The Best Ever Hummus Recipe

For the hummus:

• 2 & 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (reserve 1/4 cup for the topping)
• 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1/4-1/2 cup ice water (as needed)
  
  

For the tahini sauce and other toppings:

• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1/2 a lemon, juiced
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 2-3 tablespoons water
• A drizzle of olive oil
• The reserved chickpeas
• Chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Using a mortar and pestle if you have one, mash the garlic cloves for the hummus with the 2 teaspoons of salt, and add the juice of 1 lemon and stir and mash everything until combined, set aside. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can simply add all the ingredients to the food processor as follows.

2. Add the cooked chickpeas to a food processor (removng any loose skins if you see them), along with the tahini paste, the mixture from your mortar and pestle and process until the chickpeas are mashed.

3. With the machine running, start adding the ice water slowly and only add until your favorite consistency is achieved. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Set aside while you make the tahini sauce.

4. To make the tahini sauce, add the clove of garlic and the 2 pinches of salt and mash in the mortar and pestle just as you did for the hummus. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon and stir. If you don't have a mortar and pestle you can pass the garlic through a garlic press and combine with the salt and lemon.

5. Place the 1/3 cup of tahini in a bowl and add the mixture from the mortar and pestle and whisk until combined.

6. Add the 2-3 tablespoons of water until you have the consistency of a creamy sauce.

7. To plate it, spoon the hummus into a deep dish or bowl and make a groove in it with the back of your spoon.

8. Spoon some of the tahini sauce into the groove, drizzle with the olive oil, add the reserved chickpeas to top, along with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and serve! Enjoy with warm pita bread or any bread you like, cut up vegetables, as a topping for veggie bowls or as a spread for sandwiches or wraps.