If it's up for a vote, I vote Neither! Hummus should have some texture. Much better with just a potato masher. :)

I'm not surprised about the noise or the difficulty getting it all out. Blenders are for liquids or liquifying, in my book, and food processors are for dense foods like beans. I've done liquidy things, like mayonnaise, in the food processor which are much better in the Vita-mix.

My model is only a couple years old and has a special setting for cleaning, rather than just crank it up. I never had luck with the just crank it on a regular blender, but the special setting does work for sticky gunk on the Vita-mix (haven't tried humus, of course).

Loud is a feature that comes with the Vita-mix. I have shooting ear covers that I bought mostly for my grain mill but also help with the blender. :) They're actually pretty comfy.

Even when you include the cost of the top and tamper, I think it's paid for itself in entertainment and fun with grandchildren, so even if it can't live up to the FP, it's still pretty cool. :)

I didn't really know what a Vitamix was....so I googled....it's a $450 freekin blender!! Lordy be! Who needs that? Unless you are blending peach pits into smoothies.
I have an ancient Oster or something....the bottom of the mixing jar screws off to wash and get the last of the whatever out of it. I am sure not as strong as the Vitamix....but certainly not as loud ( but loud enough). It will make hummos, pesto, the batter for cheesecake ( 2 1/5 pounds of cream cheese, sugar and eggs!) popover batter....and Margaritas!

And hummus with texture? Never had that....always been smooth...even in Greek restaurants and other middle Eastern sorts of places. Is that a west coast thing?

Is that a west coast thing?

Nope it's a traditional thing. Most people I know who come from cultures where they make hummus just use their hands, not even a potato masher.

Yeah, I had told you about the noise. You can get a bucket to put over the blender to cut out a lot of the noise.

You can probably find a silicone spatula for scraping the jar.

dcarch

Most people I know who come from cultures where they make hummus just use their hands, not even a potato masher.

How about the tahini? or don't they use it?

IDK about that chunky texture being necessarily authentic. Friends who lived in Lebanon for years brought back a wonderful hummus recipe that is thick, rich and ultra smooth. It is usually described as puree, so generally having very little textural articulation. Typically, the texture of hummus is described as creamy or silky. And you would have to go a long way to find a recipe that does not suggest using a food processor or blender to achieve the desired consistency!

All this said, anyone care to post your go-to hummus recipe...please? :) TIA

I agree with plllog that the blender is best for more liquidy things. Either that or dry. I sprung for a vitamix a couple years ago with credit card points. Don’t use it much unless I’m on a smoothie kick but I love it. No comparison to regular blender, although I do still have love for the nostalgia of my old chrome beehive Oster.

Re noise, yes. Most places around here that serve smoothies seem to use BlendTec inside a clear plastic box. A fancier version of DC’s bucket idea.

How about the tahini? or don't they use it?

Don't understand the question. Of course they do. And you can make smooth hummus by hand, too. Just more time squishing.

ETA Did you mean how do you make tahini without a blender/food processor? With a mortar and pestle, although it must have been a lot of work. I know a lot of people who make their own tahini, but that they all do with mod-cons.

Well, this is Bud's recipe and he likes "the smoothest Hummus in the world". Yeah. The Vita Mix did that, certainly. He dumps two drained cans of garbanzos into the processor, adds a couple of big tablespoons of tahini, one or two canned roasted red peppers, a "glug" of olive oil (probably 2 tablespoons or so) and a generous pinch of salt. Blend/process it, and add enough of the drained bean liquid to make the texture you like. We've stopped putting lemon juice in hummus because Mother is allergic to lemons and we don't like to chance having her take a dip out of the bowl and getting sick.

I like the Milk Street version, very similar to Gardengal's but made with warm beans and eaten warm. It's creamy, very smooth and delicious, although I prefer it without the cumin and Elery likes it with cumin.

