Classic Hummus
Traditional Hummus Recipe
This Classic Hummus is the purest, most basic recipe, made with just chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic, and good olive oil - insanely delicious and perfect just as it is. It’s a kitchen staple we always have on hand.
It's simple, cozy and pure comfort food.
Classic Hummus, where to start… this is our go-to traditional hummus recipe, made from scratch with dried chickpeas. Humble, vegan and incredibly delicious - we eat it fresh, slightly warm or chilled. It’s the one we’ll always come back to and the ideal base for endless irresistible variations we can’t wait to share with you!
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Classic Hummus, where to start… this is our go-to traditional hummus recipe, made from scratch with dried chickpeas. Humble, vegan and incredibly delicious - we eat it fresh, slightly warm or chilled. It’s the one we’ll always come back to and the ideal base for endless irresistible variations we can’t wait to share with you!
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Why We Love It!
- Simply Delicious: So simple in ingredients yet so balanced and rich in taste and texture
- Healty: It's packed with plant-based protein and healthy fats
- Vegan: Naturally vegan and gluten-free
- For any occasion: Serve it as an appetizer with mezze or simply enjoy it with crackers or cucumber for a light lunch
- On the prep side: It’s super easy to make ahead, just a few hours or a couple of days in advance, so you can enjoy it over several days or serve it at your party the next day or so
- Variations: Play with ingredients, toppings and combinations, this is the perfect base for endless delicious variations
What Is Classic Hummus?
Classic Hummus is a smooth and creamy dip made primarily from mashed chickpeas blended with tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. It is one of the most beloved everyday dishes across the Middle East, enjoyed in countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Egypt and throughout the wider Levant.
Chickpeas have been cultivated and eaten in this region for thousands of years, with early references to mashed chickpea dishes appearing in Arabic cookbooks as far back as the 13th century.
Over time, this simple combination of ingredients has evolved into countless regional and family variations: some smoother and creamier, others brighter with lemon, heavier on garlic or richer in tahini.
What began as a Middle Eastern everyday dish has become one of the most iconic and widely loved foods around the world.
We love serving our Classic Hummus slightly warm, so the flavors really come alive – though it’s just as delicious chilled and refreshing.
Traditionally, hummus is enjoyed as a dip with warm pita or flatbread, but it is just as versatile in modern kitchens: spoon it into bowls as part of a mezze platter, spread it on sandwiches or wraps, serve it alongside grilled vegetables or meat, or simply enjoy it with fresh vegetables for a lighter bite.
We’ll be building lots of variations on this Classic Hummus, from seasonal twists, for example Wild Garlic Hummus and spotlight ingredients, to global inspirations like Wasabi Hummus… Stay with us and discover them all!
Ingredients
Classic Hummus
left to right top to bottom – check our ‘Recipe’ card below for quantity info
- Some ice cubes: makes the hummus extra smooth, light and creamy
- Extra virgin olive oil: a drizzle on top at the end for extra taste and richness
- Lemon juice: adds freshness and a light tang
- Tahini: sesame paste that makes hummus creamy and rich
- Sea salt: brings out all the flavors
- Baking soda: helps soften the chickpeas while soaking and cooking
- Dried chickpeas: fresh, good-quality dried chickpeas, we use kabuli, give the best smooth and creamy hummus
How To Make Classic Hummus
Soak
8 HOURS BEFORE - Place the dried chickpeas and baking soda for the soaking in a pot. Cover with plenty of water and leave to soak for 8-12 hours (or overnight)
Rinse
After soaking the chickpeas, discard the soaking water and rinse the chickpeas. Put them in a medium pot, add the baking soda, and cover with water until the chickpeas are about 5 cm (2 inches) under water.
Heat it over medium heat until it comes to a boil.
Cook
Reduce to a low flame, cover with a lid and let it simmer for about 60 minutes, depending on your chickpeas, they should be super soft and almost melting in your mouth... Skim the foam regularly as it arises. It is formed by the proteins in the chickpeas and the baking soda.
Discard Skin
At this point, add some salt and stir so it dissolves well in the cooking liquid. The chickpea skins will loosen and rise to the surface - discard as many as possible. Turn off the heat and leave the pot uncovered for about 10 minutes so the steam can escape.
Drain
Drain the chickpeas over a bowl, saving the liquid. Save some of the chickpeas for the final garnish of the hummus and transfer the rest to a food processor.
Blitz
Then add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, ice cubes, salt, and a few tablespoons of the reserved chickpea cooking water (about 2 tablespoons per 100 g dried chickpeas) to the blender.
Blitz until very smooth. Taste and adjust with more chickpea water, lemon juice and salt if needed.
Plate & Serve
Spoon the hummus onto a plate or bowl and swirl it with a spoon. Top with the reserved chickpeas and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve it with bread, crackers or cucumber slices - Enjoy your Classic Hummus!
