This is classic hummus the way I usually make it.
For increased digestibility, I first soak my chickpeas for 24 hours and then cook them with a small piece of kombu seaweed and cumin seeds (this is the Whole Life Nutrition approach). The cumin seeds also impart flavor as some of them make it into the hummus. The seaweed adds minerals but doesn't impart any taste.
Also, your hummus will be the creamiest if you use your chickpeas as soon as you’ve cooked them. You can certainly store them in the fridge for a day or two if needed, but if possible make your hummus right away.
This recipe makes about 6 cups of hummus, which I divide into 3 2-cup Pyrex containers for the freezer.
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Hummus
Recipe updated 12/30/2019
Special equipment:
Food processor
To soak and cook the chickpeas:
1 1/3 cups dried chickpeas
Filtered water for soaking and more for cooking
2-3 inch strip of kombu seaweed
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
To make the hummus:
1 large garlic clove, chopped
Juice of 2 lemons, possibly more to taste
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup tahini
Cooked chickpeas (see above)
Bean cooking water (or filtered water) for consistency
Garnish:
Olive oil
Sumac or smoked paprika
Place the chickpeas in a pot and cover with about 2 inches of water. Leave them to soak uncovered for about 24 hours.
STOVETOP COOKING METHOD:
Drain and rinse the chickpeas, return them to the pot and add new water to cover the beans by at least an inch. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, skim off the white foam then reduce heat to low and add the kombu and cumin. Cover and cook for 1-1.5 hours. Bean cooking times can vary a lot. Start checking for doneness around the hour mark, but be prepared to cook for longer if needed.
PRESSURE COOKER METHOD:
Drain and rinse the chickpeas, place them in the pressure cooker and cover with at least an inch of filtered water. Add the kombu and cumin seeds to the pot and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
When the chickpeas are done, discard the seaweed but keep the chickpeas and cumin seeds in the cooking water.
To make the hummus, place the chopped garlic, lemon juice and sea salt in your food processor and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Add the olive oil, tahini and chickpeas (you can either remove them with a slotted spoon or strain them, but if you do the latter be sure to preserve the cooking liquid). Some of the cumin seeds from the cooking water will inevitably make it into the hummus and that's OK; they add flavor. At this point, process what you have into a thick and chunky hummus, then start adding the cooking water (about 1/4 cup at a time) and continue to process until you have a smooth consistency. I usually add well over a cup of the chickpea cooking liquid as I like my hummus to have a pourable consistency. Keep in mind that it will thicken slightly over time as well. Also note that the longer you run the food processor the creamier the hummus will be; I often run it for several minutes for the smoothest possible hummus.
Makes about 6 cups of delicious, homemade hummus, perfect for a freezer stash.
