Hummus

Instructions

• 1
  Soak the chickpeas for 12 hours in enough cold water (at least 5 cm above the chickpeas) with a pinch of baking soda.
• 2
  The next day, drain the chickpeas, replace the water with fresh water, bring to a boil, skim off the initial foam, and then simmer covered for at least 2 hours, but preferably 8 hours, until tender.
• 3
  Remove from heat, salt the cooking water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, stir, and let the chickpeas cool in it until the next day.
• 4
  Drain the cooled cooked chickpeas through a colander, reserving the liquid in a bowl for now.
• 5
  Transfer the drained chickpeas to a food processor or blender, add tahini, crushed or pressed garlic, freshly ground cumin, and blend coarsely.
• 6
  While the food processor is running slowly, gradually pour in 200 ml of the reserved cooking liquid in a thin stream and let the machine continue to run until a light, smooth, almost fluffy hummus is formed, which is about 2 more minutes.
• 7
  Taste, lightly acidify with lemon juice, and season with more salt if needed.
• 8
  Transfer the blended hummus to a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
• 9
  Leave the knife in the cutlery drawer and use tortilla chips, torn pieces of pita bread, or fresh vegetable sticks to scoop hummus from the communal bowl. It pairs wonderfully with sparkling wine.