Serving Tips & Pairings
- Bread & Crackers: Serve your hummus with warm pita, Pinsa Romana or crackers – or scoop it up with our homemade Totopos
- Raw Veggies: Enjoy it with fresh vegetables like cucumber, carrots or bell peppers
- Grilled vegetables: It pairs beautifully with our Espárragos, grilled zucchini, eggplant or peppers
- Mezze: Perfect on a mezze platter with olives, pickles, falafel and other small dishes
- Portions: Play with the portions, serve it in one big bowl to share, already topped crackers or in small jars for everyone
- Drinks: With Classic Hummus, fresh and light drinks work best to balance its creamy and earthy flavors:
- Limonata or mint tea or other fresh herbal teas
- Light, dry and fresh white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, or a dry Provence rosé, pair really well with hummus
Substitutions & Variations
- Alternative method: After cooking, drain the chickpeas and transfer them to a container with a lid. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours – the cold deepens the flavor and helps the chickpeas turn the typical pale hummus color
- Tahini: Replace it with peanut, almond, cashew or sunflower seed butter
- Lemon juice: Swap it with lime juice for a slightly different citrus kick
- Chickpea water: Use cold water instead when blending
- Dressing: For a smooth dressing, blend in a little extra chickpea water, olive oil, and lemon juice until it turns silky and pourable
- Grilled chickpeas: Pat the reserved chickpeas dry, toss them with a little olive oil and roast for about 20-30 minutes at 180°C/350°F (or air fry for 12–15 minutes) until crispy. Lightly salt them – perfect as a crunchy topping!
FAQs
The word hummus comes from Arabic and it literally means chickpea!
Adding ice cubes while blending hummus helps it emulsify better, making it smoother, fluffier, and even slightly whiter in color.
We add baking soda to the soaking and cooking water because it makes the water more alkaline (less acidic), which helps soften the chickpeas faster, break down their skins and makes the final hummus extra smooth and creamy.
Kabuli chickpeas are the large, light-coloured type of chickpeas most commonly used for hummus – they have a smooth texture and a mild, nutty flavour. The name ‘kabuli‘ comes from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, where this type of chickpea was historically grown and from which it spread to other regions
Fresh hummus keeps in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days in an airtight container. It’s perfect for making ahead for a party!
Recipe
Classic Hummus
Ingredients
- 225 g dried chickpeas
- 15 g fresh lemon juice
- ½ tspn baking soda - for the soaking
- ½ tspn baking soda - for the cooking water
- 2 pinches seasalt - for the cooking water
- 1 pinch seasalt
- 100 g tahini
- 1 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp virgin olive oil
- 3 pieces small ice cubes
- 65 g aquafaba/ chickpea cooking liquid
Instructions
- 8 HOURS BEFORE - Place the dried chickpeas and baking soda for the soaking in a pot. Cover with plenty of water and leave to soak for 8-12 hours (or overnight)
- After soaking the chickpeas, discard the soaking water and rinse the chickpeas. Put them in a medium pot, add the baking soda, and cover with water until the chickpeas are about 5 cm (2 inches) under water.Heat it over medium heat until it comes to a boil.
- Reduce to a low flame, cover with a lid and let it simmer for about 60 minutes, depending on your chickpeas, they should be super soft and almost melting in your mouth... Skim the foam regularly as it arises. It is formed by the proteins in the chickpeas and the baking soda.
- At this point, add some salt and stir so it dissolves well in the cooking liquid. The chickpea skins will loosen and rise to the surface - discard as many as possible. Turn off the heat and leave the pot uncovered for about 10 minutes so the steam can escape.
- Drain the chickpeas over a bowl, saving the liquid. Save some of the chickpeas for the final garnish of the hummus and transfer the rest to a food processor.
- Then add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, ice cubes, salt, and a few tablespoons of the reserved chickpea cooking water (about 2 tablespoons per 100 g dried chickpeas) to the blender.Blitz until very smooth. Taste and adjust with more chickpea water, lemon juice and salt if needed.
- Spoon the hummus onto a plate or bowl and swirl it with a spoon. Top with the reserved chickpeas and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.Serve it with bread, crackers or cucumber slices - Enjoy your Classic Hummus!
Notes
- Some ice cubes: makes the hummus extra smooth, light and creamy
- Extra virgin olive oil: Aa drizzle on top at the end for extra taste and richness
- Lemon juice: adds freshness and a light tang
- Tahini: sesame paste that makes hummus creamy and rich
- Sea salt: brings out all the flavors
- Baking soda: helps soften the chickpeas while soaking and cooking
- Dried chickpeas: fresh, good-quality dried chickpeas, we use kabuli, give the best smooth and creamy hummus
Nutrition
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