No shade, really, against packaged hummus from the supermarket. It’s easy, convenient, and cheap…ish. But I’m here to make the case for something else, something even cheaper, and—get this—even more delicious: homemade hummus.
By no means am I breaking ground here. The chickpea spread has been eaten across the Middle East for centuries, much of it homemade. Though its exact origins are murky, hummus many iterations can be tasted from Egypt to Turkey, and its all very, very good. In recent years, however, the spread has made its way into North American supermarkets in a big way. We watched hummus shift from novelty to norm and now, all of a sudden, people are eating it on everything—in every which way.
Most people I know keep a tub of hummus in their fridge, usually Sabra—and why shouldn’t they? It’s filling in the best way and works on so many levels. But I say it’s time to ditch store-bought and break out the food processor because homemade hummus is the power dip-spread-snack-breakfast-lunch-dinner we all need more of in our lives.Shop the Story
Half of you already make your own hummus, Im sure, and the other half of you might be wondering why you should put in more effort than you have to. You’re right—you are, totally.
Buuut where would I be today without the silky, olive-oily smoothness of a fresh batch of hummus? The answer, ladies and germs, is nowhere.
At its simplest, hummus is but chickpeas, lemon, tahini, salt, garlic, and olive oil blitzed in a food processor. When I’m lazy or in a rush, I’ll serve some amalgamation of these ingredients, varying the proportions to my mood. Ill slather it on vegetables or across bread or serve it in a bowl as an appetizer and guests usually always think I’m awesome for it.
Homemade hummus is cheaper, too. A 10-ounce container of Sabra at Walmart will set you back $2.98. On Amazon, the same tub comes in at $3.29. Although making hummus at home will cost more upfront to buy all the ingredients, the long term yield most definitely pays off.
Let’s do some math. Obviously, prices vary store by store—and depending on what part of the country you live in—so these calculations will in no way be exact. Think of them as very approximate. I used a barebones version of Zahav’s hummus as a template. Let’s see:
$1.29 worth of canned chickpeas $1.25 worth of lemon 12 cents worth of garlic (roughly 4 cloves from a 51-cent head) $2.75 worth of tahini (roughly 2/3 cup from a $8.29 bottle of Roland tahini)
All of this—plus some salt and a glug of olive oil, which I’m assuming most everyone has a bit of somewhere in their kitchens—comes out to $5.41. Yes, that’s more expensive than the store-bought 10-ounce container. BUT the yield is much greater: A can of chickpeas will give you more than 20 ounces of hummus, so no matter how you spin it, you’re saving.
Wallet aside, the taste of homemade hummus is worth the minimal effort. Heck, make it your back-pocket appetizer. You probably have most of the things on hand, anyway, and if you don’t, none of the ingredients should be too hard to find. If you’re looking for some easy recipes to work from, try any (or all!) of these:
Are you a maker of hummus at home? If so tell us why you love it in the comments below.
I loved it. I have to admit it tasted a little bit different to the shop-bought hummus I am used to, but definitely in a good way. I added more than a squeeze of lemon juice and it had a really fresh taste and just tasted light and healthier, yet the texture also felt more substantial than shop-bought.
Are you a maker of hummus at home? If so tell us why you love it in the comments below.
No shade, really, against packaged hummus from the supermarket. It’s easy, convenient, and cheap…ish. But I’m here to make the case for something else, something even cheaper, and—get this—even more delicious: homemade hummus.
Let’s do some math. Obviously, prices vary store by store—and depending on what part of the country you live in—so these calculations will in no way be exact. Think of them as very approximate. I used a barebones version of Zahav’s hummus as a template. Let’s see:
Half of you already make your own hummus, Im sure, and the other half of you might be wondering why you should put in more effort than you have to. You’re right—you are, totally.
By no means am I breaking ground here. The chickpea spread has been eaten across the Middle East for centuries, much of it homemade. Though its exact origins are murky, hummus many iterations can be tasted from Egypt to Turkey, and its all very, very good. In recent years, however, the spread has made its way into North American supermarkets in a big way. We watched hummus shift from novelty to norm and now, all of a sudden, people are eating it on everything—in every which way.
