Hummus - Silky Smooth, from Scratch!

ladyluck12345's Note:

This recipe was published in the food section of my city paper from a local Lebanese restaurant. Amazingly smooth and creamy. "Baking soda is the secret to silky smooth hummus; it softens the beans so they cook quickly and break down easily when blended. The hummus can be prepared up to two days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use."

• Total Time: 5 hrs
• Prep Time: 4 hrs
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Yield: 2.5 cups

• 1 cup dried garbanzo beans
• 7 cups water (for cooking beans)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic , minced
• ¼ cup tahini
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Rinse the garbanzo beans, drain and cover with water to cover by 3 inches. Soak beans for 4 to 6 hours. Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly.
2. Note: The key to this hummus recipe is to just soak the beans for the 4 to 6 hours the recipe calls for. If you soak them overnight they will absorb too much liquid and you will have very mushy beans and lots of water. If you don't have time to do a 4 to 6 hour soak, you can do a quick soak by bringing the beans and soaking water to a boil and boiling for 1 minute. Remove the beans and water from the heat and let stand for 30 minutes before draining and continuing with the recipe.
3. In a large pot combine soaked beans, the 7 cups water and the baking soda. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the beans are falling apart, about 1 hour. Stir any foam that comes to the surface back into the beans while they cook.
4. Pour beans and any remaining cooking liquid into a large bowl and cool to room temperature in the refrigerator.
5. Transfer beans and liquid to a food processor. Add the salt, garlic, tahini and lemon juice and process until smooth.
6. If the mixture is too thick (it should be the consistency of thick cream), add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the hummus is smooth.