Dried chickpeas provide better flavor than canned.
Cooking the chickpeas until they’re very tender leads to a hummus with the best texture.
Hummus masabacha is a popular variant of the Middle Eastern chickpea spread in which most or all of the chickpeas are left whole and tossed with the tahini sauce, instead of being puréed into it. There are endless variations on it, but at its heart, it’s as easy as can be, and lots more interesting than your average hummus spread.
1/2 pound dried chickpeas (about 1 1/4 level cups; 225g)
2 teaspoons (12g) baking soda, divided
Kosher salt
1 small onion, split in half
1 small stalk celery
1 small carrot
2 medium cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary (optional)
1 to 1 1/2 cups (235 to 350ml) Tahini Sauce With Garlic and Lemon
1/3 cup (50g) minced flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Za’atar, paprika, toasted pine nuts, and/or chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Warm pita bread, for serving
