Simple Hummus (Make It Your Way)
This is a very flexible recipe – it's all about taste. Some people love lots of garlic and lemon, while others prefer it milder. Keep tasting as you go and trust your instincts – you already know what hummus should taste like!
Ingredients
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained (or use home-cooked chickpeas)
Around 60g tahini (adjust to taste)
1–2 cloves garlic
Juice of ½–1 lemon (to taste)
Salt and pepper
Optional:
A pinch of cumin
A couple of ice cubes (for extra smooth hummus)
Method
Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid in case you need it later to loosen the hummus.
Add the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a food processor, or use a hand blender.
Blend until smooth.
Taste and adjust – this is the most important part. Add more lemon juice for freshness, more garlic for punch, or more tahini for richness. Keep tweaking until it tastes right to you.
If you prefer a really smooth, creamy hummus, add a couple of ice cubes towards the end and blend again. It makes a big difference to the texture.
If you like, add a pinch of cumin for extra flavour.
Take It Further
Once you've got your basic hummus, this is where it gets fun – start experimenting with flavours.
Try mixing in:
Mango chutney
Chopped olives
Pesto
Sun-dried tomatoes
Preserved lemons
Lemon and fresh coriander
Chillies
Sweet chilli sauce
Caramelised onions
A great way to do this is to make one big batch of plain hummus, then divide it into smaller portions and add different flavours to each. It's an easy way to create variety without much extra effort.
To Serve
Spread the hummus into a bowl and use the back of a spoon to create a swirl in the middle.
Drizzle over some good olive oil and finish with a few whole chickpeas on top.
Final Tip
There's no right or wrong here – it's all about what you enjoy. Trust your taste and have a play with flavours.
It freezes really well too.
Notes
Tahini (sesame paste) is key – without it, the hummus will taste like it's missing something.
The consistency of tahini varies a lot between brands, so don't worry about exact measurements. Adjust as you go.
If you're cooking chickpeas from dried, you can freeze portions so you've always got some ready to go.
The more you make this, the more you'll naturally find your perfect balance, so don't stress about getting it "right" first time.
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