Hummus Abu Hassan
This hummus is ultra-smooth, pale, and creamy, with deep nuttiness from tahini and bright acidity from lemon. Warm whole chickpeas, fruity olive oil, and a dusting of paprika turn it into a simple but luxurious bowl best eaten fresh and scooped up with bread.
Ingredients
Hummus base
- 480 gcanned chickpeas, drained
- 120 mlreserved chickpea liquid or water
- 100 gtahini
- 45 mllemon juice
- 1 small clove (3 g)garlic, finely grated
- 3 gground cumin
- 6 gfine salt
- 3 small cubes (about 45 g)ice cubes
Warm chickpea topping
- 120 greserved cooked chickpeas from the drained chickpeas
- 1 gground cumin
- 1 gfine salt
- 60 mlhot water
To finish
- 30 mlextra-virgin olive oil
- 2 gsweet paprika
- 8 gflat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- 1
Drain the chickpeas, reserving some of the liquid. Set aside 120 g whole chickpeas for the topping. For extra-smooth hummus, rub the reserved topping chickpeas lightly between your fingers to loosen some skins, and if you have an extra minute, remove any loose skins from the remaining chickpeas as well.
- 2
Put the tahini and lemon juice in a food processor and blend for 30 to 45 seconds until thickened and noticeably lighter in color. This whips air into the tahini and gives the hummus a fluffier texture.
- 3
Add the remaining chickpeas, garlic, 3 g cumin, 6 g salt, and 60 ml reserved chickpea liquid or water. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down once or twice, until very smooth.
- 4
With the processor running, add the ice cubes one at a time and continue blending for 2 more minutes. Add a little more reserved chickpea liquid if needed until the hummus is silky, thick but spoonable. Taste and adjust salt or lemon if needed.
- 5
Transfer the reserved whole chickpeas to a small saucepan with the hot water, 1 g cumin, and 1 g salt. Warm gently for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through but not reduced dry. The topping should be brothy enough to spoon over the hummus.
- 6
Spoon the hummus onto two shallow plates or one serving dish while still slightly cool from blending. Use the back of a spoon to make a wide well and swirled rim. Spoon the warm chickpeas and a little of their cooking liquid into the center; the contrast of warm topping over whipped hummus is characteristic.
- 7
Finish with the olive oil, paprika, and parsley. Serve immediately with warm pita or crudites if desired.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •Using good-quality tahini with a pourable consistency is essential; stiff or bitter tahini makes dull hummus.
- •Ice cubes help emulsify and lighten the hummus without thinning it too much.
- •If starting from dried chickpeas, the dish is more traditional, but canned chickpeas are the realistic way to stay within 30 minutes.
- •Serve warm or room temperature, never fridge-cold, for the best flavor and texture.
Background
Abu Hassan is the nickname of a legendary hummusiya in Jaffa, famous for serving exceptionally smooth hummus topped simply and generously. This style of warm, freshly made hummus is deeply rooted in the Arab and Israeli food culture of the region, where hummus is often eaten as a main meal rather than just a dip.
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