my comfort recipes
♥ Log in Sign up
  • en
  • fr
  • es
  • pt
  • de
  • it
  • nl
    • 🌍 World Kitchen
    🌍 World Kitchen
    Log in Sign up
    Home / Appetizer / Hummus (Israeli)

    Hummus (Israeli)

    Silky-smooth chickpea and tahini dip whipped with garlic and lemon until nearly cloud-like — the dip that starts every Israeli meal.

    ⏱ 20 minPrep time
    🔥 1 hr 30 minCook time
    🍽 6Servings
    🏷 AppetizerCategory
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet

    Hummus is ancient, beloved, and fiercely argued over across the Middle East, and in Israel it is practically a food group. Dedicated hummusiyas serve it warm with fresh pita, pickles, and raw onion, and customers judge the place by the silkiness of the dip alone, lining up out the door for a bowl of it. The ideal hummus is whipped until it is light as a cloud, with tahini and lemon in perfect balance.

    Silky, warm, and whipped to a cloud

    Slow-cooked chickpeas blend with good tahini, garlic, lemon, and cumin into a dip that is creamy, nutty, and bright all at once. The trick is blending long enough for the mixture to turn pale and airy, then finishing with a pool of olive oil and a dusting of paprika in the center. Warm pita torn straight into the bowl is the only proper way to eat it. It is the dish that starts every meal, and the one you will make again and again.

    Craving more? Explore all Israeli Kitchen recipes.

    Part of the Middle Eastern pantry tradition — see the full guide to 20 essential Middle Eastern pantry ingredients.

    Israeli recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Rinse the chickpeas, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and soak overnight.
    2. Drain and transfer to a large pot with the baking soda and fresh water to cover by 2 inches. Boil, skimming foam, then simmer until the chickpeas are very soft and the skins loosen, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
    3. Drain the chickpeas, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
    4. Process the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and cumin in a food processor until smooth.
    5. With the machine running, drizzle in the ice water and blend until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, adding reserved cooking liquid if needed.
    6. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon.
    7. Spread on a plate, swirl with the back of a spoon, and top with olive oil, paprika, and parsley. Serve with warm pita.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Simmer the chickpeas until truly soft — undercooked ones make grainy hummus. A can of drained chickpeas simmered 20 minutes works in a hurry.

    Rate this recipe

    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Sign in to rate this recipe.

    Recipe details

    Prep20 min
    Cook1 hr 30 min
    Servings6
    CategoryAppetizer
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

    Keep browsingYou might also like

    View all recipes →