Hummus
The Episode
Chef Thomas Soukakos likes to use local Pedrosillano chickpeas for this hummus, though other dried chickpeas work well too. And though he says that flavor will be best starting with dried, you can use canned chickpeas (about 1 1/2 cans), rinsed and drained. If using dried, plan ahead so they can soak overnight.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large carrot, cut into 3-4 pieces
- 1 large stalk celery, cut into 3-4 pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed, divided
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup tahini paste
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon ground toasted cumin
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Raw vegetables (such as cucumber, radish, celery, carrot), for serving
- Warm pita bread, for serving
Directions
- Combine the chickpeas and baking soda in a large bowl and add cold water to cover by a few inches. Stir gently to help the baking soda dissolve. Set aside to soak overnight.
- Drain the chickpeas and put them in a medium pot with the carrot, celery, 1 clove of the garlic and the bay leaves. Add cold water to cover by a couple of inches, bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 50 minutes (cooking time may vary with different types of chickpeas). Drain, reserving the cooking liquid, and set aside to cool, discarding the carrot, celery and bay leaves.
- Put the cooled chickpeas in a food processor and add the remaining 2 cloves of crushed garlic, the tahini paste, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and salt. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and pulse to finely chop the chickpeas, scraping down the sides as needed. If the mixture is quite thick, add another couple tablespoons (or more) of the cooking liquid. Process until very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the hummus to a bowl and drizzle a bit more olive oil on top. Serve with vegetables and warmed pita bread alongside.
