Smooth lemon hummus
Silky, bright Mediterranean hummus — made with tahini, lemon and a whisper of smoked paprika. Ready in 10 minutes, chills 30 minutes.
This is the sort of hummus you’ll want to make again and again — silky, lemony and utterly moreish. It’s a proper Mediterranean staple: brilliant as a dip, spread or quick lunch. The little tricks here — creaming the tahini, resting crushed garlic and adding cold liquid slowly — are what turn ordinary hummus into velvet. It takes ten minutes to blitz and 30 minutes to chill, but it’s worth the wait.
Ingredients
- 400 g tinned chickpeas — drained weight; reserve 60–80 ml of the tin liquid (aquafaba) if you prefer instead of water
- 60 g tahini
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil — keep 10–15 ml aside for drizzling
- 45 ml lemon juice — about 1 large lemon
- 1 garlic — peeled and crushed
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml fine sea salt
- 30 ml ice-cold water — or use reserved chickpea liquid from the tinned chickpeas note
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 g fresh parsley — finely chopped, for garnish
Equipment
- food processor
- spatula
Instructions
Open the tin and pour the chickpeas into a sieve. Reserve 60–80 ml of the tin liquid in a small bowl, then drain the chickpeas well.
Crush the garlic clove with the side of a knife, sprinkle with a pinch of the fine sea salt and leave to rest for 10 minutes to mellow the sharpness.
Put the tahini and lemon juice into a food processor and blitz for about 30 seconds until the mixture lightens and becomes a bit airy — this prevents the tahini from seizing.
Add the drained chickpeas, the rested crushed garlic, ground cumin, 35 ml of the extra virgin olive oil and the remaining fine sea salt. Pulse to combine, scraping the bowl down, then run the motor and gradually stream in the ice-cold water (or some reserved chickpea liquid) until the hummus is very smooth—about 60–90 seconds of processing.
Taste and adjust: add more fine sea salt, a splash more lemon juice or a little more reserved chickpea liquid/ice-cold water if you want a thinner, glossier finish.
Spoon the hummus into a shallow bowl, smooth the surface with the back of a spoon to create a shallow well. Drizzle the remaining extra virgin olive oil over the top and sprinkle with smoked paprika and chopped fresh parsley.
Chill the hummus in the fridge for 30 minutes to let the flavours marry, then serve at room temperature.
Tips
- Cream the tahini with lemon first — it loosens the paste and avoids a grainy, oily result.
- Reserve some tin liquid (aquafaba) as a vegan, flavourful alternative to water for a silkier texture.
- If your food processor overheats, stop and let it rest; overheating can make hummus gluey.
- Make-ahead: it keeps 3–4 days in the fridge in an airtight container; refresh with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon before serving.
- For ultra-smooth hummus, peel the chickpeas before processing (time-consuming but yields restaurant-smooth texture).
Substitutions
tinned chickpeas → 400 g cooked dried chickpeas (weighed cooked)
Stays closeice-cold water → reserved chickpea liquid (aquafaba), same amount
Stays closetahini → natural sunflower-seed butter, same weight
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 240
- Calories
- 8 g
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 420 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Why do you cream tahini with lemon first?
Creaming aerates the tahini and prevents it from seizing into a stiff paste when the chickpeas are added, giving a lighter, smoother hummus.
Can I use a blender instead of a food processor?
Yes, a high-speed blender works but you may need more liquid and should stop to scrape frequently to avoid overheating the motor.
How can I make hummus extra smooth?
Peel the chickpeas or use reserved aquafaba; process longer in bursts and add liquid slowly. Short, high-power pulses with scraping help.
How long will homemade hummus keep?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge it will keep well for 3–4 days; top with oil before serving to keep the surface glossy.
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