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Real hummus is warm, whipped and drizzled
Israeli Hummus (Hummus Masabacha)
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Small chickpeas work best for hummus; aim for no larger than a green pea. The Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value brand worked well. If you only find larger chickpeas, cook them until starting to break down, or 10 to 15 minutes longer. Soak the chickpeas for at least 12 hours. They can be soaked ahead of time, then drained and refrigerated for up to two days. Tahini is a sesame paste sold near peanut butter or in the international aisle. We liked the Kevala brand, but Soom and Aleppo were good, too. Look for a brand that is toasted and pours easily. Processing the chickpeas while warm ensures the smoothest, lightest hummus. Hummus is traditionally served warm and garnished with paprika, cumin, chopped fresh parsley and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Sometimes a sliced hard-boiled egg is added. Serve with warm pita bread. Leftover hummus can be refrigerated for up to five days. To reheat, transfer to a microwave-safe bowl, cover and gently heat, adding a few tablespoons of tap water as needed to reach the proper consistency, 1 to 2 minutes. Alternatively, set over a double-boiler.
cold water
8 ounces (227 grams) dried chickpeas
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup toasted tahini, room temperature
3½ tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Ingredients
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cold water
-
8
ounces (227 grams) dried chickpeas
-
2
tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
-
½
teaspoon baking soda
-
¾
cup toasted tahini, room temperature
-
3½
tablespoons lemon juice
-
1-2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-
1
tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
-
½
teaspoon ground cumin
-
½
teaspoon paprika
Recipe
Hummus (Fast & Slow)
Recipe
Pita Bread
MILK STREET RECIPES
How To Make Hummus the Israeli Way
Directions
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01In a large bowl, combine 8 cups of cold water, the chickpeas and 2 tablespoons of the salt. Let soak at least 12 hours, or overnight. In a large stockpot over high, bring another 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a boil. Drain the soaked chickpeas, discarding soaking water, and add to the pot. Return to a simmer, then reduce to medium and cook until the skins are falling off and the chickpeas are very tender, 45 to 50 minutes.See Demo
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02Set a mesh strainer over a large bowl and drain the chickpeas into it; reserve ¾ cup of the chickpea cooking water. Let sit for 1 minute to let all liquid drain. Set aside about 2 tablespoons of chickpeas, then transfer the rest to the food processor. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, then process for 3 minutes.See Demo
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03Stop the processor and add the tahini. Continue to process until the mixture has lightened and is very smooth, about 1 minute. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the processor bowl. With the machine running, add the ¾ cup of cooking liquid and the lemon juice. Process until combined. Taste and season with salt.See Demo
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04Transfer the hummus to a shallow serving bowl and use a large spoon to make a swirled well in the center. Drizzle with olive oil, then top with the reserved 2 tablespoons chickpeas, parsley, cumin and paprika.See Demo
Tip: Don’t forget to stir the tahini very well. Some brands separate and can become quite thick at the bottom of the container. If your tahini is particularly thick, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of tap water for the hummus to reach the right consistency. If you reserve some of the hummus to serve later, you won’t need the full amounts of olive oil, cumin and paprika to garnish.
In the store
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Buy now
Soom Tahini
Many supermarket tahinis are over-roasted which gives them an unpleasant flavor. The Soom brand is nutty, well-balanced and has a lovely pourable texture.
-
Buy now
Merula Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Produced from a blend of Spanish olives, Merula extra-virgin olive oil tastes fruity, balanced and bright.
-
Buy now
Whole Cumin
Cumin’s husky, earthy, slightly smoky flavor accentuates the flavor of meats and galvanizes vegetables like cauliflower and beets.
-
Buy now
Skeppshult Cast Iron Spice Mill
This spice mill is perfect for small grinding jobs. You can store spices such as peppercorns in the top, or leave them in their jars and grind them as needed.
