Zahav's Silky Smooth Israeli Hummus

• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas

1 tsp baking soda,

1 heaping tbsp kosher salt, (for salting the water)

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup lemon juice, (about 2 lemons)

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt, (or to taste)

extra virgin olive oil, parsley, chopped Kalamata olives (optional, for garnish)

Directions

Cover the chickpeas with about 4 inches of salted water + 1 tsp of baking soda. Bring to a boil, then cover and into the oven at 350F for 2 hours.

In a food processor, puree the garlic and lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, to mellow the garlic. Strain the liquid and discard the solids. Add the liquid back to the processor and spoon in the tahini. Start up the processor and add the reserved chickpea water, one tablespoon at time until the tahini is light colored and smooth.

Add the chickpeas and the cumin to the processor and process for 4 minutes, adding more chickpea water if the hummus seems too thick. The hummus should be very smooth, light, and soft. Taste the hummus and add salt if needed.

Scoop the hummus into a serving bowl and top with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped fresh parsley, and some chopped kalamata olives.