Intentionally overcooking the chickpeas then whipping the mixture is key. Learn how to make this recipe and more in our online cooking class with Sur la Table.
Published with permission from Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking by Michael Solomonov (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Copyright © 2015.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
1
2
4
⅓
1
⅔
¼
Preparation
Step 1
Place chickpeas and 1 tsp. baking soda in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover by 2". Cover and let sit at room temperature until chickpeas have doubled in size, 8–12 hours. Drain and rinse.
Step 2
Combine soaked chickpeas and remaining 1 tsp. baking soda in a large saucepan and add cold water to cover by at least 2". Bring to a boil, skimming surface as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until chickpeas are tender and completely falling apart, 45–60 minutes. Drain; set aside.
Step 3
Meanwhile, process garlic, lemon juice, and 1 tsp. salt in a food processor until coarsely puréed; let sit 10 minutes to allow garlic to mellow.
Step 4
Strain garlic mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on solids to release as much liquid as possible. Return liquid to food processor; discard solids. Add tahini and pulse to combine. With motor running, add ¼ cup ice water by the tablespoonful and process (it may seize up at first) until mixture is very smooth, pale, and thick. Add chickpeas and cumin and process, occasionally scraping down sides, until mixture is extremely smooth, about 4 minutes. Thin with more water if you prefer a looser consistency; taste and season with salt, more lemon juice, and more cumin as desired.
Step 5
Spoon hummus into a shallow bowl, making a well in the center, and drizzle liberally with oil. Top as desired.
Toppings Suggestions
Step 6
Hot smoked Spanish paprika, fresh lemon juice, and chopped parsley
Step 7
Fried chickpeas, hot smoked Spanish paprika, and chopped parsley
Step 8
Breakfast radishes, fresh lemon juice, and chopped fennel fronds
Step 9
Beet-Pickled-Egg, Israeli mango pickle, fried garlic, and sliced garlic scapes
Step 10
Tahini, Lemony Chermoula, cooked chickpeas, and chopped parsley
Nutrition Per Serving
Leave a Review
Reviews (175)
Back to TopI have made this recipe many times and it is foolproof and delicious. If you like Israeli hummus it will satisfy the urge. It is notably different from other hummus in the region, which I have actually travelled to and eaten a lot of hummus while doing so. The other ones are also delicious. New York pizza being great doesn't make a Neapolitan any less so. The people who come on here and vote 1 star because they hate a people for the actions of its government accomplish exactly nothing. You make yourselves look unhinged, which I guess you are. BA get some moderation going on here, it's ridiculous you're allowing your site to be compromised this way. Your recipes are useless if the reviews are bungled.
Sarah Abdul
Boston
2/28/2024
I love this recipe. I don’t care if it is Israeli or Palestinian ( maybe they can settle that issue), this is tried and true the creamy texture and flavor I have come to call Hummus. I will justify the name by calling it a Mediterranean dish. Thank you for the recipe. I have made this several times and everyone raves about it and requests 5the recipe. I tell them it is a family secret, son-in-law is Jewish.
Anonymous
11/22/2023
I tried this recipe and have found that there is WAY too much baking soda. I would highly recommend that you half or even quarter the amount of backing soda. Don't use at all to soak the beans over night and only use a half teaspoon when cooking. The rest of the recipe is fine, just don't make my same mistake.
Anonymous
Vancouver, Canada
4/30/2022
Delicious! I used the chickpea cook water to thin the puree and give it a good flow.
RenoRose
PA
2/13/2022
Incredibly delicious, and easier to make than I thought it would be. Hope to make some of the toppings soon.
Anonymous
New York
1/1/2022
Excited to try this recipe, but it is not an Israeli hummus. To truly be an Israeli hummus, you and several other cooks must forcibly enter the home of your neighbor armed to the teeth between midnight and 4 AM, subject them to humiliating interrogation, searches, seizures, etc., and leave with the contents of their fridge. Don't forget to inform them that their home is set for demolition so that Itzhak from New York has a place to live on his "indigenous" land, to honor his European ancestors.
your neighbor
Columbus, OH
12/19/2021
First, I love this hummus recipe. I needed to add more garlic to suit my tastes, but that's totes ok. It's the technique that is key. Secondly, I didn't want to get drawn in, but I have to say something. To all the nay sayers about it being Israeli: The recipe was developed by an Israeli being featured in an Israeli food cook book. Maybe it's not how your family makes it, but ... it is what it says it is.
Creamy Hummus Lover
MD
9/2/2021