By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Sources checked 21 October 2026
Good hummus needs five things: chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic and salt. The difference between grainy and silky is not a secret ingredient, it is time in the food processor and a few spoons of ice-cold water. This is the Levantine base, with more tahini than most supermarket tubs and no yogurt, and it is the version I keep in the fridge all week for lunches, wraps and a quick snack with raw vegetables.
Portion: about 85 g each, roughly 1/3 cup · Difficulty: Easy, food processor · Diet: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free
Classic hummus
Ingredients
- 480 g cooked chickpeas drained (two 400 g cans, or about 200 g dried, soaked and cooked)
- 90 g tahini 6 tbsp, stirred well in the jar
- 60 ml lemon juice 4 tbsp, about 1 1/2 lemons
- 1 small clove garlic 3 g
- 3 tbsp ice-cold water 45 ml, plus more if needed
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 15 ml, plus more for serving
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp fine salt 4 g, or to taste
- To serve: sweet paprika or sumac chopped parsley, a drizzle of olive oil
Instructions
- Put the lemon juice, garlic and salt in the food processor and blend for 20 seconds. Leave it for a few minutes: the lemon softens the raw garlic bite.
- Add the tahini and blend for 1 minute, scraping down the sides once. It will look thick and pale.
- With the motor running, add the ice-cold water a spoon at a time until the tahini turns smooth and creamy.
- Add the chickpeas, cumin and olive oil. Blend for 3-4 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl twice. Do not stop early: this is where it goes from grainy to smooth.
- Taste and adjust with salt, lemon or another spoon of cold water. It should be soft enough to swirl with the back of a spoon.
- Spread in a shallow bowl, make a well in the middle, and finish with olive oil, paprika or sumac and parsley.
Nutrition per serving
Per serving, 1/8 of the batch (about 85 g), calculated from USDA FoodData Central for each ingredient.
| Energy | 183 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 7.3 g |
| Fat | 9.3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 19.5 g |
| Fibre | 5.6 g |
| Salt (added) | 0.5 g |
Data: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt (FDC 173757); Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, from roasted and toasted kernels (FDC 170189); Lemon juice, raw (FDC 167747); Garlic, raw (FDC 169230); Oil, olive, salad or cooking (FDC 171413). Chickpeas are calculated on the cooked, drained weight. The salt line counts only the salt you add; canned chickpeas usually contain salt as well, so the real figure is higher with cans. Cumin, the toppings and the serving oil are not included. Carbohydrate is USDA “by difference” and includes fibre.
Swaps and variations
- Smoother still: simmer canned chickpeas for 15 minutes with a pinch of baking soda, rinse, then blend while warm.
- Roasted red pepper: blend in one roasted pepper (about 100 g) and reduce the water.
- Less fat: use 60 g tahini and a little more water; the texture is lighter and less rich.
- No tahini: it is no longer hummus in the strict sense, but 2 tbsp olive oil and extra lemon give a good chickpea spread.
- Topped as a meal: warm chickpeas, a spoon of olive oil and cumin on top, with bread and a tomato salad.
Storage
Keeps 4-5 days in a closed container in the fridge. Press a thin layer of olive oil or cling film onto the surface so it does not dry out. It firms up when cold; stir in a spoon of water before serving. Freezing works for up to 3 months, though the texture is slightly grainier after thawing.
Related
- Recipes: Red lentil soup with lemon · Chickpea and spinach stew · Roasted Mediterranean vegetables
- Encyclopedia: Chickpeas · Tahini · Extra virgin olive oil · Lemons
- Diet: Mediterranean diet · 7-day Mediterranean meal plan
FAQ
Why is my hummus grainy?
Usually it was not blended long enough, or the chickpeas were cold and firm. Blend for the full 3-4 minutes and use warm, soft chickpeas.
Why is my hummus bitter?
Old or poor tahini is the most common reason. Taste the tahini on its own first: it should be nutty, not harsh.
Do I have to peel the chickpeas?
No. Peeling makes it a little smoother, but long blending and the cold water do most of the work.
How much is one serving?
About 85 g, roughly 1/3 cup. With raw vegetables or one pita it is a snack; with bread, salad and an egg or fish it becomes a meal.
This recipe is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice. Nutrition values are estimates calculated from standard databases and will vary with your ingredients.
Terms in this article
Mediterranean DietTomatoesBell peppersGarlicParsleyChickpeasExtra Virgin Olive OilOlivesSesame seedsLemonsEggsBlack pepperCuminClovesTahini
