Creamy Hummus

Sure, you can make good hummus with canned beans, but the best hummus recipe starts with dried chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans). Unlike canned chickpeas, which can taste bland and metallic, dried beans have a complex, nutty flavor that elevates this hummus above shortcut versions and their store-bought counterparts. We soak the beans overnight and then simmer them until tender. Adding baking soda to the cooking liquid helps further soften and tenderize the garbanzos and encourages them to shed their skins, for an exceptionally creamy texture.

You can purée the full batch of chickpeas with lemon juice, tahini, a few garlic cloves, and salt for an ultra-smooth and satisfying version, or add textural interest by reserving some cooked and crushed beans to fold into the mixture before serving. Either way, the resulting hummus is perfectly at home in falafel sandwiches and other lunchtime staples but occasion-worthy enough to present as an appetizer, drizzled in extra-virgin olive oil and perhaps sprinkled with cumin, paprika, toasted sesame seeds, sumac, za’atar, or your favorite spice. Go the extra mile and bake your own pita bread for a fully homemade spread.