Basic hummus from Jerusalem (page 114) by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • Eat Your Books

    Chickpeas soak overnight.

  • sophia_csi5ki on March 02, 2026

    Tried this instead our regular recipe and it will be our new go to!

  • william_twih48 on March 01, 2026

    Delicious recipe but needed a few tweaks. As others have mentioned, 270g is a LOT of Tahini. I cut it in half and it had more than enough tahini taste. Also, I added an additional teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar. I’ll definitely make this again!

  • celine_yl1s3t on February 03, 2026

    This hummus is so good, but it really comes down to the quality of the tahini I think. ?

  • Katie on February 01, 2026

    It really is the best hummus.

  • lholtzman on October 21, 2025

    I keep coming back to this as my go to hummus recipe. It’s so easy and perfect. People always love it.

  • apw2020 on January 21, 2025

    Great hummus recipe. This is my go-to.

  • treay on November 26, 2024

    Delicious and even more when added some macadamia oil and mustard and cumin dukkah.

  • kkmatti on September 30, 2024

    This hummus was a little thick for my taste - I'll add a little more water to it to thin it down a bit. While I thought this hummus was smooth and tasted good, I prefer the Zahav hummus recipe to this one.

  • DKennedy on April 10, 2024

    I made this as a component of the lamb hummus recipe in this book. I used pre soaked Rancho Gordo chickpeas and used the whole package. This was my first time trying the baking soda tip and it resulted in beans that cooked in 20 minutes and were quite flavorful. Note I also added a carrot, celery stalk, onion, 3 garlic cloves, a bay leaf and thyme to the cooking water. I added 1 1/2 t salt, 7 whole garlic, the juice of one lemon and several spoonfuls of tahini to the food processor and 1/4 c of cooking liquid. Note for next time that I did not follow the measurements set out in the recipe. Wow. Just wow. This hummus is a revelation. I can't wait to try it with the toppings.

  • Shaxon on February 17, 2022

    I prefer hummus made with less tahini. 1 cup of tahini is a lot.

  • dc151 on November 16, 2020

    Best hummus ever. Just eat it with a spoon!

  • Baxter850 on November 02, 2020

    Great. Simple. Delicious. Soaked chickpeas overnight and then cooked in the insta pot without baking soda. Turned out super smooth and flavorful.

  • michalow on September 15, 2020

    Delicious, not surprisingly. I didn't measure anything and I probably used a bit more lemon juice and less tahini than the recipe calls for. I peeled the chickpeas and I think it's worth the effort.

  • anya_sf on June 18, 2020

    I didn't check the chickpeas often enough and ended up cooking them until they were falling apart (35 minutes), but they still were fine for hummus. The hummus turned out super smooth and delicious. I used it for hummus kawarma, but it would be great on its own. My spring garlic wasn't strong, but with more pungent garlic, I'd cut back. All the tahini made this very filling.

  • Barb_N on May 24, 2020

    I made this with boxed chickpeas, to rescue them from the pantry.(#covidcooking) I think the smoothness comes from peeling the chickpeas, not the baking soda when making from dried. As with any recipe, it’s important to adjust the lemon and garlic to your own taste. I use the liquid from preserved lemons, also providing the salt. I agree, only a few minutes in the food processor are needed.

  • SpatulaClark on March 20, 2020

    Smoothest hummus I've made at home. This is thanks to the baking soda, but it alkalised the hummus and left an aftertaste that wasn't cancelled by sweet Meyer lemon juice - solved with a few drops of apple cider vinegar when serving. Made a half batch so I'd have enough (hulled) tahini. As in another note, chickpeas didn't go well in my pressure cooker: 8 min on high was slightly too long, and the soda-softened chickpeas broke up into a bit of a froth (still usable). Only needed 3 min total in a powerful food processor. A good recipe that I'll come back to again, adding more flavour next time.

  • pomona on October 20, 2018

    Replaced lemon juice with preserved lemon.

  • VineTomato on August 03, 2017

    Very silky and smooth - I'm impressed. Only used 60g of tahini as did not have a light version and I was worried it would over power the dish. I added more lemon and used less garlic. Wonderful with some toasted pinenuts and olive oil sprinkled at the end.

  • Rutabaga on May 03, 2017

    Firstly, this hummus was amazingly silky smooth. I didn't have as much tahini on hand as called for in the recipe, so only used about half the amount called for, which was fine, but I think I'd prefer it with more. My big mistake, though, was not adding additional water. Immediately after blending, the mixture seemed loose enough, so I left it as is, albeit with a little extra lemon juice and olive oil stirred in. But after time in the refrigerator, the hummus became very hard and even at room temperature lacked the creamy softness it should have had. This made it far less appealing to my family. I will definitely add additional water next time.