More
Staples
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Entry Form
I have made Israeli Hummus (Hummus Masabacha) several times now. All other hummus is subpar to my palate. Thank you for this award winning recipe.An Ohioan hummus maker~~~~~~~~~Deborah
This is the best hummus I’ve made, and I’ve made a lot. I make it frequently. Highly recommended! Is there nutrition information available for this recipe? Would love to know calorie count and such.
Hi Gloria,
We're happy to hear how you've enjoyed this recipe. Unfortunately, at this time we don't provide nutrition information. While many of our recipes can be altered to work with specific dietary needs or concerns we don't cater to just one as our audience is diverse. We will, however, relay your comments to our editorial and kitchen teams as they continue to bring you a better magazine.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
How do you keep it warm? I know you said the first restaurant would not tell you how, but did you figure out a way to it?
Hi Lillian,
We blend the chickpeas while they're still warm after they've finished cooking. Hope this helps.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Hi Jason,
As stated in the recipe description, "Leftover hummus can be refrigerated for up to five days. "
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Paprika and cumin as specified here to sprinkle on top, fer shure, but for my two-bits sumac is even better. Also I prefer a bit more lemon juice.
This may seem like a silly question but how many cups is 8 ounces of dried chickpeas? I've got a 4 lb. bag and want to make sure I get the measurements right. Thank you!
Hi Lori,
It's exactly 1 cup.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
I loved this recipe - best hummus I have made. I have been using a more complicated recipe from another source where I was cooking the chickpeas with aromatics for 2 hours and making a tahini sauce that I did not enjoy having to wash extra dishes to create - no more! This recipe was both easier and way better! The result was silky and full of lovely chickpea flavor, whereas the other recipe tended to be dominated with the copious lemon and garlic called for in the recipe via their tahini sauce recipe. I love garlic, but I think I have discovered that I am kind of a purist when it comes to hummus, and I have come to despise extra work in the kitchen so this is a winner. I did still make my own small batch of tahini with sesame seeds I toasted at home in a small skillet, which I added a little toasted sesame oil to in order to boost that flavor (personal preference), but other than the little skillet and spatula I used to stir the seeds around (takes 15 seconds to wash off and set to dry) no extra dishes were created because after scraped the tahini from my Vitamix blender I used it to start blending the chickpeas per the recipe. Fresh homemade tahini is way more delicious and preferable for me to struggling with the storebought stuff where you always have to figure out how to stir the oil on the top back into a firmly settled block of paste in the jar. The salt level was perfect. The lemon gave it brightness without being lemony or acidic. I tasted the subtleness of the chickpeas, (I love chickpeas), which pairs so well with a toasted sesame flavor. Good quality cumin & paprika (favorite spices of mine) and the new olive oil I just bought on top made it amazing! I don't actually own a food processor like the recipe instructs you to use (I know - you are probably shocked I do not own this fundamental tool because even non-cooks tend to have one on hand from their wedding registry or their parents dumping their old one on them). After tediously scraping another batch of hummus out of the blender jar, my husband is actually making me spend the money on one, so this recipe may be a turning point in making a lot of cooking efforts easier for me, actually - hope he doesn't mind cleaning all the separate parts and scary-sharp blade - my main hesitation on owning one before - but it's his idea, hehe! I will repay his new frustration with more batches of fresh salsas and fresh fruit tarts now that chopping and blending pastry crust will take a fraction of the time to doing by hand. Thank you Milk Street!
Christopher Kimble, you used to come to my hometown of MountainView, CA regularly to speak at a bookstore. On the same street of that bookstore is an Israeli restaurant with humus right in the name. It is my favorite humus by far, and this recipe allows me to make a close second fav. If you come back to MV, give the restaurant a try. They also import their pita dough from Israel.
This is the best. I've made hummus from canned beans, and it doesn't come close to this recipe. I will say soaking the chickpeas for 24 hours really changes things for the better. I normally do 12 hours (I am usually very impatient), but totally forgot about my chickpeas, therefore they got the full day soak. It's the best! I also highly recommend Tarazi Tahini. In my opinion, if you like hummus, this should be a staple in your kitchen.