MILK STREET HUMMUS

COLD WATER

8 OUNCES (227 GRAMS) DRIED CHICKPEAS

2 TABLESPOONS PLUS 1 TEASPOON KOSHER SALT

1/2TEASPOON BAKING SODA

¾ CUP TOASTED TAHINI, ROOM TEMPERATURE

3 ½ TABLESPOONS LEMON JUICE

1-2 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY

½ TEASPOON GROUND CUMIN

½ TEASPOON PAPRIKA

Combine 8 cups of water, chickpeas and 2 tablespoons of salt, let set overnight or at least 12 hours. Bring another 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a boil and drain the soaked chickpeas, add to the pot. Return to a simmer, reduce heat to medium and cook until the chickpeas are very tender and the skins are falling off, approximately 45 to 50 minutes.

Drain chickpeas and retain ¾ cup of cooking liquid. Let set for 1 more minute to let all liquid drain, then transfer chickpeas to a food processor and add 1 tsp salt, process for three minutes. (retain 2 tablespoons of chickpeas for garnish, if desired.)

Stop processor and add tahini. Continue to process until mixture is lightened and very smooth, about 1 more minute. Use rubber spatula to scrape bottom and sides of bowl, With machine running add ¾ cup of cooking liquid and the lemon juice. Process until combined, taste, and season with more salt if desired.

Transfer hummus to shallow bowl and swirl with a large spoon. Top hummus with
olive oil, retained whole chickpeas, parsley, cumin and paprika. Serve warm.

This reheats well in the microwave.

I was not optimistic about hummus in the VitaMix, incidentally, but Bud just wanted to use it in the worst way, he's all into the machines. (grin)

I do have a silicone spatula, BTW, but it was too thick/wide to fit in the grooves.

If I use this thing much, I'll definitely need ear plugs, wow. Dcarch had warned me about the noise, but I was still taken aback by it.

I have had "chunkier" hummus and it's OK, but I like the smooth stuff better. That texture thing, you know. Bud likes it very creamy and is proud of his "world's smoothest hummus" abilities, LOL.

Annie

Perhaps the preference for hummus (not how it originated, I'd know nothing about that) is about personal preference... I like smooth hummus, but chunky sounds appealing to me also. My mashed potatoes are sometime 'smashed potatoes', depending on mood and what I'm serving with them.

Thanks so much, Annie & gardengal! Do you make your own tahini? I don't make hummus more than once a year (wouldn't take much to make me change my habits, though!), and it's quite the struggle to 're-liquidify' the leftover canned tahini stored in the fridge.

ETA: I'd only ever made/eaten hummus as a party dip, and didn't realize how smooth 'real' hummus is -- until DD treated me to an evening at Oren's Hummus Shop in Mountain View, CA....OMG. Didn't realize one could make a meal of this creamy goodness!

javiwa, I do not make my own tahini, you see the jar sitting on the counter with the hummus. I do go to the Mediterranean Market and buy it in quarts because we eat a lot of hummus and like it. It's about a quarter the cost at the ethnic markets and I don't find that particular brand to get as thick and hard to stir as some others that are available here. I also get big jars of roasted red peppers there, again because of the price.

The Milk Street article that contained that recipe said that it was a common breakfast in Israel, shopkeepers made it in large amounts and scooped it into bowls, warm, to be topped as the purchaser wished. Patrons would stop on their way to work for that warm and creamy bowl of hummus.

I also made the meat topping, kawarma, and that definitely made it a meal, but we liked it just fine without so I don't usually make the meat. I know that tortilla chips are not "authentic" to serve with it, but that's an acceptable accompaniment to me, if I haven't baked pita.

There are some pictures in this prior thread, including the meat topping.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/4602917/milk-street-hummus?n=11

Annie

Here's my recipe, which has not changed in 14 years:

1/2 pound (1-1/3 c) dried garbanzo beans, (about 3 to 3-1/2 cups cooked)
1/4 tsp baking soda

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1/3 cup lemon juice
3-4 cloves of garlic (or to taste)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted sesame seed oil
1/2 cup tahini (toasted, if available)
2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 to 1-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
1-2 tbsp water, if needed

Soak the beans with triple height of water. I boil them one hour and turn off the heat and soak for 1 hour covered and then rinse them. I then transfer the beans to the pressure cooker with water to cover plus 1/4 tsp baking soda. In my PC, I cook the beans under full pressure with low heat for 12-15 minutes and then let the pan rest off heat until the pressure goes down by itself. I usually add three or four bay leaves to the cooking water, since I have a bay tree. Drain the beans after the pressure has gone down, saving some of the cooking water.

