MIKEY BELL

I originally called this Classic Hummus and it stayed that way for a while as I wrote, because I was confident that my hummus played by the rules.

But then I remembered my peanut butter addition and thought that’s an absolute liberty right there, isn’t it? Because what nerve do I have to call this recipe, or any recipe, really, a classic? Who said what I have written below as my go-to hummus recipe is a classic? Not Levantine culture, that’s for sure.

I mean, it’s classic in my home, but I don’t think that warrants it wearing that title in a head note. So it’s my house hummus, how about that?

And hopefully it’ll be yours too, when I get to the recipe, but I do have some opinions and thoughts and observations I must make first.

Depsite my rant about the classic-ness of this recipe or not, I have glued close to tradition where possible here. It will unmistakenly be hummus, let’s get that straight.

There’s, of course, chickpeas and and garlic and lemon and olive oil but, and I’ll get to that peanut butter in a moment, this recipe mostly reflects how I cook, which is that I have to shape a recipe to suit the tastes and opinions of my home and those I love that come through it. It’s the only way a recipe will be made again and again and again… and therefore become classic in my home.

So, as always, I have thoughts.

Chickpeas – off the bat, let me say, I used canned. Absolutely nothing wrong with canned chickpeas and in fact, have probably only made my house hummus with jarred chickpeas a small handful of times. A note on canned chickpeas, particularly if they’re a little on the cheap side like I buy, can admittedly be quite dry and rubbly, so they need some extra help. The recipe below caters exactly to those kinds of chickpeas. If you’re using chickpeas from a jar, fabulous, you may not need as much textural support from aquafaba and yogurt to cream them up, but I wouldn’t omit them completely? If you’ve soaked your own chickpeas from dry for a hummus, I’m going to assume you’re already a much better cook than I am and don’t need advice from me. 

Texture, volume 1 – very important to me. Upmost, if I’m honest. Like I said, if you’re using a cheaper chickpea from a can (like me) we’re going to need some help. So I always add a little aquafaba (the chickpea juice from the can) into the hummus itself, along with a spoonful or two of yogurt which I add gradually depending on how creamy I want it, noting how the flavours will be impacted. It’s all about balance.

Texture, volume 2 – I use a hand-blender not a food processor. I find it gives me the kind of uniform blend of creaminess I want from a dip, whereas a food processor always leaves me with a slightly thicker, lumpier texture. I want to lift the bowl or jug and have the hummus move of it’s own accord, which is something I personally don’t feel a processor gives me.

Texture, volume 3 – having said that, while I do want my hummus creamily gorgeous, I also need it to have a little bit of texture so that it’s not just gritty flabbiness on a spoon. I don’t want to chew my hummus, but I do want to feel its presence. For that reason, I hold back a few nubbly chickpeas from the can to add on top for serving.

Olive oil – I use my best for this. Rare for me to tell you to use your best olive oil just willy nilly, but this is a raw dip, so will appreciate the flavour notes. Something fruity, peppery and strong is perfect here, nothing with a funny flavour in it. If your olive oil on the blander side and often just used for cooking, add it gradually and taste as you go, just in case.

Garlic – go easy, because it’s raw, and you don’t want it to dominate what is actually a fairly delicately balanced dip. I specify one small clove in my recipe, which is restrained for a proper garlic head, but if you only have big, fat ones, use half.

Lemon – love it. Lots of it. Add what you’re happy with, though.

Yogurt – a little bit will be fabulous and go quite a long way, but you will need a tiny bit more if you’re battling with dry chickpeas from a can.

Tahini… but not really, because peanut butter – okay, controversially, when I don’t have tahini in the house (which I often don’t, I won’t lie) then I add smooth peanut butter. Actually, let me be honest. I make it with peanut butter more than I make it with tahini, by choice. That’s my preference! I rarely buy tahini, and I don’t intend on keeping it in the house just for this, so there we go. I’ll say it again with my chest, I don’t buy tahini paste. Sorry Ottelenghi.

Tahini, volume 2 – however, I will have consciously add tahini when I’m making this for my friend who has a nut allergy, because I nearly accidentally killed the poor sod once when I forgot I added peanut butter on autopilot. Sorry Claire.

Spices – cumin and paprika on top only, not in the hummus itself. No chilli, I don’t need any heat here.

Serving suggestions – I like hummus with nothing more than some warm flatbreads, but it’s also fabulous with any lightly salted crisp. I also like it spooned on the side of a roast chicken with some soft vegetables. Broccoli, in particular, I enjoy with hummus. Also love it just spread on toast or better still, on a bagel, with some thinly sliced red onion, cucumber, and everything seasoning on top. Throw it on the side of tomato-heavy salad too. Or spread into a sandwich of tuna and cucumber. I could keep going.

Okay then, there we go.

I hope I’ve clarified now that this is not a classic hummus but my hummus and I hope it gives you a solid base to establish when you want your hummus to be.

Serves 6 as a dip

1 x 400g can chickpeas 

2 tbs smooth peanut butter (or tahini… see intro before you judge, please)

1 small clove garlic

Juice of ½ – 1 lemon (to taste)

3 – 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to finish

1 – 2 tbs Greek yogurt

Paprika (to serve)

Cumin (to serve)

1. Drain the chickpeas, reserve the liquid from the can, and set aside a small handful of whole chickpeas for later.
2. Add the remaining chickpeas to a jug with the peanut butter, garlic, lemon, and olive oil, with a generous pinch of salt. Blitz with a hand blender until thick and creamy.
3. Now add 1 – 2 tablespoons of the reserved chickpea liquid and 1 tablespoon of the yogurt, blending again so that the hummus is smooth, light and creamy. Scrape down the sides, stir, and taste. If you want more salt for depth of flavour or more lemon for brightness or more olive oil for glossy richness, just add as you need. Also check for creaminess – if you want it creamier, add a little more aquafaba and yogurt, blending again until you reach your desired creaminess.
4. Spoon the hummus into a bowl and drop the reserved, whole chickpeas on top. Swirl over a little more olive oil, and then dust with a little smoked paprika and cumin.