I decided one day, 7 months or so ago, that I was going to start making hummus instead of buying it. I didn’t say it out loud because I didn’t want to be held accountable to such a huge habit shift. Habit shifts are hard and often unsuccessful. In fact, I only allow myself 1 to 2 a year. It’s about all I can tolerate successfully. But here I am still making hummus, lemon hummus to be exact, and not-so-quietly now that I’ve said it out loud on the internet. This bright and creamy lemon hummus is made from broken rules and canned chickpeas with the skins on plus a secret ingredient. It’s a simple method really. One that has me making a new batch every third or so week.

In order to make successful habit shifts, I have to work through all the hang-ups and the problems. Too many and I’ll never do something again. I think that’s how user experience seems to work. After too many negative things in a row, we slowly stop doing that thing we promised ourselves we’d do, like making homemade hummus. So I found a way to leave the skins on and use canned chickpeas and make it mostly hands-free—all with trusty pantry staples. 

The big hang-up for hummus: the chickpeas. Everyone always says to start with dried chickpeas and simmer for hours until perfect. At some point in life, this will probably be doable, but I haven’t met that point. So for now, we’re using canned chickpeas. They also say you need to rub the skins off the chickpeas for the creamiest hummus. Have you ever counted how many chickpeas are needed to pull off a decent batch of hummus? The skins will stay on from here on out.

How to Make Lemon Hummus

We’ll simmer the canned chickpeas in the same water from the can. Go about your business during this time. They’re ready when the simmer gets loud and clicky, about 15 minutes. This will soften them from the inside out. Add all ingredients to the food processor or high-powered blender. Stick it in the bathroom, close the door (because it’s loud), and let it whirl for about 8 minutes. This is what I like to call hands-free hummus.

And the final hang-up—it had to taste just as good as the Ithaca Lemon Hummus that’s $5 and 10 oz., that’s small enough for Kev to take down in one sitting. I studied their ingredient list and thought for sure it was the cold-pressed lemon juice that gave their hummus that bright, not-too-bitter, lemony flavor. But upon second and third glance, I realized it was the vinegar. It’s the secret ingredient in this recipe too. That and the lemon zest. Vinegar has a way of making things taste brighter, more like themselves. It’s true of this vanilla cake too. 

Go ahead. Give it a try but don’t say it out loud. You might just be making this Lemon Hummus 7 months from now. Happy dipping!

Lemon Hummus

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5 from 3 reviews

• Total Time: 23 minutes

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Description

The method for this simple lemon hummus will have you making it week after week. Dump the whole can of chickpeas into a saucepan, liquid and all, and simmer for a second to soften. Skip removing the skins, because who has time for that? Then blitz and enjoy! Keeps for 3 weeks in the fridge.

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Ingredients

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• 2 (15 oz.) cans of chickpeas, undrained
• zest of one lemon (about 1 tbsp.)
• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 1/4 c. tahini
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. white vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 4–6 tbsp. water, as needed

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Instructions

1. Pour the undrained chickpeas, liquid and all, into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer then cook for about 10-15 minutes to soften and cook off most, but not all, of the water. You’ll know they’re ready when the sound of the simmer gets louder.
2. Meanwhile, add all the remaining ingredients, except for the water, into the food processor or high-powered blender while the chickpeas cook.
3. Add the chickpeas to the food processor. Cover and puree for about 8 minutes, stopping every so often to scrape down the sides of the container. Add water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, to reach the desired consistency.
4. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Notes

The flavor of the lemon hummus will be quite strong while warm in the food processor. After a chill in the fridge, the flavor will mellow to perfection.

• Prep Time: 8 min.
• Cook Time: 15 min.

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