The Secret to *Really* Smooth Hummus
Hummus is one of those things that I can’t bring myself to buy at the grocery store, mostly because of the cost. It’s $4 for a tub of something that can be made at home by blending up canned chickpeas with lemon, garlic, and seasoning.
The trouble is this: storebought hummus is much smoother than homemade hummus.
…that is, unless you peel the chickpea skins!
These right here are the troublemakers:
Every chickpea is coated in a skin that simply doesn’t blend very well, and makes the hummus chunky.
Deb from Smitten Kitchen says she peels her chickpeas individually, but I have discovered that I don’t have the patience for such a task. I timed it, and going as fast as I possibly could, it took me 15 minutes to peel one 15.5oz can of chickpeas. ONE can!!
So I sat down and tried to think of ways to make it faster, since peeling the skins really does make the hummus much creamier, and this is the best method I have come up with.
Place the drained and rinsed chickpeas in the strainer of a salad spinner, and rub the chickpeas in between your hands. You will find that this rubs the skins off pretty well without crushing the chickpeas (though if you do crush the chickpeas, it’s not a big deal, since you’re pureeing them anyway):
Now place the strainer inside the salad bowl and fill it up with water. You will find that the chickpeas sink to the bottom, while the skins float slightly above. If you tilt the bowl and let the water spill out the side, the chickpea skins will collect and want to spill over the top, since they are lighter. That’s when you scoop them out and discard them, or swish them over the side of the bowl.
Then you can proceed with your hummus making as usual. Puree the peeled chickpeas in a food processor or blender, with olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, roasted garlic, cumin, whatever you’d like!
Sometimes I add sriracha, because I’m obsessed.
What do you like to add to your hummus?
Here’s a video showing the process of removing the skins:
60 Comments on “The Secret to *Really* Smooth Hummus”
Any flavor suggestions for someone who doesn’t really like hummus but really wants too?
Pesto, sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic, or roasted bell peppers are my favorite kinds. It depends on what you like!
You could also try a sweet hummus – peanut/almond butter, honey, and cocoa or pumpkin, ginger/cinamon. Eat with apple slices or graham crackers.
Cindy, I LOVE this idea. I have never heard of it before and can’t wait to try. Thanks!
Such a creative way to get the skins off! I’m super impressed! :] I’ve recently been trying to duplicate Trader Joe’s eggplant hummus because it’s my favorite .. the ‘secret’ ingredient is pomegranate juice!
The scrubbing method is the most expedient way to get the skins off of beans,period. Nigerians have been doing it for centuries whenever they want to make bean fritters (commonly known as akara, a cousin of falafel) out of black eyed peas. The skins if left on give an unattractive grey hue to the beans when ground.
Hi Joanne,
I made Hummus for the first time in my life and it tastes delicious………..I am feeling so proud of myself. A BIG thank you to you for sharing the tip and helping in making home made hummus taste wonderful smooth and creamy. I added sun dried tomatoes instead of smoked peppers and am simply loving it with my home baked pita chips 🙂
YAY! That’s so wonderful you made hummus, and the sun dried tomatoes sound lovely!!!
Such a great tip! I’ll definitely have to try this 🙂
I’m obsessed with hummus! I individually remove the skins too, I will have to try this trick of yours!
You know you have figured out a professional technique (secret?) I saw the rubbing of chickpeas on Iron Chef years ago. He did it in a tub/large bowl in sink with the faucet running water in it, thus letting the lighter parts float out over the sides. That would work with a salad spinner too then you could drain easily and spin the chickpeas drier for your hummus.
Very cool Peggy! I had no idea. If they’re doing this on Iron Chef then it must be the most efficient way to deal with it. Thanks for sharing.
This is a wonderful tip! I almost never buy store bought because I know that when I make it at home it’s always better, even if the texture isn’t 100% silky smooth. Almost always, I use a clove of garlic and some cumin as my base seasoning and go from there. My more favorite additions recently have been roasted Poblano peppers or green olives. Yum!
Just the other week I had shop bought hummus and was wondering what their secret was as mine never turned out that smooth. I didn’t even think about the skins – great tip, I’ll definitely use your method next time!
I like mixing mashed avocado with my hummus…I live close to a very heavy Greek district, so I get fresh made for pretty cheap.
I need a recipe for the spicy roasted red pepper puree that is on top of Sabra Extra Spicy Hummus. Could you fugure it out? That would make my day!
I’m totally using this tip next time I make hummus. I usually just dump the can in my food pro and go!
Um, this is life saving for a food blogger!!! You are brilliant!
What a great way to peel chickpeas! I’m totally going to try this next time.
I’ve never made hummus, but now I’m so tempted to try! I’m bookmarking your Roasted Garlic Hummus recipe now. 🙂
Garlic hummus and Spinach and Artichoke hummus are my two favorites.
Thanks for the great tips!
I make my hummus in my Thermomix but even then it’s not as smooth as I want. I’ll give this a try.
You have no idea how happy this makes me!! I made hummus last week and was so disappointed that no how matter how much liquid I added, it wasn’t as smooth and creamy as my favorite store bought! Thank you!
Brilliant!