Can I be totally honest? I learned to make the most perfect hummus in culinary school and life was good. Then somewhere down the road I got really lazy and just started buying it from TJ’s. Who am I? Recently I’ve been inspired to make it again (on a weekly basis) and I can’t be stopped!!
Hummus is one of those things that I currently ALWAYS have on hand. It’s the best snack with homemade pita chips or any assortment of raw veggies. It’s the perfect spread for a sandwich and it makes for an excellent dinner when you’re flying solo!
There’s always been a debate on how to make the best hummus and in my opinion it centers around this question: do you have to peel the garbanzo beans or not? While I’m rarely opposed to a short cut, in this case, it’s all about peeling them. It takes a minute, but almost no effort and the result is the most perfectly creamy smooth hummus on the planet. Next time you make it at home, take a few extra minutes to pop the skins off the garbanzo beans, trust me, you’ll thank me later! If you’re using canned garbanzo beans (I do!) just put the bean between your pointer finger and your thumbs and give it a little massage until the peel just pops off, then discard it and carry on with the remaining beans until you’re ready to throw it all into a food processor!
The Ultimate Hummus and Herbed Baked Pita Chips
Ingredients
For the Hummus:
- 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans drained and PEELED
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, more as needed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- Water as needed
- Sumac or paprika for dusting
For the Pita Chips:
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon zaatar or paprika
- 3 5-inch pitas, sliced into 8 wedges each
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
For the Hummus:
- In a food processor, add the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt and blend until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time, until the hummus is silky smooth with no clumps.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, garlic or lemon if desired.
- To serve, drizzle it with a little olive oil, and sprinkle it with sumac or paprika. Serve it with pita wedges
For the Pita wedges
- Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Combine the salt and zaatar in a small bowl; set aside.
- Place the pita wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with half of the olive oil and sprinkle with half of the salt mixture. Flip the wedges over and repeat with the remaining oil and salt mixture.
- Bake until the chips are golden brown and crispy, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately transfer the chips to a wire rack to cool. Can be served slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
There’s nothing better than homemade hummus and I love your herbed pita chips!
That smooth creamy hummus really does look like the best- YUM!
Hey Gaby! Am the only family member that enjoys hummus,they won’t even try it out! But, maybe with your recipe and the addition of homemade chips will be too hard to resist! Thanks for the recipe!
OMG!!!! in my one track mind I think this means MORE FOR YOU!!!!! 🙂
Why have I never tried to make hummus myself? Thank you for making it so easy to try!!
I need some of this hummus stat!
I think my Armenian husband will love this! Do you think I can find Sumac at Whole Foods? Thanks so much and have a great weekend!
yes you can absolutely find it at whole foods!! If not, substitute it for paprika! Or order sumac on amazon 🙂
Thanks so much!
Umm, YUM!!! These look amazing! I was JUST eating pita chips but definitely not homemade ones like these!!
OK…I have tried to make hummus and it isn’t ever smooth enough, so I am guessing peeling is the answer. Now – talk about the pool of fluid…is it olive oil? My question is why?
New to hummus….thanks for the help 🙂
peeling makes it extra smooth – and dont be afraid to blend it for a few minute to really break things down. Yes, olive oil drizzled on top 🙂 It’s delish!
Wow, This hummus looks so delicious! It really going the extra step sometimes that makes all the difference! I love that this recipe only uses tahini.
Am wondering if you have ever sprouted your chickpeas then cooked them first. It is so much better than tinned. I cook a big batch and freeze some for later, cheaper than tinned as well.
i haven’t!! but I bet that would be delish!
What brand of tahini do you use or do you make your own? And, if so, how? I really enjoy your site!
I either get the Whole Foods brand or the one from trader joes
Yessss. My Lebanese mother-in-law introduced me to zaatar several years ago and I make bake pita with zaatar on a regular basis. So delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Love, love, love your hummus! It is so easy and delicious!!
Hi Gaby! Love the texture of this and your Insta story of this, but my hummus turned out on the bitter side. I used Trader Joe’s can of garbanzos (and peeled them) and TJ’s organic tahini (which I tasted after making the hummus and it tastes a little bitter straight from the jar). Any ideas on how to remedy the bitterness or what might have caused it? I tei d adding a little more salt but that doesn’t seem to help.
bitter? it could need more salt and a bit of water to even it out! I’d try a different brand of tahini next time as you might have an extra awesome palette! The whole foods brand is a bit smoother!
Thank you! I’ll try those things and a different tahini brand next time. I’m wondering if I blended it too long and it got a little too warm and that brought out the bitterness too.
Gaby, I love this hummus!! How long can it be stored in the fridge in your opinion? Can I freeze it also? Thanks!
I keep it in the fridge for about 5 days and then I eat it all – and I haven’t tried freezing but it would totally work
Thank you!
Your home made hummus is better than anything I have found at the market. I LOVE it!
There is another way to remove the garbanzo skins, Gaby, that I find easier. Cooks Illustrated adapts a technique Yotam Ottolenghi for dried chickpeas for canned. “For our method, toss the rinsed and drained chickpeas with baking soda (1½ teaspoons per 14-ounce can) and then heat them in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the beans are hot. Transfer the beans to a large bowl and wash with three or four changes of cold water, all the while agitating the beans vigorously between your hands to release the skins, which will float easily away. Easy, creamy hummus? Yes, please.” Several other recipes process everything except the chickpeas first, until totally smooth, then add the chickpeas. I save the. Chickpea liquid and use it instead of water to things needed
My daughter is allergic to sesame seeds so I can’t use tahini… any suggestions for a substitute? Thank you!
cashew butter
What brand of canned garbanzos’ do you use?
trader joes
I don’t even really like hummus, but this I can eat with a spoon it is so good! The lemon adds so much. I don’t peel the chickpeas bc I’m too lazy, and it still turns out great.
Best Hummus Ever! So easy and so good. I will never buy prepared hummus again.
The best homemade hummus I’ve ever made! Yum!!!
Why would I get store bought ever again? This recipe is so silky smooth and delicious…sprinkled with paprika, Gaby’s everything seasoning and drizzled with olive oil and o.m.g. I’m in heaven.
I am hummus-obsessed and have tried so many recipes and methods. This is the one!!!! The best ever! Using water instead of oil really allows the star of the show (tahini) to shine. Don’t act like you don’t have time to peel your chick peas – do it while you’re watching Netflix one night and then you can make amazing hummus the next day in like 5 minutes. Thanks Gaby!!!
My first time making homemade hummus and this stuff is delicious! Easy recipe with minimal ingredients and fantastic flavor!
Gaby this is Lisa Licht’s mom. Congrats on the baby. Love your recipes and your site.
Thanks,
Marilyn Schilling
Do you do a version which is like majestic sprouted hummus? Also, can you change website so emails when a reply to comment? Gracias
Do you ever do the baking soda method to peel chickpeas? Thoughts? I found it in the Jerusalem cookbook.
How long is the hummus good in the fridge?
5 days