The Best Hummus

This is a classic tahini-forward, bright and lemony hummus, and is similar to what you would find in Israel.

We tried this recipe with from-scratch dried chickpeas as well as with canned, and the flavor and texture were only marginally better with the freshly cooked. And we saved 24 hours of prep time! So for a creamy, satisfying 15-minute hummus, we’re going with the can.

Ingredients

One 15.5-ounce can chickpeas

2/3 cup tahini

1 clove garlic, finely grated

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more if desired

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more if desired

Kosher salt

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Hot smoked paprika, for sprinkling

Toasted pita bread, pita chips or cut raw vegetables, for serving

Directions

Drain the chickpeas in a medium mesh sieve, reserving the liquid. Reserve about 7 chickpeas for garnish.

Process the tahini, garlic and cumin in a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 2/3 cup of the reserved chickpea liquid (if you don’t have exactly 2/3 cup, add water until the total amount is 2/3 cup) and process until light and very creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. The mixture will appear broken at first but will come together after all the liquid is added and has been processed for a minute or two.

Add the chickpeas, the lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the tahini mixture. Process until the mixture is extremely smooth, scraping down the sides occasionally, about 4 minutes. Thin with more water if you prefer a looser consistency. Taste and season with more salt, lemon juice or cumin as desired.

Spoon the hummus into a shallow bowl, making a well in the center, and drizzle liberally with oil. Top with the reserved chickpeas and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with pita bread, pita chips or cut raw vegetables.