There is nothing better than homemade hummus. There's absolutely no comparison to the stuff that you get in grocery stores. It's also much easier than it initially seem! As long as you remember to soak the beans overnight and let simmer to cook for an hour or two? Then, the actual hummus making process only takes about 15 minutes. Just don't forget this step! You can make hummus out of a can, but the texture and consistency won't be the same.
Soak chickpeas/garbanzo beans in cold water for at least 12 hours.I like to do this overnight because then you're asleep during the down time. Although you can soak them in the morning and still be able to cook them in the evening.Just don't skip this step! Soaking is important to the hummus-making process. It is also vitally important NOT TO USE CANNED CHICKPEAS. The texture won't be the same. And, since hummus is defined in large part by its texture, no matter how closely you get the flavor to match, the graininess of canned chickpeas is noticeable.
I also tend to use Roasted Garlic to make hummus. This is entirely optional, though. You can easily use half the amount of unroasted garlic.If you do want to roast garlic, though, you'll need a head of garlic (or several if you want extra), a drizzle of olive oil, and a garlic roaster or aluminum foil. It takes 5 minutes of prep time and about an hour to cook. They're easy to toss in the oven while you're simmering the chickpeas.
Cook Chickpeas
Drain the chickpeas. Add to a large pot and cover with a couple inches of water.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
Simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or until tender. You may need to adjust the temperature to keep them from boiling as they cook down.The chickpeas are done when they're soft and begin to shed their skin. This is much like the consistency of a barely boiled potato. They should still keep their shape and not turn to mush, but would theoretically split in half if you pierced them with a fork.If, when you go to remove the skins, you're peeling them off each individual chickpea, they're not cooked enough. If they chickpeas are just crumbling and everything is turning to moosh, they are overcooked! Undercooked chickpeas will likely need to be put back on the stove. Overcooked chickpeas aren't necessarily ideal, but are still usable. Just something to note for next time.
Drain the chickpeas immediately after cooking.
Remove Skins
This is arguably the worst step to making chickpeas! You don't have to remove every single skin, but the more that you do remove, the better the texture of the hummus will be. And we don't want to go through all of the effort to make hummus from scratch and then get lazy about it in the end. The skins are tough and give it a grainy texture. Which is not what you're looking for in something that should be soft and smooth! So, get as many of them off as you can muster.
The simplest way that I've found to remove the skins as quickly and easily as possible is to run them under cold water until cool. Then, place them in a large bowl, fill with enough water so that the chickpeas are covered by at least 1/2 an inch, and rub a handful of chickpeas between your palms at a time. Much like you're doing the "Buuuuuuuuur, I'm cold!" motion. The skins should separate and float.If you've cooked the chickpeas long enough, the skins should easily slide off of the chickpeas. If you've cooked them too much, this will cause the chickpeas to break apart and disintegrate. If you're close to the right cooking time, you should be fine. It can be difficult to remove as many skins as you would have otherwise and you may get some graininess in the end result, but you should still get delicious hummus out of it!
Remove the skins and drain the chickpeas.
Make Hummus
Add chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, olive oil, cumin, and salt to a high powered blender or food processor. Blend until mixture forms a smooth paste and you can no longer see pieces of chickpeas.
Add 1/2 c. crushed ice and blend for 2-4 more minutes. This is entirely optional, but the rapid cooling helps with the texture.If you don't have crushed ice, you can also add ice water or olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time. The exact consistency differs slightly depending on how much the chickpeas have absorbed water during the simmering process. Even if you cook them perfectly, the age of the chickpeas can still be a variable. If they're too thick, just add a little bit more liquid!
Once a smooth, consistent texture has been achieved, remove and chill before serving. I usually chill for about an hour. This is optional as well, but warm chickpeas aren't exactly what we tend to think of when we look to hummus!
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
This is one of those recipes where a high-powered blender or food processor is necessary. I may make cookies by fork and mashed potatoes by masher, but this is not one of those scenarios where doing it by hand will cut it! I prefer to use a Vitamix to puree hummus because it's purpose is to liquify. Although I did used a Cuisinart mixer for years and this is entirely doable as well! It won't get quite the same texture, but it will come close enough.
The chickpeas should take at least an hour and a half to cook. Don't try to cut this down by boiling them. They won't cook evenly. If it takes more than 2 hours to cook, you may need to increase the temperature slightly or you may just have older chickpeas. Beans in general tend to continue to dry out over time, so the older they are, the longer it takes to cook.