Instructions

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in water with a teaspoon of baking soda, covered by at least 2 inches of water. Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
2. Add chickpeas to a large saucepan with cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, skimming surface as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until chickpeas are tender and really falling apart, 45–60 minutes. Drain; set aside.
3. While the chickpeas cook, process garlic, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until coarsely puréed; let sit 10 minutes to allow garlic to mellow.
4. Strain garlic mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on solids to release as much liquid as possible. Keep the liquid, discard the solids. Return lemony, garlic-infused liquid to food processor.
5. Add the cooked chickpeas, cumin, and tahini to the food processor and pulse to combine. With motor running, add ice water by the tablespoonful and process until mixture is very smooth, pale, and thick. Process the mixture until creamy, about 4 minutes.
6. Thin with more water if you prefer a looser consistency; taste and season with salt, more lemon juice, and more cumin (or cayenne, paprika, za’atar) as desired.
7. Spread hummus on a plate. Drizzle liberally with a good extra virgin olive oil and season za’atar and sumac, if desired. Serve with raw veggies (cucumbers, carrots, celery, endive, fennel, radishes, the possibilities are endless) or pita bread or chips.