Are you slightly disappointed by your homemade hummus? Wondering how to make hummus creamy, delicious and super smooth? Here I reveal four tried and tested methods for the ultimate homemade hummus.
So, how do you avoid grainy and lumpy hummus? Below are four methods which all produce a delicious creamy, smooth hummus.
Which method you pick depends on how much time you have, your budget and personal preference.
You can use any of the methods below to make my delicious Sweet Potato Hummus recipe.
Method 1: Peel your chickpeas
This method involves removing the thin but fibrous outer layer of canned chickpeas before blending them.
Step 1: Drain a can of chickpeas and place in a saucepan. Cover with water and boil the chickpeas for 5 minutes then rinse in cold water and drain. This softens the skins and makes them easier to remove.
Step 2: Place the chickpeas on a clean tea towel. Fold the towel over the chickpeas and gently rub for a few seconds. This will release some of the skins. Pick out and discard the skins.
Step 3: Pop any remaining chickpeas out of their skins by gently squeezing them individually.
Step 4: Place the skinned chickpeas and all other hummus ingredients into your blender or food processor and blitz until smooth.
Note: Removing the skins from a whole can of chickpeas takes me about 10 minutes (plus the 5 minutes boiling).
Method 2: Boil Canned Chickpeas
One of the simplest ways to achieve the ultra creamy hummus texture is to overcook your canned chickpeas until they are very soft.
Canned chickpeas are already cooked, but boiling them for an extra 20 minutes before blending softens the skins and results in a very smooth hummus.
Step 1: Drain your can of chickpeas and place them in a saucepan. Cover with water and place on a high heat to bring them to a boil.
Step 2: Reduce the heat and simmer them for 20 minutes.
Step 3: Drain and rinse a few times in cold water to cool the chickpeas before adding them to the blender with the other hummus ingredients.
Try my Ultra Creamy Hummus recipe using the boiling method.
Method 3: Use Chana Dal (spit chickpeas)
The third method replaces the canned chickpeas with chana dal, also known as split chickpeas. These are dried chickpeas that have already had their skins removed.
Step 1: Place the chana dal in a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Put them in a bowl and cover with cold water.
Step 2: Leave to soak overnight or for 8 to 12 hours.
Step 3: Drain the chana dal and rinse again in cold water.
Step 4: Place the chana dal in a saucepan and cover with a few inches of water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for around 40 to 50 minutes or until they are very soft and tender.
Step 5: Drain and leave to cool. Once cool, you can then add them to the blender with the other hummus ingredients.
Try my Chana Dal Hummus recipe using this method.
Method 3: Use A LOT of tahini – the expensive method!
Most hummus recipes advise to use around 2 to 3 tablespoons of tahini (sesame seed paste) to one tin of chickpeas.
This is often not enough to achieve a super smooth texture and is the reason that a lot of supermarket hummus has a more grainy texture – they skimp on the tahini as it is the most expensive ingredient of hummus.
Buy the best tahini you can afford. The good stuff is runny, not stiff. By adding in extra tahini (8 tablespoons) you’ll make a delicious smooth hummus like the kind you find in an upmarket deli.
No need to peel the chickpeas. Just throw all the ingredients in a food processor and blend together for 2 to 3 minutes.
So there you go….4 methods describing how to make hummus creamy. Give them a go and let me know which you preferred.
My personal favourite is the peeling method as it gives great results and is not too time consuming or expensive as the other methods.
Love this woe! Thank you