Levantine Hummus Plate (Printable)

Creamy chickpeas and tahini blended with lemon and olive oil for a smooth Middle Eastern spread.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chickpeas

01 - 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)

→ Tahini Mixture

02 - ⅓ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
03 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
04 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
05 - 3 tablespoons cold water

→ Seasonings

06 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
07 - ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (or to taste)

→ Garnish

08 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
09 - ½ teaspoon sweet paprika or sumac
10 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

# Steps:

01 - Place chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, cold water, cumin, and salt into a food processor.
02 - Process until the mixture is ultra-smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add more cold water, one tablespoon at a time, to achieve desired consistency if too thick.
03 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or lemon juice as preferred.
04 - Transfer the hummus to a shallow serving dish and create a swirl or well in the center with the back of a spoon.
05 - Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with paprika or sumac, and garnish with chopped parsley.
06 - Serve immediately with pita bread, fresh vegetables, or as part of a mezze platter.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes 15 minutes and tastes like you spent hours in a Beirut kitchen.
  • One batch becomes hummus for snacks, mezze plates, and the moment someone asks what you're serving.
  • Chickpeas cost almost nothing, but the finished dish feels generous and impressive.
02 -
  • If you've ever made gluey, grainy hummus, the culprit was usually water in the chickpeas or under-blending; spend the time smoothing it out and you'll never go back.
  • Cold water blends in more smoothly than room temperature water and keeps the hummus from warming up and breaking.
  • Peeling each chickpea is tedious, but for a restaurant-quality finish, it removes the fine skin that can catch light and make hummus look speckled instead of pure.
03 -
  • Keep a squeeze bottle of good olive oil nearby; the final drizzle is where quality tastes like a luxury.
  • If hummus sits in the fridge and becomes too firm, let it come to room temperature for 20 minutes or add a touch more water and re-blend gently.
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