The Secret to Perfectly Creamy Hummus

I'm not gonna lie. Up until about two weeks ago, I truly believed it was impossible to make homemade hummus that could rival the taste and creamy texture of storebought Sabra hummus. I've made homemade hummus dozens of times, and it was just meh. I wanted to pretend like it was better because it was homemade. But deep down in my heart, I knew the stuff in the plastic tub was superior.

And don't even get me started on Mediterranean restaurant hummus. That stuff is perfection. And I just assumed it was some family-recipe secret thing that a gal of German-Scottish heritage, like myself, just wasn't privy to. The notion that I'd never make great homemade hummus was a sad fact I'd learned to live with.

Look at this perfect hummus! I made this! No plastic tubs involved!

But then, a couple weeks back, I had a party to go to. It was a "bring a snack" situation, and I didn't have time to make anything that would take longer than 10 minutes. So I did something I'd never done before. I googled "the secret to perfect hummus." And that's when I discovered the secret had been right there, on the internet, all this time. And here I am, adding yet another "hummus secrets" post to the World Wide Web in the hopes that it'll help some poor soul like me someday.

So what is that secret, you ask? You gotta peel the chickpeas! 

That's it. A few measly skins are all that's standing between you and tahini-chickpea heaven. First, you pop open a can of chickpeas, and then one by one, you use your fingers to pop off their translucent skins. It sounds like a ton of work, but they come right off. Peeling a whole can takes about 10 minutes or less.

Here's my perfect hummus recipe!

Creamy, Dreamy, Perfect Hummus

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained but liquid reserved

1/2 cup tahini

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup reserved chickpea liquid

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Paprika and fresh parsley, for garnish

Drain the chickpea liquid, but save it! You'll need it later.

Use your fingertips to gently pop off the skins of each chickpea. Discard the skins. Place the peas in the food processor. Add lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 cup reserved chickpea liquid, and salt.

Process until smooth and creamy. As the mixture is nearly done, drizzle in one tablespoon of the olive oil while the processor is running. 

Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Garnish with paprika and parsley.