A little baking soda softens the chickpeas for an ethereally smooth texture. Israelis like a strong tahini presence in their hummus, but you can use less if you like. The tahini will seize up when added to the lemon juice mixture--this is perfectly normal. Thin out with ice-cold water, stirring well with a whisk. The hummus will have the best flavor and will thicken considerably once cooled.
I have made this four times now in a matter of two weeks. I love the more pronounced tahini taste and I'm so glad to say that this is the best hummus I've ever eaten anywhere! I made the tahini in the food processor (so easy btw...just toast 1 cup + 6 TBs sesame seeds on the stovetop then process with about 6 TBs of olive oil) so then just added the remaining ingredients and blended it all. I think the key is that the baking soda really softens up those chickpeas, contributing to that perfect creamy texture. I wonder if soaking canned beans in water with baking soda would have the same effect when short on time. I'll have to give that a try sometime.
This is the best recipe I've found. We make it often.
We buy a lot of hummus. It's something I really love, but haven't had a ton of success making. The texture has always been the issue. I've now made this twice and think it's a solid recipe. I was very skeptical because it has zero (yes, you read that right) olive oil, and it seemed to me the mouth feel would suffer as a result. I suspect the quantity of tahini is what solves that problem. I love tahini, though, and I also love the more israeli-style hummus' because of that. I think if you prefer something with less pronounced tahini, and you elect to cut it back, you might want to add some olive oil for creaminess. I added about a teaspoon of lemon zest and used toasted, ground cumin. The first time I overdid the ice water, but my spouse still thought it was the best hummus he's ever had. Not bad for a shiksa from Northern California. This time, the texture is amazing, and it's gorgeous. I serve it sprinkled with za'atar and sumac, and do, indeed, drizzle olive oil over the top. With roasted veggies it's a delicious appetizer worthy of company.
It is a little heavy on the tahini for my taste. And I added about 1/2 teaspoon additional salt. It makes a ton! Not sure it is worth the time and effort but I'm glad I tried it. I might stir in a little homemade pesto and see if I like that better.