So if you want real-deal hummus, it’s not only worth making your own—it’s actually pretty imperative. Making hummus takes some time and a little planning, but it’s actually quite easy, fun, and affordable, plus healthy and environmentally responsible, and it looks cool on Instagram. There’s really only one catch: Quality tahini can sometimes be tough to find in a local market. Unless you live close to a Middle Eastern supermarket, you’ll probably have to order it online (more on that later). Which leads to the next challenge. Tahini is a perishable ingredient that relies heavily on the quality of its base and only ingredient: sesame seeds. These aren’t commercially grown anywhere in the United States, meaning the tahini you find in your average supermarket is coming from overseas, and the quality and freshness varies greatly from brand to brand. Translation: You’re better off with a container of Sabra than gambling on an unknown source.
The best tahini is made from Ethiopian sesame seeds, and the difference from the stale, dusty, and bitter canned supermarket stuff is astronomical with freshly milled tahini, which offers an intensely savory and subtly sweet flavor and a creamy texture that’s unattainable from any other ingredients. In fact, when you invest in the good stuff, we recommend using it in many dishes: trying it as a condiment for vegetables, in salad dressings, and as a flavor enhancer in sauces. Big Hummus often substitutes oil for tahini, which bumps up the fat content of the finished product. But the end result is suspect.
We all know that the supermarkets, bodegas, CVS cooler cases, and overpriced airport snack bars are flooded with a delicious chickpea spread labeled hummus. It comes conveniently packaged in many flavors and sizes, and it comes at differing price points. Fewer of us know, though, that this stuff you buy in the supermarket barely resembles a traditional plate of hummus you will find throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean—in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, and the West Bank.
“Hummus” simply means chickpea in Arabic, and the mass-market version certainly has that going for it. There are chickpeas in there. Yet the full name of the dish is hummus bi tahina (or chickpea with tahini), so the popular nickname conveniently leaves the second-most important ingredient—tahini—out of the equation. Making hummus with little or no tahini is like making mashed potatoes without butter. You can make it that way, but are you really making mashed potatoes? The big issue is that many Americans think they don’t like tahini. Why? Because up until recently, quality tahini, made with freshly grown sesame seeds that have been hulled, roasted, and ground to a creamy, peanut-butter-like consistency, hasn’t been available in the U.S., and poor-quality tahini is just the worst: always bitter or even rancid.
So do yourself a favor and order a jar of good-quality tahini online. It’s not that expensive, and you will be happy you took that extra step. Philadelphia’s Soom is our personal favorite, with El Karawan, Al Wadi, and Alkanater all tying for a close second. It will last a year or so from the date it’s milled. Once your tahini arrives, the fun begins. All you need to do is soak some chickpeas overnight with a little baking soda (the sodium bicarbonate raises the pH of the cooking liquid, helping break down the proteins, which will give your hummus an extra creamy texture) and get cooking.
HOW TO MAKE HUMMUS | healthy & easy hummus recipe
FAQ
Is it cheaper to make or buy humus?
Is homemade hummus good for?
Why does homemade hummus taste different?
Why does hummus cost so much?
Who makes the best hummus?
Get ready to make the best hummus of your life! The internet at large raves that an Israeli chef named Michael Solomonov makes the very best hummus. It’s so good that Bon Appetit named his hummus their 2015 Dish of the Year. That’s some serious hummus.
Can one eat too much hummus?
While hummus is a healthy and nutritious food, it’s important to remember that it is also high in calories. A 100 gram serving of hummus contains about 166 calories, so it’s important to consume hummus in moderation. Also, over-consumption of hummus can cause flatulence and abdominal discomfort in some people.
Is hummus good for You?
Yes, hummus is good for you. Chickpeas are a powerhouse of nutrients and when combined with some olive oil and tahini for a nutrient-dense snack or meal. According to Health, “One cup of ready-to-eat chickpeas contains 10 grams of protein and about 10 grams of dietary fiber—which is 40% of the daily minimum target.
How to make the creamiest hummus?
You have to remove the skins from the chickpeas. This is the key to making the creamiest hummus. Prep the chickpeas. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Using your hands, pop the skins off of each chickpea and discard the skins. Blend. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and pulse until you have a paste.