Puréeing garlic in lemon juice and blending chickpeas while they’re hot = Israeli-style hummus that’s both smooth and flavorful.
Puréeing garlic directly in lemon juice prevents the formation of sharp, pungent compounds, delivering smoother garlic flavor.
Dried chickpeas provide better flavor than canned.
Overcooking the chickpeas in water with baking soda makes them easier to blend.
Puréeing the chickpeas while they’re still hot lets you use a blender instead of a food processor for smoother texture.
Store-bought versions of Israeli-style hummus—the kind made with tons of tahini and a touch of cumin—typically have a great, ultra-smooth and -creamy texture, but they lack flavor and aren’t easily customizable to our own personal tastes. Homemade hummus, especially when made with dried chickpeas, may have amazing flavor that we can play with any way we like, but it’s quite difficult to get it as smooth as the store-bought stuff. So what if you want hummus that is smooth and flavorful? Our recipe uses a few tricks to pack in flavor and give you great texture.
