Levantine Hummus Plate (Printable Page)

Creamy blend of chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and olive oil highlighting Middle Eastern flavors in a smooth spread.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chickpeas

01 - 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)

→ Tahini Mixture

02 - ⅓ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
03 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
04 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
05 - 3 tablespoons cold water

→ Seasonings

06 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
07 - ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

→ Garnish

08 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
09 - ½ teaspoon sweet paprika or sumac
10 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Place chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, cold water, ground cumin, and sea salt into a food processor.
02 - Process until the mixture is ultra-smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. If the texture is too thick, add additional cold water one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
03 - Taste the spread and adjust with more sea salt or lemon juice as preferred.
04 - Spoon the mixture into a shallow serving dish and use the back of a spoon to create a swirl or well in the center.
05 - Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with sweet paprika or sumac, and scatter chopped parsley over the top. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes with ingredients you likely already have, and somehow tastes like you spent hours on it.
  • The silky texture and bright lemon flavor make it impossible not to go back for another spoonful, then another.
  • One batch feeds a crowd or sustains you through the week, and it's naturally vegan and gluten-free without any of the usual sacrifices.
02 -
  • If your hummus tastes bitter, the food processor worked too hard and heated up the tahini; start fresh and blend for shorter bursts next time.
  • Rinsing your canned chickpeas thoroughly makes the difference between grainy and silky, and yes, it really matters even though it sounds like a small detail.
  • Cold water blends smoother than room temperature, and adding it gradually gives you more control than dumping it all in at the beginning.
03 -
  • If your hummus seems broken or too thick after blending, don't panic; whisk in a few drops of ice water and a tiny squeeze of fresh lemon juice by hand and it will often come back together beautifully.
  • Peel your chickpeas before blending if you're feeding someone who loves impossibly smooth textures, or skip this step entirely if you prefer a bit of texture and want to save yourself 20 minutes of tedious work.
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