How to Make Hummus from Dried Chickpeas

Welcome to the wonderful world of homemade hummus! If you've only ever tried the store-bought kind, you're in for a treat. Making hummus from scratch using dried chickpeas results in a flavor and texture that is simply unparalleled—incredibly creamy, rich, and packed with authentic taste. This beloved Middle Eastern dip is not only delicious but also healthy and versatile. It's perfect as a dip for pita bread and fresh vegetables, a spread for sandwiches, or a flavorful addition to salads and bowls. Let's dive in and create the best hummus you've ever had!

Preparation: 10 hours
Cooking: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Quantity: 5 Servings
Per serving
Calories: 237 kcal
Proteins: 10 g
Fats: 10 g
Carbohydrates: 28 g

Ingredients for Hummus from Dried Chickpeas

  • 1 cup dried chickpeas (about 200 g)
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili paste
  • 50 g tahini (sesame paste)
  • 1/2 lemon
  • sea salt to taste
  • olive oil

How to Make Hummus from Dried Chickpeas

Cooked chickpeas spread out on a white plate, ready for peeling.

Take out the cooked chickpeas and place them on a board or plate.

A close-up shot of peeled, soft chickpeas in a white bowl.

These are the beautiful, soft, and tender peeled chickpeas.

Diced onion and sliced garlic on a cutting board, ready for sautéing.

Dice the onion and thinly slice the garlic cloves.


Soak the dried chickpeas in cold water overnight. Drain the water, cover the chickpeas with two liters of boiling water, add a clove of garlic, pepper, a bay leaf, a bunch of parsley, and celery. Simmer over low heat for 2 hours after it comes to a boil. Salt at the end of cooking. After about 2 hours, take out a chickpea and mash it. If it’s soft as butter, the chickpeas are ready. If it’s still a bit firm, continue cooking. Let the cooked chickpeas cool in their broth.
Take out the cooked chickpeas and spread them on a board or plate. Many people skip this step, but they shouldn’t. You need to remove the transparent skin from each chickpea. The process is a bit tedious, but it’s quite calming for the nerves. The skin comes off very easily from cooked chickpeas.

This is what you want: beautiful, peeled chickpeas, soft and tender, perfect for making delicious hummus.

Dice the onion and thinly slice the garlic cloves. Pour a little olive oil into a skillet and add the chopped vegetables.

Onions, garlic, and celery being sautéed in a pan with spices.

Sauté the vegetables with spices over low heat for 10 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent.

Add finely chopped celery (stalks). Add half a teaspoon of chili paste. Sauté the vegetables with the spices for 10 minutes over low heat, until the onion becomes translucent. If you don’t like spicy seasonings, you can replace the chili paste with sweet paprika.

A bowl of peeled chickpeas with sautéed onions and celery on top.

Add the cooled sautéed vegetables to the chickpeas.

Adding a spoonful of tahini to the bowl with chickpeas and vegetables.

Add tahini sesame paste and sea salt to taste.

Squeezing fresh lemon juice into the mixture for the hummus.

Squeeze the juice from half a lemon.


Add the cooled sautéed vegetables to the chickpeas.

Add tahini (sesame paste) and sea salt to taste. There’s no real substitute for tahini in hummus, although there are many recipes with various additions like avocado, boiled beets, and other vegetables. Ultimately, the choice is yours.

Squeeze the juice from half a lemon. Strain the juice through a sieve. Decide for yourself how much lemon juice to add; the acidity of lemons varies, so like salt, it should be adjusted to your taste.

Blending hummus with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.

Use an immersion blender to blend the hummus to a creamy consistency.

Use an immersion blender to blend the hummus until it reaches a creamy consistency. If it seems too thick, you can add a little of the chickpea cooking liquid, more tahini, or cold-pressed olive oil.

A glass jar filled with freshly made, creamy hummus, ready for storage.

The finished hummus from dried chickpeas can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Finished hummus made from dried chickpeas can be stored in the refrigerator for several days, or transferred to an airtight container and frozen for later. Just thaw it when you need it.

And there you have it—a bowl of perfect, homemade hummus! The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and the room it leaves for creativity. Feel free to garnish it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika or sumac, and some fresh parsley. For serving, you can't go wrong with warm pita bread, crunchy vegetable sticks, or crackers. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy sharing this delightful and healthy dip with your loved ones!