious!!
Deb, I just want to share how grateful I am for your research and suggestions! I’ve been an avid reader of your blog for years, and after some recent not-so-perfect attempts at hummus, I knew I’d find the answer here. What would Deb do? REMOVE THE SKINS FROM THE CHICKPEAS! I don’t know why I hadn’t come across this recommendation before, but it is the answer. After reading your “Ethereally Smooth Hummus” post, my recent trial came out smooth (not just in texture, but taste, too – not at all bitter), silky, and just as good as from a deli.
Any chance you can convert this recipe to weights please?
Cooking instructions need some work. I soaked them and used the recommended amount of water. I had them simmering for less than the recommended amount of time (with the lid on) and when I went to check on them all the water was gone and the beans had scorched to the bottom of the dutch oven.
I have been doing this for YEARS and it’s absolutely worth it. And yes… people will roll their eyes when you tell them – but they’ll do it while scarfing it down by the handful.
Any idea how long to cook peeled chickpeas in an Instant Pot?
My guess would be 45 to 55 minutes, but it’s just a ballpark, and will depend on if they’ve been soaked and for how long. I’d expect to the time to be about the same as unpeeled chickpeas.
I do a similar thing with almonds for a chocolate flourless torte. Soak the almonds, pop then out of their skins, toast them in the oven, cool, pulse in the food processor. My friend suggested I should buy almond flour available at the store instead of taking all the time to process my own. Evidently she tried making it with the store bought almond flour and reported it was not the same.
this recipe will be a keeper forever. SO GOOD.
Deb. You have changed my life. This explains so much that I never understood about homemade versus storebought/restaurant hummus. I am shocked that there exist so many hummus recipes which DON’T tell you to peel the chickpeas. This changes everything. I feel like I’ve been lied to all my life. WHy does everyone lie about hummus???!
I will use less tahini next time and maybe add some cumin and sub roasted garlic but I’m so glad I tried this.
I add a roasted red pepper for extra flavor, moisture & color. Add some of the pepper chopped on top with the olive oil. My favorite!
I found this recipe about six years ago when my oldest was a little over one. Then she was obsessed with hummus and I formed an aversion (pregnancy with my second didn’t help that). Well, three more babies later, and my daughter has been reading a book series (Dragon Masters) in which a character is a vegetarian, and it is noted that she eats things like hummus. So right now, we are making this recipe. My two oldest got to help pop them out, and my oldest actually said it was a nice, peaceful activity. (The second oldest probably has ADHD like me and hyperfocused.) I found your blog *because* of this recipe, and it is worth every second popping chickpeas out of their little membranes. So thank you. I probably thought I’d never do it, but…here we are.
Truly the perfect hummus!
I mash the garlic in a mortar and pestle with the salt until it’s pretty much liquid. I don’t like running into unblended bits of garlic, and I find using the salt as an abrasive makes it break down faster – fair warning, I do find this intensifies the garlic flavor compared to throwing it in to the food processor chopped.
I made this with split yellow peas. I rinsed the peas a few times and then let them soak for 1 hour. I rinsed them again and then added them to the instant pot with 3 cups of water. I pressure cooked for 10 minutes and then allowed a natural release. The peas were perfectly cooked. I drained and saved about a 1/2 cup of water for the hummus. I found it needed a touch more salt and it was perfectly smooth and delicious!
Just made a great, accidental discovery: if you’re starting from dried chickpeas with skins, you can get the same ethereally smooth hummus without having to remove the skins! If you overcook the chickpeas/skins, the skins completely disappear in the blender process.
Note: the resulting chickpeas are softer than ideal for other uses, so you might want to use all of this batch for hummus. Or cook some to your desired texture, take them out, and let the destined-for-hummus chickpeas continue cooking until they’re super soft.
Thanks, Deb, for all your great work!
Delicious but it took way longer than 9 minutes to peel the chickpeas. Wish I’d read the recipe before soaking The chickpeas as I have a full bag of channa dal that I will certainly use next time!!
I invested about an hour to peel two pounds of cooked chickpeas and froze them into 8 packets.
It’s so good when it’s luxuriously creamy. Reminds me of whipping cream with stiff peaks. Debbie don’t lie!
I discovered this blog many years ago and have since found many great internet sources for inspiriration and advice. But I come back to Smitten Kitchen for the humor and a certain New York sensibility which I can relate to. Thank you….
Now, will it be carrots or celery to dip into this feathery light hummus?
Ok, you are insane. It didn’t take me 9 minutes at all. 45? 30? I lost track. Never will I ever peel enough chickpeas for hummus.
This is delicious! I make hummus from scratch due to severe sesame allergies in our family. SUB OTHER NUT OR SEED BUTTER FOR THE TAHINI IF YOU CAN’T USE SESAME. I used organic sunflower butter, and everyone was going crazy for it. I even heard my sister-in-laws arranging to split the last bit, “so it was fair.” LOL
Wow! Finally got around to naking this—so delish! Thank you, thank you!
I have never tasted hummus so good! I did peel the chickpeas. It is delicious!!
If you don’t mind spending a little money, you can find peeled chickpeas here:
https://maureenaboodmarket.com/collections/pantry/products/2-lbs-smooth-hummus-chickpeas
OK!!! I’ll try this. It’s getting to be the time of year that I can’t bear to turn the stove on!
I’ll plunk them, I promise.
Here’s the problem with Goya:
https://www.democracynow.org/2020/7/13/headlines/goya_foods_boycott_launched_after_ceo_lavishes_praise_on_trump
Easiest peeling method as taught to me years ago by my Syrian friend whose hummus was smoother than any I’d ever had: Pour (drained) canned or cooked chickpeas into a large bowl filled with fresh water into your kitchen sink (easier level to work with than countertop height). Gently massage chickpeas with both hands, the loosened skins will float to top of the bowl, skim off and continue massaging until noticeably less skins are accumulating. Pour off water, run hands through chickpeas, skins (and bits of skins) will cling to your hands, flick or rinse off. Add fresh water, repeat.
This may be one of the best things I’ve eaten in some time. Definitely make the hummas yourself!
Have you ever tried taking the skins off like you do for hazelnuts? I might try it next time. I have three kids but the promise of a smoother hummus is too enticing to resist.
LOL! I just spent the nine minutes shelling the chickpeas and what a difference it makes! Thank you!