Put the drained beans in a large food processor with the peeled garlic cloves (coarsely chopped) and the rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth. If it is too thick, thin with cooking water, a tablespoon at a time.

Some ethnicities use cumin and some do not - I'm not sure which is which, but I generally always add garlic to mine, and I never add cumin. People can add cumin later if they want - it does not have to go into the entire batch.

I use the food processor only - never the VitaMix or blender, and I've only had smooth hummus - never lumpy.

----------------------------------------------------

Another use for hummus that I discovered from Ina Garten is to use is as a sandwich spread for tuna salad or chicken salad, especially when making a wrap. I thought it sounded odd at first, but I really like it. Normally, I heat a burrito size tortilla with some sliced Provolone cheese on it, just until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is soft but not crunchy. Then I smear hummus over the cheese and add the tuna (or salmon) salad plus some chopped lettuce or whatever green I have - spinach is good, and roll it into a wrap. I guess it would work with bread to make a sandwich, but I've not done it that way.

When I make mayonnaise, I use the immersion blender, as that is the easiest to clean. You can add all the ingredients into a clear container, oil last, which will stay on top, and then push the blender all the way down before turning it on. I saw Ming do it this way, and it works fine. It is very awkward to drizzle oil into the container with the stick blender.

I have to say that this green lentil hummus has become a big favorite of mine, even if untraditional:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/green-lentil-hummus

I prefer the hummus from the Vita Mix because its so smooth, and yes hard to get it all out, although mine came with a long spatula that helps. The vita mix is easy to clean, just put a small amount of dish soap and water in the machine and turn it on, usually there's no scrubbing necessary.

I'm also surprised you had trouble cleaning. One squirt of dish soap and a cup of water is all it takes with mine.

I always first add a 1/4 cup-ish AC vinegar, a tbsp OliveOil, sometimes a chunk of avocado, ginger, dollop of Greek Yogurt, maybe lemon or lime, etc, to make a dressing with the humus remaining in the jar. Nice on quick cook rice/soba noodles, a dip for spring rolls or hand rolls, any green salads. Asian chicken salads and tuna.

I soak a cup of beans just about every weekend, usually Thursday night and cook Friday night or Saturday. Roast half and humus half. An ice cube at the end or ice water makes it very creamy. Always trying different add-in.

Of course, it's personal preference, and if you like smooth, go for it. That's why I asked if it was a vote. I have no issue with Bud making whatever he wants. My only sticking point is that it has to have garbanzo beans (chick peas, or whatever you want to call it) because "hummus" is literally garbanzo beans and it doesn't mean puree of pulses.

The potato masher is for those of us with delicate fingers because the hot hummus beans destroy my hands. It's also helpful when you're making large quantities. It is for hummus with texture not "chunks". There shouldn't be chewable hard bits of bean in there, just a texture more like mortar than whipped potatoes. That is the traditional way. I grew up on it, long before the vegans made it a widely known thing. Machine made just tastes wrong to me. If you like it, however, suit yourself!

There is only one recipe for the kind of hummus (chumus) salad we're talking about: Garbanzo beans, techinah, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil. Hot water optional and as needed. Anything else is interpretation. Generally "Arab" style is hot. Israeli style is cold. Apparently the big difference in the greatness of the hummus at different tip top specialist hummus restaurants (according to the documentarian who studied the issue), is the olive oil. Use the very best for the best result.

That and the pita, of course.

ETA--Linda, my Vita-mix was a gift and I don't look at the price of such things. It's nothing like a regular blender. I've learned here in GW that there are Ninja blenders which approach it for considerably less money, and that Blend-tec has different strengths but is about the same. None are like even the highest model of Oster or Waring. I'm not saying you need it. I'm not saying there aren't ways of achieving everything it can do with older methods (and much more work!). Just saying that it's not "just a blender".