  • CAMcooks on March 05, 2017

    This is my go to hummus recipe. I make my own tahini and never have a problem with it being overwhelming. I do add more garlic and lemon. I also only ever make it in my food processor when it is done it seems a little thin but, when chilled, sets up very nicely. I have had people who don’t like hummus rave about this one.

  • milgwimper on July 27, 2014

    The baking soda made the chickpeas explode in the pressure cooker. It was beautifully smooth and we mixed it in the vitamix. I think I will add cumin, lemon and garlic. We will be making it again. :)

  • TrishaCP on April 19, 2014

    This made for a wonderfully smooth and silky hummus. But the final product was bland and disappointing. This recipe was really lacking acid, even after increasing the lemon juice to 2 lemons worth (and I had juicy lemons). I also reduced the tahini and that didn't help the flavors pop either.

  • Lindsay on March 27, 2014

    Fabulous and pure. Added cumin (1 tablespoon).

  • radishseed on January 13, 2014

    I made several hummus recipes for a taste test, and this came in last place. Too thick, too much tahini. I also think five minutes in the food processor is overkill.

  • twoyolks on January 13, 2014

    The texture on the hummus is perfect. However, the overwhelming flavor was of tahini. Neither the garlic nor the lemon juice was noticeable. I'd definitely consider adding more lemon juice in the future.

  • IvyManning on June 16, 2013

    Good recipe, nice and silky smooth. It set up quite a bit after it was chilled, though, so I needed to add more ice water, lemon, and oil.

  • annapanna on June 16, 2013

    I had never made hummus before and was extremely pleased with the result. I used dried chickpeas as indicated in the recipe, cooked them for around 25 minutes. The skins were floating in the water and I tried to remove them as well as I could. I used 2 cloves of garlic instead of 4, 100g less Tahini than indicated as I was afraid its taste would be too strong. I would advise to start with much less than in the recipe and then adjust the quantity based on personal taste. The mixture was really thick at first so I added a bit more ice water. The hummus turned out super silky and smooth, one of the best ones I have ever had.

  • k.a.g on June 03, 2013

    I have made a lot of hummus before, and this is the best technique I have come across - the result was incredibly smooth and silky. As for quantities, I think for hummus you really have to follow your nose, and make something you'll be happy with (e.g. there's no way I could handle all the garlic and tahini in Ottolenghi's recipe, but by reducing them and increasing the salt and lemon I ended up with something perfect... for me, that is!). So I'll be fiddling with the proportions, but I will absolutely definitely be preparing the hummus Ottolenghi's way from now on.

  • PinchOfSalt on May 11, 2013

    Excellent! Silky and with a wonderful toasty flavor I have not experienced in hummus before. I made this in my Vitamix. Using the amount of water called for in the recipe resulted in an extremely thick paste and a very noisy blender! I backed out about 2/3 of the hummus, added some water, blended a bit, and then re-added the reserved extra thick mixture in two batches. The results were excellent. Next time I do this in my Vitamix I will put in the liquid first.

  • Astrid5555 on March 02, 2013

    Best home-made hummus ever! Very silky and smooth. Added a tsp of ground cumin, since I cannot do without. Great either way!

  • Delys77 on January 23, 2013

    Pg 116 I've made hummus at home before, but only from canned chickpeas, and mostly in the blender. Well this recipe yield a much much better result. The flavour of the dried chickpeas is much better, and the texture that results from the long processing in the food processor, along with the drizzle of cold water makes for a silky smooth product. I much prefer this to any other hummus I have ever made. My only variation was that I cut back the tahini to just over a 1/3 cup. I know this is much less than he suggests but to be honest, while Iike the flavour of tahini, I don't want it to be the primary flavour note. With the amount I used it was perfect for us.

  • mattlebaron on January 12, 2013

    Our kids haven't stopped eating this since we made it. Our oldest has been a big fan of hummus and I wanted to try something other than the supermarket fare. It was very easy to make and, to be frank, I'm not sure that I've ever had real hummus before - non-industrial that is. I found it to certainly taste different, which is understandable considering that there aren't any preservatives, etc, in our version. The other thing I quite liked is that it was very clean on the palate in my opinion. Unlike the lingering aftertaste in commercial versions, we found that it was nice and fresh. We'll mix in some roasted red peppers in the next batch.

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Reviews about this recipe

  • Serious Eats

    One of the most beloved (and contentious) dishes in Jerusalem, hummus is a must-cook recipe from this book. This was hands-down the best hummus I've ever made or eaten.

    Full review
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