Lunch: Israeli-Style Hummus

Recipe by Hannah Klinger A little baking soda softens the chickpeas for an ethereally smooth texture. Israelis like a strong tahini presence in their hummus, but you can use less if you like. The tahini will seize up when added to the lemon juice mixture

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 cup tahini (roasted sesame seed paste), stirred well
1/2 cup ice water, or more as needed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

Place chickpeas in a large bowl; cover with water to 2 inches above chickpeas. Soak overnight at room temperature.
Drain chickpeas. Place chickpeas and baking soda in a large Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover chickpeas by 4 inches (about 5 cups); bring to a boil. Skim any residue that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer 50 minutes or until chickpeas are very tender. Drain.
Combine juice and garlic in a medium bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Add tahini, stirring with a whisk. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring with a whisk after each addition until tahini mixture falls off whisk in thick ribbons.
Place chickpeas in a food processor. Add tahini mixture; process until very smooth. Add salt and cumin; process to combine. Place hummus in an airtight container; refrigerate 2 hours or up to overnight.

Share Israeli-Style Hummus