Thinking back, probably 5 yrs when i acquired my Blendtec, I had some hick-ups. It did some things great, but I did have a trial period. Then soon found it beyond useful for my condiments, mustards and such. I have three taller jars but none are Vesuvious like the Vitamix. Why so tall?

Then I purchased the med smaller jar and it is the bomb for butters and hummus. Holds about 4 1/2 cups, 2 1/2 solids. About 8 inches tall. Two lids, one soft and a solid covering, the other hard and has two arms that can swing to clean the jar as you blend.

Wondering if the Vita-mix has a small jar for nut butters and solids. It must to compete with Blendtec.

Oh, yeah, sleevendog, thanks for the reminder. I am going to try to make peanut butter, just have to buy some peanuts.

Can you make tahini in it? I have a BIG jar of sesame seeds...

Someone also mentioned once that they made powdered sugar with theirs. I tried that with the FP and it didn't work worth a darn...

There is a shorter jar available, but they're kind of expensive, so I figured I'd use it for a bit and see if it's something I use enough to bother to buy that shorter jar or give it valuable counter space. Right now it's on the shelf next to the microwave and the food processor, it's not that heavy so it's not an issue to move it around.

Annie

Annie, my favorite reason for NOT using the Vitamix is what a pain in the patooty is it to get thick stuff out. One thing I do think it’s useful for besides smoothies (which I don’t like anyway), is tomatoe sauce. I core my tomatoes and throw peel, seeds, and all in the blender and purée until perfectly smooth. This will incorporate too much air, so I let that sit in a stockpot in fridge overnight where the thick stuff sauce and the water separate. I cook the thick stuff for a bit to remove the air bubbles and then can it. Right off the bat, it tasted a little different, probably because of the seeds. After canning and using in goods, we can tell no difference. What a time saver. Mostly, I can whole tomatoes, but this works for us when we want sauce.

Yes, you can do tahini in it. Whether or not it would be considered traditional or right, I have no idea but it is a reason to go ahead and do the hummus in the Vitamix. I will often do the sesame seeds first and then the hummus. Agree though that it can be somewhat harder to clean and there is more left behind.

I have not done peanut butter in my VM but have done sunbutter. Sunbutter is ridiculously expensive when you consider that you can purchase sunflower seeds on sale for less than $2/lb. Again, some will be left behind and it is harder to clean but it is much, much, much faster than doing it in the food processor (at least my food processor). I have done a lot of nut based salad dressings and the VM is essential to getting those smooth. A regular blender would do an okay job but the VM makes them velvety.

Well....I wouldn't turn down a gift of one and will certainly be searching the thrift stores....but I am not laying out big bucks for something that my blender and FP does "well enough"....but as I said if one appeared on my door step, I would give it shelter!!
Hummos recipe? Pretty much what most here have said, but mostly I use canned garbanzos...I like Goya brand. One summer a few years back I got all creative and made and ate ( and shared) lots of hummos. I added roasted red peppers....or sundried tomatoes that were packed in oil....and once a big handful of fresh parsley. I debated adding some kalamata olives while still in the blender and just pulsing to chunk them up....but never did.
And while not strictly hummos, there are lots of other "dips" that can be made from cooked beans...Pintos with garlic or onion and chili powder and cumin and a bit of lime, and black beans with some sherry added to thin....not too much just about 1 T. for a can of beans.
Think I'll put some beans to soak!

I don't have anything but a plain old blender, but I made peanut butter and pecan butter in my food processor. Liked the pecan butter, but the peanut butter was too tongue coating for me. I'll have to try sunflower seeds tho'!

And it seems, hummus is on my ever-growing list of things to make, not buy!

I've made tahini but usually just toast the seed low and slow in a skillet and add to the top of hummus especially since I found a brand of Tahini I like. Most seeds and nuts I like kept whole and toasted.

I've added toasted sesame, about a 1/2 cup to the blender, with a bit of olive oil and a few of the chickpeas and lemon, run it, then add the rest of the beans and garlic, cilantro, cold water, etc.

