The Best Classic Homemade Hummus
I’m never not making homemade hummus ever again. A few months ago I started experimenting with making hummus, but it wasn’t until I ate at Zahav that I decided to level up my hummus game. I’ll elaborate more on Zahav, but keep reading for the best classic homemade hummus recipe ever!
There are many hummus recipes floating around on the internet. And although most contain the standard ingredients – chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic, and olive oil, there is only 1 recipe that tasted so authentic it could have come straight from a Middle Eastern café. That recipe is based on Michael Solomonov’s hummus recipe in his book Zahav, A World of Israeli Cooking. Zahav is a restaurant in Philadelphia that consistently gets rated as one of the best in the city. It’s nearly impossible to get a reservation, but you can get there at least an hour before it opens to try and score a spot at the bar. This is the route Colin and I took. We obviously had to start the night with hummus and that’s when my life was changed forever. Not to be dramatic or anything. But the hummus was truly incredible.
In an attempt to recreate Zahav’s hummus, I started googling “authentic” recipes. During the search, I also googled Michael Solomonov and was pleasantly surprised to find his hummus recipe! Score! Below is my version of his recipe. Get ready for the best classic homemade hummus you will ever taste.
Classic Homemade Hummus
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 garlic clove
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 drizzle olive oil
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Put chickpeas and baking soda in a saucepan and cover with about an inch of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes.
- While the chickpeas cook, put the garlic clove and lemon juice in the food processor and chop the garlic finely. Let these sit. This step keeps the garlic from getting bitter.
- After 20 minutes, put the chickpeas in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Add the drained chickpeas to the food processor.
- Add the tahini, salt, and paprika to the food processor and blend all the ingredients. With the food processor running, add the water. Blend until the texture becomes creamy.
- Taste and adjust flavors if necessary. Pour the mixture into a bowl and top with a drizzle of olive oil. You can also add some garnishes. Popular options are parsley and sumac.
I hope you will make and love this recipe as much as I do!! It’s a great appetizer, snack, or entire meal if you’re anything like me 😉 It would also make a nice healthier football Sunday recipe with added toppings like olives, feta, cucumber, and tomato. A little reprieve from all the cheese dips and meat. Don’t forget to tag me if you make this best classic homemade hummus!
