Smooth and Creamy Hummus

This smooth and creamy hummus recipe is easy to make, tastes much better than store-bought, and makes the silkiest and most delicious hummus!

Make the best homemade smooth and creamy hummus with a few simple tricks. The baba ganoush recipe disappeared quickly and was a nice snack for us to have on hand. This time, I made a smooth and creamy hummus recipe I found on Cookie and Kate, which had an interesting method of making extra creamy and smooth hummus that I wanted to try. This easy homemade hummus recipe was delicious, and though the toasted pine nuts on top gave a nice flavor and texture, it was a tasty dip for flatbread, naan, and fresh veggies.

Smooth and Creamy Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 (15-oz) can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas,
• ½ tsp baking soda, if you’re using canned chickpeas
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1½ to 2 lemons), more to taste
• 1 large clove of garlic, roughly chopped
• ½ tsp fine sea salt, to taste
• ½ cup tahini
• 2 to 4 tbsp ice water, more as needed
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving
• 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• Smoked paprika, optional, for garnish
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Serving:

• Cucumber, sliced on a diagonal
• Bell peppers, sliced
• Cherry tomatoes
• Carrots sticks
• Celery sticks
• Flatbread or mini naan bread
• Rice crackers or pita crisps

How to Make Smooth and Creamy Hummus

Place the garbanzo beans (chickpeas) in a medium saucepan. Add the baking soda and cover the garbanzo beans by several inches of water, then bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling, reducing heat if necessary to prevent overflow, for about 20 minutes, or until the garbanzo beans look bloated, soft, and their skins are falling off.  Side Note: As they cook, remove and discard as many loose skins floating on the water with a slotted spoon, if desired, but it’s not mandatory. 

Pour into a strainer and run cool water over them for about 30 seconds. Set aside. Side Note:  There is no need to peel the garbanzo beans for this recipe!

Meanwhile, in a food processor or high-powered blender, combine the lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Process until the garlic is very finely chopped, then let the mixture rest so the garlic flavor can mellow for 10-15 minutes.

Add the tahini to the food processor and blend until the mixture is thick and creamy, scraping down any tahini stuck to the sides and bottom of the processor as necessary.

While running the food processor, drizzle in 2 tablespoons of ice water. Scrape down the sides of the food processor, and blend until the mixture is ultra smooth, pale, and creamy.  Side Note: If your tahini was extra-thick, you might need to add 1 to 2 tablespoons more ice water.

Add the cumin and the drained, over-cooked garbanzo beans to the food processor. While blending, drizzle in the olive oil. Blend until the mixture is super smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as necessary, about 2 minutes. Add more ice water by the tablespoon to achieve a super creamy texture.

Taste, and season as necessary—I usually add a little more sea salt and fresh lemon juice.

Scrape the hummus into a serving bowl and use a spoon to create a few swooshes on top. Top with toasted pine nuts, a sprinkling of paprika, fresh parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serve with flatbread, naan, and fresh veggies. Enjoy.

Keep the leftover hummus in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 1 week.