I’m trying to come up with a decent hummus recipe, and so far my efforts have been middling at best. I started with the recipe in Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything, using a few more garlic cloves than he called for, and came out with something that was passable but a little blander than I prefer my hummus to be. Too much chickpea, not enough seasoning, if that makes sense.
Does anyone have a good hummus recipe that they particularly like? Or suggestions on how to fix mine up a little?
I was thinking about adding in some red wine vinegar, as my favorite store brand has that listed in the ingredients. Maybe also more lemon juice – I only used the juice of 1/2 lemon last time I made it, and maybe it could have used more. I don’t know. Thoughts, suggestions, advice appreciated.
Did you use tahini (sesame seed paste)? One of the key ingredients if you ask me. I make decent hummus using only garlic, chickpeas, tahini, extra-virgin olive oil, and lemon. You really don’t need much else. As for proportions…I’ll leave that to someone else; I go by feel until it reaches the right consistency.
I sometimes make hummus from a boxed mix, but I find it to be somewhat bland. The ingredients say that it’s got tahini in it, but would more tahini and salt kick up the flavor of boxed-mix hummus?
Yes, please excuse me, I did not mention all the ingredients, as I thought tahini was a no-brainer. The ingredients I used were: chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and salt. As essvee and some others have pointed out.
I’ll try throwing in more lemon and salt next time. I don’t know, it just seems like the hummus I get at restaurants has a certain kick to it that I’m just not getting with the stuff I make at home. It’s tangy, somehow.
Lots of lemon, definitely. And I have heard of this thing called “too much garlic,” but I have no idea what it means.
I’ve had hummus in two different Middle Eastern restaurants that was extremely creamy (and delicious), much creamier than any homemade hummus I’ve ever had. I wondered whether they might be adding yogurt, or perhaps just extra olive oil. Thoughts?
Just WHAT are you making it in? Food processor probably? Also try a hand blender if you have one. Blenders just beat things to death.
Are you using canned garbanzos? The type of garbanzo you buy really, REALLy makes a difference. I usually try to find Muir Glen organic garbanzos-- they taste great, and seem less salty than, say, S&H or any of the store brands.
If you’re using fresh garbanzos, they tend to be a bit harder than their canned counterpart, so they don’t “creamify” as well.
Also, not enough salt makes things bland. Add salt a pinch at a time until you get that “flavor kick”. It’s weird how quickly salt works-- bland, bland, bland, DELICIOUS, too salty, too salty, waay too salty…
Lemon juice adds “umami” (cite here) and it works the same way. Just keep adding until you get that kick.
BTW, I’m Alton Brown’s bitch (despite the fact he uses peanut butter in his hummus. Dude, that’s just WRONG), plus I’ve read Harold McGee and Shirley Corriher. Between the three of them, I’ve become quite the food geek.
Yeah, I’ve been using the food processor. The consistency is actually pretty good; I have no complaints there. Am also using fresh garbanzos; per Bittman, I’ve been cooking them to the point of being overcooked, so they’re extra soft, which seems to work well.
Interesting cite re “umami”, by the way.
Next time I make it, I’ll try adding more lemon juice and salt until it reaches the desired flavor kick point. I think I also might try throwing in a lot of extra garlic.
Cumin is good, especially if you roast it first, but don’t overdo. I sometimes add a little Italian parsley if I want it to look prettier. You can also experiment a bit with cayenne or black pepper. I also have a recipe from Moosewood that uses tamari sauce for part of the salt. (I wouldn’t use regular soy sauce, though.)
My secret is to add some onion powder. Sea salt can help to give the dish a deeper flavor as well. I’d recommend against using extra virgin olive oil as it has a very mild taste that will not compete well against the garlic. Spanish or Greek olive oil has a much more robust flavor. I’ve never made hummus from raw garbanzos. Sometimes if the mix binds a little too tightly, I add a bit of the packing liquid from the tinned chick peas. Lots of garlic and lemon juice is definitely the way to go. A little finely ground white pepper can also liven things up.
I do the generic canned chick peas, garlic, lemon juice, tahnini recipe and get rave reviews on it.
I also have some variations that I make including Spicy Hummus, with cumin and chili powder, as well as Sundried Tomato Hummus, with some sundried tomatoes blended into the mixture.
1 cup chick peas, soaked and cooked*
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbls lemon juice
1/4 cup water
3 T tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 to 1 Tsp cumin
1/2 Tsp paprika
Place the cooked* chick peas in the food processor along with the garlic, lemon juice, and water. Process for about a minute, until smooth. If too thick, add more water.
Stir in the tahini and spices, taste, and add more lemon juice/tahini/cumin/paprika as appropriate.
Spread the hummus into a shallow bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with lemon slices and minced parsley.
Serve chilled, with warm pita bread and/or fresh vegetables.
*Normal soak: Leave the beans to soak for 4-8 hours. This is the traditional and healthier method of soaking beans.
*Whether reusing soaking water or adding fresh, there should be twice as much water as beans. Boil furiously, uncovered, for ten minutes. Cover, lower heat, and simmer for 1-2 hours, until tender.
