Zahav’s Hummus ‘Tehina’

This recipe comes from Israeli restaurant in Philadelphia, which is known for its silky and wonderfully rich hummus. Garlic and lemon play small roles here; the indisputable co-stars are the freshly cooked chickpeas and the nutty tahini. While it’s well worth the effort to cook the dried chickpeas yourself, substituting a couple of cans of cooked chickpeas is perfectly acceptable.

Ingredients

• 1cup dried chickpeas
• 2teaspoons baking soda
• Juice of 1 1/2 large lemons (about 1/3 cup), more to taste
• 2 to 4cloves garlic, grated
• 1 ¾teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
• 1cup sesame tahini
• ½teaspoon ground cumin, more to taste
• Paprika, for serving
• Olive oil, for serving
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

• Nutritional Information

  • • Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

      275 calories; 17 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 355 milligrams sodium

  Note: The information shown is DiningAndCooking.com’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

1. In a bowl, cover chickpeas by at least 2 inches of cold water. Add 1 teaspoon baking soda and let soak at room temperature overnight. Drain and rinse.
2. In a medium pot, cover soaked chickpeas by at least 4 inches of water. Add the remaining teaspoon baking soda and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium high and let cook at a vigorous simmer until chickpeas are quite soft, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Overcooked chickpeas are the secret to creamy hummus, so don’t worry if they start to break down a little.) Drain.
3. While chickpeas are cooking, make the tahini sauce. In a blender, combine the lemon juice, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let mixture sit 10 minutes. Add tahini, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the cumin, and blend until a thick paste forms. Add 1/3 to 2/3 cup ice water while blender is running, a little at a time, until sauce is smooth. You’re looking for a perfectly smooth, creamy sauce.
4. Add the warm, drained chickpeas to blender with tahini mixture. Blend until perfectly smooth and not at all grainy, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl occasionally. This blending may take upward of about 2 minutes; just keep going until the mixture is ultracreamy and fluffy, adding a little water if you need it to make the contents of the blender move. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt, lemon juice and/or cumin as needed.
5. To serve, spread the hummus on a plate, dust with paprika, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley.