Ultra Smooth and Creamy Whipped Hummus

Some foods have major sex appeal. Hummus is not one of those foods. Until now....

Yes, I’m calling this hummus sexy. And once you lift the lid on your blender (yes, blender—more on that later), you’ll see why. This recipe delivers hummus so smooth, so creamy, you won’t believe it—until you taste it.

There are countless hummus recipes, each claiming to be the smoothest and creamiest. Some use fresh chickpeas, others canned. Some insist on peeling each garbanzo bean (which I neither have time for nor want time for), while others add baking soda to speed up softening.

I pick and choose my methods—some are worth it, some aren’t, as Nick says, sometimes "the juice isn’t worth the squeeze."

After endless testing, I’ve narrowed down when the extra effort is worth it, and when it’s not.

Don’t bother getting every skin off the chickpeas - the time and effort expended don’t yield results good enough to legitimize the drudgery.

Soaking dried chickpeas overnight in water with a little baking soda added will begin to breakdown the chickpeas for quicker cooking and an ultra smooth hummus

Now, the biggest question of them all - fresh vs. canned. There's no denying that hummus made from fresh chickpeas is far more flavorful—much to the dismay of my inner lazy planner. But the extra effort is minimal. Just soak the chickpeas overnight in water, salt and baking soda. The water softens them, the salt seasons them, all while the baking soda raises the pH, helping them break down for a silkier texture.

That said, canned chickpeas can still make fantastic hummus with the right technique. For those tips, see Some Notes on the Recipe.

Hummus made with dried chickpeas will always be more flavorful, but you can make a stellar hummus with canned chickpeas

Speaking of texture, let’s talk blending. While a food processor will get the job done, a high-powered blender takes hummus to another level. Its tall, narrow design creates a vortex that pulls everything into the blades for a smoother, more even puree. It’s the same reason you wouldn’t make a smoothie in a food processor—the blender just does it better. Plus, the addition of ice cubes aerates the mixture, giving the hummus an almost whipped, cloud-like consistency.

Some cubes of ice added to the blender help aerate the hummus which makes it extra smooth.

So when you finally lift the lid and see the silky, pale golden hummus waiting inside, you’ll get it. You’ll know why I call this hummus sexy. Because when something so simple can be this luxurious, this effortlessly smooth, it deserves a little fanfare.

Spoon it into a shallow bowl, swirl it gently, and give it a generous glug of olive oil. Maybe sprinkle on some toasted nuts, fresh herbs, or a dollop of rose harissa if you’re feeling fancy. But honestly? This hummus doesn’t need much. Once you’ve nailed the base, the possibilities are endless.

It’s smooth, it’s luscious, it’s got it going on. And once you taste it, you’ll never settle for anything less than full-blown hummus seduction again.