Za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend that usually contains a mix of dried thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds, is available at specialty stores or online. And while it's terrific on hummus, it's also totally optional—you can’t go wrong with a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkling of sesame seeds or just some flaky sea salt. Once you've got the base recipe down, here are four more ways to riff on it.
Ingredients
1 15½-oz. can chickpeas
1 large lemon
1 garlic clove
½ cup tahini, well mixed
¾ tsp. (or more) kosher salt
10 cranks freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. ground cumin
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Za’atar and/or sesame seeds (for serving)
Instructions
Start by prepping all of your ingredients: Drain 15½ oz. chickpeas in a strainer or colander and rinse thoroughly. Let drain again while you do the other prep.
Cut 1 lemon in half, remove any visible seeds, and squeeze juice into a small bowl. You should have 3–4 Tbsp.
Smash 1 garlic clove with the flat side of your knife on a cutting board and remove peel. Continue to mash with side of knife until a paste forms. (You can also grate garlic on a microplane if you have one—you're just looking for a fine paste.)
Combine drained chickpeas, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, garlic, ½ cup tahini, ¾ tsp. salt, 10 cracks pepper, ¼ tsp. cumin, and 2 Tbsp. water in a food processor.
Process until smooth, about 1 minute.
With the motor running, stream in 3 Tbsp. oil, then continue to process until hummus is very light and creamy, about 1 minute longer. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.
Transfer hummus to a shallow bowl, top with za’atar and/or sesame seeds, and drizzle with more oil.
Do Ahead: Hummus can be made 4 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.
Recipe by Cooking TV Recipes at https://cookingtv-channel.com/classic-chickpea-hummus/