Good homemade hummus is a chickpea purée with tahini, lemon and garlic, so creamy you could eat it with a spoon. The dish comes from the Middle East and is served everywhere in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Israel, as part of a mezze with warm pita bread.
13 May is International Hummus Day, and in 2026 I took the chance to make a video about it. It is one of my favourite things to snack on before dinner, and once you have tasted it homemade, it is hard to go back to shop-bought tubs.
Here is the traditional recipe with dried chickpeas. It needs a little planning for the soaking, but the secret is simple: very well-cooked chickpeas, blended hot and for a long time, with some ice water for a really light, fluffy texture.
The recipe
Classic recipeThe traditional recipe for the dish, not the one from the restaurant where I tasted it.
Ingredients
Hummus
- 250 g dried chickpeas
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (used in two goes)
- 120 g tahini (sesame paste)
- 50 ml lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp salt
- 80 ml ice water
To serve
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp paprika or sumac
- a few flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 tbsp reserved cooked chickpeas
Method
- The day before, put the chickpeas in a large bowl with 3 times their volume of cold water and 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda. Leave to soak for 12 hours.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Put them in a large pan, cover generously with cold water and add the rest of the bicarbonate of soda. Bring to the boil and skim off the foam.
- Simmer gently for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the chickpeas are very soft and squash easily between two fingers. They should be softer than for a salad.
- Drain the chickpeas and set aside 1 tbsp for the garnish. Blend the rest while still hot for 2 to 3 minutes, until you have a thick, smooth purée.
- Add the tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic and salt. Blend again, pouring in the ice water little by little, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the hummus is very smooth, pale and fluffy.
- Taste and adjust the salt or lemon. Leave to cool to room temperature.
- Spread the hummus on a shallow plate and make a swirl with the back of a spoon. Pour the olive oil into the hollow, sprinkle with paprika or sumac, then add the parsley and reserved chickpeas.
Tips and variations
- Quick version: use 2 tins of 400 g chickpeas, drained, warmed for 10 minutes in water with 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, then rinsed.
- For an even smoother hummus, rub the cooked chickpeas in cold water to remove their skins.
- Stir the tahini jar well before measuring: the oil often rises to the top.
- Hummus keeps for 4 days in the fridge in a closed container, covered with a drizzle of olive oil.
Recipe shared for guidance only, adapt it to your equipment: times and temperatures may vary. Check for allergens (gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame…) and make sure ingredients are fresh. Raw or undercooked fish, meat and eggs are not recommended for pregnant women, young children, elderly or vulnerable people. Take care with hot oil, flambéing and alcohol. I am not a health or nutrition professional.