Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas – sorted and rinsed
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 16 cups water
• 0.33 cup lemon juice – freshly squeezed
• 2 cloves garlic – finely grated
• 1.25 tsp kosher salt
• 0.75 cup tahini – well-stirred
• 0.75 cup ice water – very cold
• extra-virgin olive oil – for drizzling (for garnish)
• ground sumac – for garnish
• fresh parsley leaves – chopped (for garnish)
• pita bread – for serving

Instructions

1. Soak the chickpeas: Place the rinsed chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with 8 cups of the water by at least 2 inches. Soak at room temperature 12–16 hours.
2. Cook the chickpeas: Drain the soaked chickpeas. Add them to a large pot with the remaining 8 cups water and the baking soda. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, skimming foam. Reduce to a lively simmer and cook 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender; a chickpea should mash to a smooth paste between your fingers and many skins will float.
3. Drain well, reserving a handful of the softest chickpeas for garnish if you like. Let the rest steam-dry in the colander for 5 minutes.
4. Make the lemon–garlic base: In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, garlic, and kosher salt. Let stand 10 minutes to mellow. For a milder bite, strain and discard the garlic solids, pressing to extract flavored juice.
5. Make tahini sauce: Whisk the tahini into the lemon mixture until it seizes and becomes very thick. Whisk in the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce turns pale, smooth, and luxuriously creamy.
6. Puree: In a food processor, process the warm drained chickpeas until finely ground, 60–90 seconds, scraping the bowl. Add the tahini sauce and process until ultra-smooth and light, 1–2 minutes, drizzling in a little more ice water if needed for a fluffy, spoonable consistency. Taste and adjust salt or lemon.
7. Serve: Spread the hummus in a shallow bowl and make wide swirls with the back of a spoon. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with ground sumac; add the reserved chickpeas and fresh parsley leaves.
8. Enjoy warm or at cool room temperature. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days; bring toward room temperature before serving with pita bread.