Better-Than-Store-Bought Hummus

By the Gracious Vegan

This recipe comes at the end of many years of experimentation with hummus recipes. I was searching for the type of hummus you get at Middle Eastern restaurants, but with a method that wouldn’t take 24 hours or more of soaking the chickpeas. This recipe works really well. Using a high-speed blender gets the mixture very smooth, as does using well-cooked and very soft chickpeas, which are easy to achieve in the Instant Pot!

Makes about 4 cups of hummus

Prepare canned or dried chickpeas to get 3 cups of soft cooked chickpeas. For canned, after draining and rinsing them, simmer them in water on the stove for 20-30 minutes until they are cracked and soft. For dried, cook them on “Manual” or “High” in the Instant Pot for 48 minutes. 

• Two (15-ounce) cans of chickpeas or 1 cup dried chickpeas (unsoaked)

Place drained chickpeas in a blender with the following ingredients and process for several minutes until the mixture is very smooth. Add extra water as needed to help the blender achieve a smooth paste. Getting the mixture smooth at this stage is crucial. It’s okay if it’s a bit thin—the tahini will thicken it substantially.

• 3/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 3/8 cup water 

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed

Add tahini and salt and continue processing until smooth again. Add more water if needed to help the blender achieve a smooth hummus.

• 3/4 cup tahini (you can add more if you like, up to a cup or more)

• 1.5 teaspoons salt

If not using hummus immediately, refrigerate up to four days. You may need to stir in more water after it’s chilled, because it may get thick again.

Timing: about 15 minutes

Gluten-free