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The Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine) · Lebanese

Hummus (Lebanese Chickpea and Tahini Dip)

Properly smooth, lemony hummus: chickpeas blended with a generous amount of tahini, lemon and garlic into a silky, savoury dip, swirled in a bowl and pooled with good olive oil. The cornerstone of the mezze table.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published June 24, 2026

A shallow bowl of pale, silky hummus swirled into a well that pools with golden olive oil, dusted with red paprika and topped with whole chickpeas and parsley, warm pita alongside.

Hummus bi tahini — 'chickpeas with tahini' — is one of the defining dishes of the Levant, eaten daily across Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and beyond, and the subject of friendly cross-border rivalry over who makes it best. The hallmarks of a great one are silkiness and a generous, almost equal hand with the tahini — not the thick, under-seasoned supermarket style. It's scooped with warm bread, never eaten with a fork.

Yield
Serves 6 as a meze
Prep
15 min
Cook
0 min (with canned chickpeas)
Total
15 min
Difficulty
Easy

Hummus needs little introduction, but the version most people know — thick, pasty, under-seasoned — is a long way from the real thing. Proper Levantine hummus bi tahini is silky, bright with lemon, and made with a generous, almost equal hand of tahini that gives it richness and a savoury depth. It’s a cornerstone of the mezze table from Lebanon to Palestine, scooped with warm bread and pooled with good olive oil.

Smoothness is a technique, not a blender

Two things stand between you and silky hummus, and neither is your machine. The first is the chickpea skins, which make it grainy — simmering the chickpeas briefly with a little baking soda lets you rub the skins off easily, and it’s worth the few minutes. The second is the tahini: use plenty of it, good and runny, and emulsify it with the lemon juice first so it turns pale and creamy before the chickpeas go in.

Cold water is the secret

The final move that separates café hummus from homemade is whipping in ice-cold water, a spoonful at a time, until the mixture turns pale, glossy and almost too soft to hold a shape. It firms slightly as it sits, ending up light and spoonable rather than dense. Spread it with the back of a spoon, flood the well with olive oil, dust with paprika or sumac, and serve with warm pita — and a fork stays in the drawer.

Build the mezze table with tabbouleh and chicken shawarma, or browse the full recipe collection.

Ingredients

Serves
6

For the hummus

  • 1 can (400 g) chickpeas, drained (or 250 g cooked from dried) For the silkiest result, simmer canned chickpeas with 1/2 tsp baking soda for 10 minutes and slip off the skins.
  • 120 g (about 1/2 cup) tahini Good, runny, light-coloured tahini. This generous amount is what makes it Levantine, not a thin chickpea purée.
  • 1 large lemon, juiced (about 3-4 tbsp)
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
  • 3-5 tbsp ice-cold water The secret to fluffiness — added gradually while blending.

To serve

  • extra-virgin olive oil, paprika or sumac, and a few whole chickpeas; warm pita

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. If you want it really smooth, simmer the chickpeas with a little baking soda for 10 minutes, then rub off the skins under water and drain.

    Why: The skins are what make hummus grainy; removing them (and the baking soda softening) is the single biggest step toward silkiness.

  2. Blend the lemon juice and garlic first and let it sit 2 minutes, then strain out the garlic if you want it mellow.

    Why: Steeping raw garlic in acid tames its harsh bite so it seasons the hummus without overpowering it.

  3. Add the tahini and blend until it thickens and turns pale — it will seize, then loosen.

    Why: Emulsifying the tahini with the lemon first builds the creamy base; don't panic when it stiffens, that's the emulsion forming.

  4. Add the chickpeas, cumin and salt and blend, then stream in ice-cold water a spoon at a time until it's pale, glossy and almost too soft.

    Why: Cold water whips air in and lightens the texture to a fluffy, spoonable cream — the mark of a really good hummus. It firms slightly as it sits.

  5. Spread in a bowl with the back of a spoon, make a well, and pool with olive oil, a dusting of paprika or sumac and a few chickpeas. Serve with warm pita.

    Why: The swoosh and the olive-oil pool aren't just for looks — that ribbon of good oil is part of every scoop.

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Variations

  • Hummus with toppings

    Top with spiced sautéed lamb mince and pine nuts (hummus kawarma), or a tangle of roasted vegetables, to turn it into a meal.

  • Extra-lemony / garlicky

    Adjust to taste — Levantine hummus leans bright and tangy; add more lemon and a touch more garlic if you like it sharp.

  • Roasted red pepper or beetroot

    Blend in a roasted red pepper or a small cooked beetroot for a coloured, sweeter variation (not traditional, but popular).

Serving & Storage

Serve as the centre of a meze spread with warm pita, olives, pickles and tabbouleh, or as a dip for crudités. Always scooped with bread, with a generous pool of good olive oil on top.

Pairs with: Warm pita, Tabbouleh, Falafel or ta'ameya, Pickles and olives.

Storage: Keeps 4 days refrigerated under a film of olive oil; the flavour deepens but it firms up, so loosen with a little water before serving. Freezes acceptably.

Nutrition

Per serving (1/6 recipe)

Calories
220
Protein
7 g
Carbs
16 g
Fat
15 g
Fiber
5 g
Sugar
1 g
Sodium
300 mg

Notable micronutrients: Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make it really smooth?

Remove the chickpea skins (simmering with a little baking soda makes them slip off easily), use plenty of good tahini, and blend in ice-cold water until light. Skins and stingy tahini are the two usual culprits behind grainy, dull hummus.

Is that too much tahini?

No — a generous, near-equal amount of tahini is exactly what makes Levantine hummus rich and silky rather than a thin chickpea purée. It's the defining ingredient.

Can I use dried chickpeas?

Yes, and they give the best flavour and texture. Soak overnight and simmer (with a little baking soda) until very soft. Canned chickpeas are a perfectly good shortcut, especially if you skin them.

What to drink with this

All drinks →

Hand-picked pours to match this dish. Alcoholic pairings are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US) — please drink responsibly.

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