Hummus meets Stemmit

How to make beautiful, delicious hummus in the comfort of your own home.
Gone are the days of buying store canned hummus.
Follow these easy steps to the ultimate tasting hummus.

1. USE A MACHINE
   There's no getting around it, you need an appliance to make hummus at home. A food processor is easiest, but a blender will work too if that's all you've got. Sometimes I make it in my NutriBullet and that works fine too.

2. GRAB A CAN OF BEANS
   "Hummus" literally means "chickpeas" in Arabic. So grab a can of chickpeas. One standard can of beans is equal to about 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans, so measure accordingly.

One can of beans will make about 1 cup of hummus, which honestly doesn't last long in my house, so I usually start with two. Drain and rinse whatever kind of legume you're using, then put it in whatever machine you're using.

1. ADD 1/3 CUP LIQUID FOR EVERY CAN
   For every can of beans, you need about 1/3 cup of liquid to create a creamy, smooth dip. Some of this liquid should be in the form of extra virgin olive oil, which lends richness and flavor to your hummus, and some should be in the form of lemon juice, which balances the richness of the beans and oil with a nice tart zip. Some of the liquid can be water, which thins without adding or subtracting flavor. I like to start with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, about 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and about 1 tablespoon water (which, if you're counting, is 1 teaspoon shy of 1/3 cup, but it's close enough to start with). But you can add more or less lemon juice or olive oil or water according to your taste, as long as it equals (or is just shy of) 1/3 cup.

2. TAHINI
   Traditionally, hummus is made with tahini. Start with about 1 tablespoon per can of beans—you can always add more later.

Once you have the beans, liquid, and tahini in your machine, give it all a good whirl. Don't skimp on the processing or the blending here—keep buzzing it until it's as smooth as it can get. Then dip a spoon in to check the texture. Is it too thick and clumpy? Add a bit more liquid (water, olive oil, and/or lemon juice), but go slowly: It's much easier to thin hummus that's too thick than to thicken it with an extra can of beans if it's too thin. So add that liquid in small doses until the hummus reaches the perfect dip-able, spreadable, smooth texture.

1. ADD IN FLAVOR
   Take another taste to check the flavor. You're going to want to add some salt for sure. Add your flavoring in small doses, tasting as you go, until your hummus is just how you want it. You can also add more tahini, olive oil, or lemon juice to taste.