Call me crazy, but I always wanted to make hummus from scratch with dried chickpeas.  Well, I did it today.  We went to a Middle Eastern restaurant the other night and had enough food for four people, so we are having leftovers tonight. I thought it would be fun to make homemade hummus to go with our dinner. I looked online and combined a couple recipes into the one below.

I started last night by soaking the chickpeas overnight in a big bowl of water.  This morning, the chickpeas pumped up, absorbing a lot of liquid. I boiled the chickpeas in fresh, salted water for an hour and then removed all the skins.  I had read online that removing the outer skins makes for a much smoother hummus, so I did it!  Talk about time-consuming.  While I really enjoying making the hummus, I am not sure my homemade hummus is any better than store-bought!  Here is the recipe I used:

Ingredients

2 cups dry chickpeas

1 tsp salt and more to taste

1 tsp baking soda

Juice of a lemon

Lemon zest (use 1 tbsp or more if you like it very lemony)

1/2 cup tahini

3-6 garlic cloves (depending on how much garlic you like—I like a lot!)

1/4-1/2 cup water (Save the water when draining the chickpeas; you can always use more than the 1/2 cup to gain the desired consistency; add the water slowly)

1 teaspoon ground cumin or paprika, for garnish (optional)

Olive oil (for serving)

Chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

Place the dry chickpeas in a large bowl or pot and fill with water so that the water is about at least two inches above the chickpeas. Let them soak overnight.

Drain the chickpeas and rinse. Place them in a pot and fill with new water, the salt and baking soda.

Bring the chickpeas to a boil. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to a low boil. Cook the chickpeas for about 1 hour. They should be soft.

Drain the chickpeas and rinse; let them cool.  For smooth hummus, peel the skins away from the chickpeas and discard. Save a few good-looking chickpeas for garnish. Using a food processor, pulse the chickpeas on their own, and then add the lemon (juice and zest), garlic, salt and tahini. While the food processor is running, slowly pour in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Check the texture and thickness of the hummus. If needed, add more water to desired consistency.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.

When serving, ladle into a bowl, add the reserved whole chickpeas (toasted is really great) on top, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with cumin or paprika and fresh parsley.

Serve with pita bread, chips, crackers, or veggies.