Ina Garten hummus from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook blends canned chickpeas with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and hot sauce into a coarse purée. And the recipe makes about 2 3/4 cups at approximately 70 calories per 1/4-cup serving in just 10 minutes, since it all happens in the food processor.

Most hummus recipes blend everything together at once, but Ina drops the garlic into the running processor first so it minces before the chickpeas go in. So the garlic distributes evenly throughout instead of leaving raw chunks that hit you with a sharp bite in one spoonful and nothing in the next.

Processing until coarsely puréed and not completely smooth is the texture Ina aims for, because a slightly grainy hummus has more character than a slick paste. And if you blend too long chasing a perfectly smooth finish, the chickpeas heat up from the friction and the hummus turns gummy instead of light.

Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ina Garten Hummus

Recipe by medshi8Course: SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Garlic minces in a running food processor before chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, reserved chickpea liquid, salt, and hot sauce pulse into a coarse purée. Then a taste for seasoning and the hummus serves chilled or at room temperature.

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons water or reserved chickpea liquid
8 dashes hot sauce

Directions

Mince the garlic: Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic cloves down the feed tube while running.
Add the remaining ingredients: Once the garlic is minced, add the chickpeas, salt, tahini, lemon juice, water or chickpea liquid, and hot sauce.
Process to a coarse purée: Then blend until the hummus reaches a coarsely puréed texture.
Taste and adjust: Once blended, check the seasoning and add more salt or lemon if needed.
Serve: Then serve chilled or at room temperature.

FAQs

Should I use the chickpea liquid or water?

The reserved chickpea liquid, sometimes called aquafaba, contains starch from the beans that helps emulsify the tahini into the purée. And water works too, but the hummus may feel slightly thinner since plain water lacks that binding quality.

So start with 2 tablespoons of the chickpea liquid and add more if the processor struggles to blend. Since canned chickpeas vary in moisture, the right amount depends on how thick you want the finished dip.

Can I use dried chickpeas instead of canned?

Dried chickpeas cooked from scratch taste cleaner and blend smoother than canned, though they add hours of soaking and simmering to a 10-minute recipe. And if you cook your own, save the cooking liquid since it works the same way as the canned version’s aquafaba.

But canned chickpeas are the whole point of this recipe’s speed, because Ina designed it to go from can to bowl in 10 minutes. Since the tahini, lemon, and garlic carry most of the flavor, the difference between canned and dried is subtle in the finished dip.

What does the hot sauce add?

Eight dashes of hot sauce contribute a background warmth that lifts the tahini and lemon without making the hummus taste spicy. And the vinegar in most hot sauces adds a second layer of acidity alongside the lemon juice.

But if you prefer no heat at all, skip it and the hummus still tastes complete. And for more kick, add a pinch of cayenne or a teaspoon of harissa paste, since both blend invisibly into the purée and add depth. The same light touch with heat applies to the ina garten chicken chili, where cayenne and red pepper flakes adjust to taste without overwhelming the base.

How should I store hummus and how long does it last?

Transfer the hummus to an airtight container, press plastic wrap directly against the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for up to 5 days. And the flavor actually improves after a few hours in the fridge as the garlic and lemon meld into the tahini.

But the texture thickens as it chills, so stir in a tablespoon of water or chickpea liquid before serving if it feels too stiff. And do not freeze hummus, because the thawed texture turns grainy and the tahini separates.

What should I serve with this hummus?

Warm pita triangles, sliced vegetables, and crackers are the classic dippers, and a drizzle of olive oil with a sprinkle of paprika on top adds color to the bowl. And the ina garten roasted butternut squash cubes served alongside on a mezze platter give the spread a warm, caramelized element that contrasts the cool dip.

But avoid overly flavored chips or crackers, because they compete with the garlic and lemon in the hummus. And keep the dippers simple, since Ina’s recipe lets the tahini and chickpeas speak for themselves without needing a strong vehicle to carry them.