Levantine cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Hummus

Silky, creamy chickpea-tahini spread with lemon – the king of the mezze table.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 can chickpeas (400 g)
• 4 tbsp tahini
• 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 4 tbsp ice-cold water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Paprika powder, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Drain the chickpeas, reserving some of the liquid; set aside a few whole chickpeas for garnish.
2. For extra creamy hummus, simmer the chickpeas in fresh water for 10 min and skim off the loose skins.
3. Blend the tahini with the lemon juice and garlic until creamy – the mixture will first turn stiff, then silky.
4. Add the chickpeas, cumin and salt and blend until fine.
5. Drizzle in the ice-cold water one tablespoon at a time, until the hummus is pale and light and creamy.
6. Spread onto a shallow plate, swirl grooves with the back of a spoon, drizzle with olive oil and serve with paprika and whole chickpeas.