Never-Buy-Store-Bought-Hummus-Again Hummus

Hummus. Meh.

The dip hasn't excited me for years. It reminds me of last-resort snacks, of raw carrots I'm desperate to make slightly less inedible. It reminds me of lowbrow crudités platters from the supermarket.  Because lezbehonest: the majority of store-bought hummus is pretty shitty. The ratios are always off—some are grainy/chalky with too much chickpea; others are off-puttingly creamy with too much tahini.

So I came to the conclusion that I just don't care for hummus. Until I recently started making my own—it's easy, cheap, and 10x more delicious than the bland beige paste they sell at the store. Seriously, you will never buy it again. 

THE BEST CLASSIC HUMMUS

SERVINGS: Makes about 3 cups (enough to serve 5 people)  | TIME: 15 minutes                           

WHAT YOU NEED

• 2 (15.5-oz) cans of drained chickpeas; reserve 1/4 cup of chickpea liquid
• 6 tablespoons tahini, well-mixed (you can lessen to 4 - 5 tablespoons, depending on how creamy you like your hummus)
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed with flat side of knife on cutting board (if you're sensitive to garlic, use only one clove)
• Juice of 1 lemon (or more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 12 - 15 cranks freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika (if you can find smoked paprika, it really, really elevates this dish)
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
• Sesame seeds and/or za'atar (optional, for garnish)
• Fresh parsley leaves (optional, for garnish)

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Process chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and 2 tablespoons of chickpea liquid in a food processor or blender until smooth, about 1 minute.
2. With the motor running, pour in 4 tablespoons of olive oil, then continue to process until hummus is light and creamy, about 1 minute longer. If it's thicker than you like it, turn the motor back on and stream in more chickpea liquid until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste and season with salt or more spices, if needed. 
3. Transfer hummus into a shallow bowl. Lightly sprinkle paprika, sesame seeds, and ripped parsley leaves on top, then drizzle with more olive oil (I like to make a little pool of it in the middle of the dish).  

Note: This recipe is super flexible, so get creative and add whatever ingredients your heart desires. I've added roasted beets for vibrant color (see below), roasted jalapeños or canned chipotles for a kick, a bunch of cilantro for herbiness, olives for brine—the possibilities are endless.       

[Beet hummus, garnished with mint leaves and poppy seeds.]