Best ever hummus / houmous

[Squirrel]

There are tons of hummus recipes out there, and I have one that works for me, but it doesn't taste like store or restaurant hummus (which I really like). Does anyone know what the difference is? More tahini? More salt? I want to continue making my hummus on the cheap, but also on the tasty. Do you have a recipe that tastes like store-bought?

[Cumin]

Hi Squirrel - great subject, but perhaps it should have gone in one of the food areas.. Anyway..
I asked myself the same question a while back and decided that they just add more salt. Unless of course you are comparing your home made with a bought one that has additives (e.g. MSG) in it - then anything's possible !

[Risker]

I agree with cumin, in fact I made some tonight. Lots of salt improved it no end.

[DancingWillow]

i'd say add more spices, some garlic, and lemon juice. you can also add other stuff depending on what you like (such as sun-dried tomatoes, etc.). to me, spices are what make foods flavorful.

[Squirrel]

Hi Squirrel - great subject, but perhaps it should have gone in one of the food areas..

Quite right, but I can't post there yet. I never thought about MSG...do they list that as an ingredient then?

[harpy]

I think the commercial versions often have a lot of oil, plus they usually seem to be very smooth - these are both effects you could achieve at home, particularly (regarding the "smooth" bit) if you have a blender or food processor.

However, you might find you get to prefer your own home-made hummus if you give yourself time to get used to it. Cumin (coincidentally) is a good herb to add, if you like it. Also I prefer it if the garlic is lightly roasted rather than raw.

I don't think I've come across hummus with MSG in it.

[Pob]

Lo-salt might be an option if you like it salty but are trying to keep a check on your sodium intake.

I'm gonna make some tonight, actually :)

[Cumin]

However, you might find you get to prefer your own home-made hummus if you give yourself time to get used to it. Cumin (coincidentally) is a good herb to add, if you like it. Also I prefer it if the garlic is lightly roasted rather than raw.


I agree. I usually add loads of Cumin to mine, plus some paprika.
I've seen it served commercially with lots of paprika and olive oil over the top which can add to the appearance (and taste) when you actually eat it.

[harpy]

Sorry, I meant spice, not herb, didn't I Cumin?

I agree about the paprika - that looks so appetising. A little chopped flat-leaved parsley on top looks nice too.

When I make hummus I usually use less oil than the recipes say to try and keep the calories down a bit. You can add some of the cooking water from the chickpeas instead of some of the oil. I think it may not keep so well with less oil but that's not usually an issue is it? :D

[Korn]

I had a brilliant hummus the other day, and asked the waiter whytheir hummus was more hummusy than mine... :)

He said:
They use no oil (surprise)
The cook the chick peas for two hours (change the water once)
They use tahini, but not much, and only tahini from Lebanon, not from Turkey
A little (in most cases, fresh) lemon
He also claimed that they used no spices (except when serving it), but I'm not sure if I can trust him on that one...

[Jamie]

do people usually shell their chickpeas? I've only tried making it once without, and it was pretty lumpy and unappetising. I don't mind sitting down with a tray, and a bowl of chickpeas and a another empty bowl, watching tv or something while shelling the mound of chickpeas. Only problem is the time it takes - stops hummus from being a last-minute option! :) I haven't tried cooking the chickpeas but I've only made it from canned, which I believe is already cooked. If I can find somewhere to buy bulk dried goods here in Brisbane I will be able to try it from soaked (and I suppose I should cook it then?).

[harpy]

By "shell" do you mean remove the skins of the individual chickpeas? No, it hadn't occurred to me to do that!

[howdawg]

Jamie, why are you 'shelling' your chickpeas?

[Tigerlily]

I believe it's to make the hummus smooth. But personally, I believe it's not suppose to be smooth.

[Poison Ivy]

I believe it's to make the hummus smooth. But personally, I believe it's not suppose to be smooth.

No, me neither Tigerlily, I prefer a more 'rustic' texture to my hummus!!:D

[howdawg]

hmm I've never heard of that!! I definitely like my hummus chunky :D

[Jamie]

really?! I thought smooth was the norm! :)I definately prefer it smooth - that's just lovely. Have you guys ever tried it smooth?

[cedarblue]

. A little chopped flat-leaved parsley on top looks nice too.


i like to puts lots of parsley in the hummus when i'm whizzing it up to make 'green' hummus - its bursting with green goodness too!

[howdawg]

really?! I thought smooth was the norm! :)I definately prefer it smooth - that's just lovely. Have you guys ever tried it smooth?

Yes and I've made it pretty smooth without shelling it... Just process it longer... I still prefer it chunky :D

[=Sarah=]

Has anyone ever frozen hummus and used it again later? Would it come out okay after defrosting do you think?

[Risker]

Not tried it by I see no reason why not. At worse it would probably need a stir after defrosting.

[Marrers]

Has anyone ever frozen hummus and used it again later? Would it come out okay after defrosting do you think?

Posted on page 1 about using frozen beans - thought it might help.


we cooked a lot of garbanzo beans the other week. we made half into hummus and froze the other half.

a few days ago we put the frozen beans in the fridge. then forgot that we'd done so. so, i decided that to be safe, we should reboil the beans.

when we made hummus from the rehydrated, frozen, thawed, recooked beans, it was really smooth!

i'm sure it was far far less nutritious than it would have been if we hadn't felt the need to reboil the beans, but it was nice.

[Cumin]

Has anyone ever frozen hummus and used it again later? Would it come out okay after defrosting do you think?

FYI: I haven't frozen the Hummus but I regularly freeze the cooked Chick-peas. This is because I soak and cook up a huge panful of them, then bag up portions for making into Hummus later. I prefer to do it in large batches as I think the smell of cooking chick-peas is pretty revolting (like hot wet dog) :).
They needs 24hrs to defrost in the freezer but then they seem identical for the hummus.

[Felece]

My first post:)

I got this recipe from the only vegan restaurant in my country (Denmark). I have tried a lot of different recipes and this is the best I have ever tasted.

Wash the dry chickpeas. Let them soak in water for at least 24 hours. Change the water once.
Wash the chickpeas.
Boil the chickpeas for 2-3 hours. Change the water once.
Wash the chickpeas.
Let the chickpeas cool off completely (very important - the process of cooling off makes the hummus smooth).
Add water and oil (1/2 cup of water=1/2 cup of oil). Do not use olive oil.
Add lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
Blend.

A lot of work, but worth it. Enjoy.

[Pansypuss]

Why not olive oil? What sort of oil do you use? I've always used oo and it works well.