Hummus is one of those foods everyone enjoys—seemingly for good reason.  It’s healthy, refreshing, great for dipping veggies, and good for spreading.

But why buy hummus, if you can make it?

All you need a few simple ingredients, a little bit of time and a food processor and you’re good to go.

Ingredients


1 cup dried chickpeas

1/2 cup tahini 
juice

1 squeezed lemons

1-2 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon baking soda

salt

olive oil

parsley

Instructions:

1. This is the prep part. You need to start about a day in advance. Wash the chickpeas multiple times, until the water is transparent. Put in a bowl and soak them in clean water over night with 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Next day, wash thoroughly and soak chickpeas again for a few more hours. The point is to have the peas absorb all the water.  They should just about double in size.
2. Place your plump chickpeas in a large pot, cover them with water, add about 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda. Cook for about 1-1 ½ hours until you can easily smash the chickpea between your fingers. Some people like to switch the water over this period and remove the peels that float.  When they are soft, drain the chickpeas, but don’t toss out your cooking water.  You can use this if you hummus is too thick.
3. Put the chickpeas into a food processor and grind well.
4. Add the tahini and the rest of the ingredients into the food processor. Taste test to get your desire texture. If it is thicker than you prefer, add a bit of your cooking water, and continue to taste test until you arrive at your desire results.
5. Serve with some good olive oil and chopped parsley.

-Arianna Schioldager