Have you ever noticed that hummus at restaurants is just on a whole different level? It’s creamy and light and super flavorful, and basically you just never want it to be gone. Well, after some experimenting, I figured out the secret ingredient that means any of us can make Restaurant-Style Hummus at home.
First of all, though, let’s set something straight: This is by no means the definitive or even “correct” way of making hummus. Hummus is incredibly popular in a number of Middle Eastern, North African, and Mediterranean countries, and each one both a) often claims to have invented it (it’s a VERY loaded topic but for what it’s worth, the first known written mention is in a 13th century Egyptian cookbook) and b) has variations (Ice water! Tahini! No tahini!) that makes it unique to the various chefs and culture. While my Restaurant-Style Hummus is delicious, it’s by no means authentic.
The secret ingredient
Creating this recipe happened out of pure curiosity. I knew that aquafaba (the liquid in the chickpea can), when whipped, becomes super light and meringue-like and was curious if you could use that to achieve a light, almost-whipped hummus. Turns out, you very much can!
That’s the secret to making my favorite restaurant-style hummus at home: dump in an entire can of chickpeas, liquid and all. That’s it! The rest of the recipe is really straightforward, but I do have one other tip: Don’t add the olive oil right away. First process the other ingredients together until smooth, then add the olive oil and process again. This way, the olive oil emulsifies for an even creamier texture BUT it doesn’t process for so long that it gets bitter.
Once you’ve got your base, you can make any flavor combo you want. I tried a zhoug one with cardamom, coriander, green chilies and cilantro that I’m dying to recreate!
Watch it being made!
Enjoy, and tag me if you make it on Instagram (@lizmoody)—I can’t wait to see!
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Restaurant-Style Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 13.5 ounce can of chickpeas (do NOT drain!)
- 2 large or 3 small garlic cloves
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup tahini
- Big pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Paprika to taste
- Optional add-ins: 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, a handful of herbs (basil, cilantro, and thyme are all great), 2 roasted red peppers
Instructions
- Add first five ingredients to a food processor (trust me, do not drain the chickpeas—add the liquid and all!). Process for WAY longer than you think—like a full 3 minutes—to get it super creamy.
- Drizzle in the olive oil, add any optional add-ins you’d like, and continue processing until smooth.
- Add more salt to taste and a sprinkle of paprika, and enjoy!
