Hummus bi Tahini (Hummus with Sesame Paste)

Try adding basil or olives to your hummus too! It's really delicious, especially with the Pita Bread!

Yum! I make a similar hummus, but a bit looser (juice of one lemon, a little more oil, and sometimes a little water to smooth it out). I find it thickens back up as it rests.

It's also quite good finished with olive oil and a dusting of paprika instead of cracked pepper.

How long does tahini keep, and what is the best way to store it? I only use it occasionally when I make hummus, so I hate to buy large quantities.

If stored in the refrigerator after opening Tahini will keep for months and months. AS for buying it in larger quantities I agree, smaller quantities are usually better. With all nut butters it's best to buy them fresh and use them up sooner than later. But fear not, tahini will keep for a very long time. Just a suggestion, try using some of your tahini to make a dressing, it's really very good.

This hummus is definately the best hummus that my family and I have had. It is so easy to make and is so delicious. It is definately better than any hummus that you will get in a restaurant or grocery store. I love the fact that I can make it for my family without all of the perservatives that you would get if you buy it in the grocery store. Thank you Rouxbe for the great recipe.

Very good. My husband and I really like the cumin.

Toast a cup of raw sesame seeds in a small skillet, stirring over low heat until they are fragrant. Don't overdo it because they can very quickly become bitter from over-cooking. Allow to cool. Using a food processor or stick blender with container, whirl them up until they are like a fluffy nut butter. Add to hummus mixture - it's a revelation! Experiment with different toasting times. Make extra, blend with salt and you have gomasio - sesame salt! Delectable, nutty condiment for almost anything you can think of. The more you can reduce the elements of a simple dish like hummus, the more you can appreciate the subtleties of each ingredient!

Great idea Jack, thanks so much. I am going to do this for sure :-)

Can/should olive oil be refrigerated after opening and brought to room temperature prior to using and the put back in the fridge? Will it prevent it from going rancid? Thank You

Is it necessary to add and process the ingredients separately in several steps o can all the ingredients be put in the food processor at once? I have tried making it that way and couldn't really tell a difference. thank you

I do it separately as I want to the garlic to be minced as fine as possible before I add the chickepeas. I also don't want the chickpeas to be too mushy, which is why I add them after the garlic.

That being said, you can do it however you like. Perhaps you might enjoy a few bigger chunks of garlic...up to you. This is just the way I enjoy it and it really only takes another second in the food processor. Cheers!

No it does not need to be refrigerated. It should be stored somewhere dry and dark (such as a pantry or cupboard, or the bottle itself). Using it and enjoying it will prevent it from going rancid :-)

If you don't have pita bread, toasted Italian bread or crackers is great too!

Reserve some of the liquid from the canned chickpeas to use in achieving the consistency you seek. The liquid has lots of flavor and the extra richness improves the mouth-feel. This weekend I heard an NPR food program where the host advised that excessively-thick hummus could be thinned with more olive oil (!!!) or, forgive me, removing the skins from the chickpeas. Where in the world do they dig up this stuff? Color me very disappointed.

I have heard of this as well...in fact, I did a post about it a while back. It really does make for super smooth hummus, just not sure if I have the patience for it.

Here is the URL for the post, if you are interested.

blog.rouxbe.com/the-smoothest-and-creamiest-hummus

Cheers!