Red Hummus with Roasted Pepper and Olive Oil with homemade cooked chickpeas

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade cooked chickpeas ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water.

   Bowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 2
   Drain, cover with plenty of unsalted water and cook 1.5–2 hours, skimming off the foam and skins from time to time, until the chickpeas are very soft and crush easily between your fingers.

   ColanderStovePot

   💡Fully cooked chickpeas crush between your fingers with no resistance at all. Chickpeas that stay a little firm make a grainy spread, and no amount of tahini will fix it.
3. 3
   Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid.

   Colander

For the Cooked chickpeas

1. 4
   Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid.

   Colander

For the Tahini sauce

1. 5
   Mix the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and cumin and season with salt.

For the Roasted Vegetables

1. 6
   Char the peppers whole directly over the gas flame, turning, until the skin is black and blistered on all sides and the flesh is completely soft.

   Stove

   💡Charring directly over the flame gives the vegetables their smoky flavor; in the oven they soften, but the flavor is milder.
2. 7
   Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly and leave 10 minutes.

   Bowl

   💡The steam in the covered container separates the skin from the flesh, so it comes off easily. Don't rinse under water: the smoky flavor washes away with it.
3. 8
   Peel off the charred skin, remove the stem and seeds from the peppers and drain off the liquid.

   Colander

To assemble

1. 9
   Transfer the tahini sauce to a food processor, add the chickpeas, still warm, and process 3–5 minutes, until it is completely smooth.

   Food processor

   💡Grind the chickpeas while they are still warm: warm chickpeas grind into a smoother cream than cold ones.
2. 10
   Add the olive oil and mint and process for another minute.

   Food processor
3. 11
   Add the roasted pepper and process for another minute.

   Food processor
4. 12
   Gradually add the water, until the hummus is creamy and airy, and a little thinner than the texture you want: it thickens as it stands.

   💡Ice water, not ordinary water, gives hummus an airy, pale texture: the tahini emulsifies with it like mayonnaise.
5. 13
   Spread on a plate, make a well in the center and add the paprika.