Nut butters like peanut might get stuck down in that vortex like Bud's hummus. Do try the sauce/dressing method. Add vinegar/water/lemon/yogurt/olive oil, toasted sesame oil, to the stuck nut butter. The thickness of a pancake batter or gravy is great on soba or rice noodles or a salad.

I've only made sesame/pecan/chocolate butter, (so good), since a favorite brand I like is stupid expensive. I always have pecans in the freezer since the holiday Costco bag is so huge. My pecan butter is a tenth the cost. I add chia seed and flax and coconut flake. Chia is a nice natural thickener.

For those who use canned chick peas: Linda is right. Goya chick peas are much better than other brands.

I cook a pound of dried chickpeas for hummus, divide the cooked peas three ways, make hummus with one portion and freeze the other two for later batches. The frozen peas are indistinguishable from freshly cooked when made into hummus.

I have a really ancient (stainless steel four-sided container w/ a spigot) VitaMix that I found at an estate sale. (I got a plug from VM for the spigot hole because food got into the spigot, was wasted and the spigot was a pain to clean out.) Has reverse which I use when grinding eggshells--Need to do this outdoors. I have used the VM to make cornmeal out of popcorn when I had run out of cornmeal. It did an OK job. Used it to make lo-carb ice cream--cream, sweetener, ice cubes, vanilla--did a good job with that. Used it a couple of times to puree soup. Abandoned that because it's messy and I don't like dirtying up extra containers & transferring hot soup. The stick blender works just fine for that task. I tried smoothies but my stomach does not like all the air that gets incorporated into them. Gives me terrible pains. And I like my margaritas on the rocks. Actually, we like the already mixed Chi-chi's margaritas, diluted with a little water because they're too strong/ too sweet w/o dilution & served on the rocks. Chi-chi's might be just about right undiluted if you're blending w/ ice for a frozen drink.

Bottom line is that I could easily live without the very loud beast. I'm just glad that I paid only $20 for the it. Satisfied my curiosity about them. IMO, VM, Blendtech, etc. are over-hyped & overly expensive. To be fair, I very seldom used my old Oster blender before I got the VM so didn't really have much use for a super-duper blender in the first place.

This will incorporate too much air...

Yes! I was really excited about the soup function, envisioning myself throwing a few handfuls of veggies into the jar and having a smooth cup of healthy soup a few minutes later, but no go. The soup gets hot enough but it’s a frothy mess.

cilantro, I paid $8.32 for mine, and then had to buy a lid and a "tamper", so another $20.

Like you, I seldom use the Oster blender I have, because I don't make smoothies or shakes and neither Elery nor I drink so that's not a necessity for blended drinks either. Mine was mostly used for things like crepe batter, an occasional salad dressing and making oat flour out of oatmeal. I made pesto a couple of times, and used it to blend basil and olive oil for freezing, and when I make meatloaf I blend the onion and garlic into chicken stock so I don't get chunks of vegetables because that's how the kids like it.

I use a stick blender to puree hot soup, it's convenient for me, and the food processor gets a pretty regular work out for hummus, mayonnaise/aioli, bread crumbs, mincing beef for burgers, slicing garlic cloves or chopping onions for the dehydrator, shredding cabbage for sauerkraut.

Anyway, I couldn't pass it up, and so now I'm trying to figure out whether it's actually going to be useful enough to keep close at hand or whether it will be relegated to the back shelves until the grandkids come over and want smoothies, shakes or slushies.

Annie

Just about any food processor will do what you need. Lack of motor strength can be adjusted for by doing smaller batches at once, making sure to include enough moisture, and making sure that what's put in is small enough and un-hard enough to process easily.

I have an old Cuisinart and a new Breville Sous Chef Peel & Dice. The Breville is fantastic. It's also probably the most expensive, and I don't think you need it just for making dips. You might also look at blenders of the Ninja - Vitamix range as was discussed up topic.

Thanks for the reply. I think I’m gonna start looking more into Ninja food processors now. I like their motor top design.