Cooking Lesson #1048: Instant Pot Lebanese Hummus

… from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? Perspectives was retained to develop Lebanese-style restaurants for clients in Baku, Azerbaijan to open in Berlin Germany. Have you got that all straight? It was one of the more interesting projects especially when we discovered the restaurant was built over Hitler’s bunker on one of the main streets in the German capitol. That’s another story for another day.
 
After World War II, Beirut, Lebanon was often compared to the French Riviera—great hotels, wonderful people and the best food in the Middle East. Since we couldn’t do our research in Beirut, we visited the best Lebanese restaurants in London and created some of the best Hummus recipes sold in any restaurant anywhere.
 
Since that restaurant opened, we have streamlined the recipes for home use without any artificial ingredients or preservatives. Hummus can be served with all kinds of carriers—peppers, carrot and celery sticks, wheat crackers, pita chips and warm, freshly baked pita bread. My recipe is made using chickpeas which, in turn, makes for an incredibly creamy hummus.  Garnish the finished hummus with a drizzle of EVOO and a sprinkle of sumac.
 
Our tip: this recipe makes a basic hummus, but feel free to add other ingredients to the food processor, like roasted garlic or red peppers, to make flavored hummus.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  50 minutes (including release time)
Assembly time:  10 minutes
Yield: 1 quart
 
Ingredients 
For the chickpeas
1 pound dried chickpeas, rinsed and picked through to sort out any rocks
12 cups filtered water
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf 
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
 
For the hummus
3 cups cooked chickpeas (from the recipe above)
1/2 cup chickpea cooking liquid
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup tahini (seasoned sesame paste)
1/4 cup plus 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 roasted garlic cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 
1 tablespoon chopped dates
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon  ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon sumac, for garnish 
 
Directions
To cook the chickpeas

1. Combine the dried chickpeas, filtered water, garlic cloves, bay leaf and a pinch of kosher salt in an Instant Pot.
2. Close the lid, seal the vent and set the Instant Pot to HIGH for 35 MINUTES.
3. When done, allow the Instant Pot to NATURALLY RELEASE the pressure (this can take about 20 minutes).
4. Carefully drain the chickpeas, reserve a half cup of cooking liquid.
5. Discard the garlic cloves and bay leaf.

To make the hummus

1. Transfer 3 cups of the warm chickpeas to a food processor.
2. Add the chickpea cooking liquid, extra virgin olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic cloves, kosher salt, dates, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. Process until smooth.
3. Season with additional kosher salt, to taste. 
4. Garnish with a drizzle of additional extra virgin olive oil and sumac and serve with your favorite “scoops.”
5. Store the hummus refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

ChefSecret:  You will be making 6 cups of cooked chickpeas—make a double batch of hummus or use the leftovers to make a hearty salad, oven-dried crunchies or crispy fritters.  If you love flavored hummus, add 1/2 cup of kalamata olives, roasted red bell peppers, or any other flavor ingredients you enjoy.

Quip of the Day: “Anyone else reach the age that you gain weight when you breathe?”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food.
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                                                                               ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

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