The Unexpected Addition That Gives You Restaurant-Quality Hummus

If you've ever tried making hummus at home, you'll know that it can quickly turn into an obsession. From playing around with flavors to create garlic and jalapeño hummus to replacing the traditional chickpeas with fun alternatives like edamame, it's easy to get lost in the quest for the very best recipe. Trying to achieve the smoothest, creamiest consistency takes much trial and error, and there are innumerable tricks out there claiming to be the key. One addition that really does work is rather unexpected -– but it'll have you making restaurant quality hummus in no time. All it takes is a few ice cubes.

It's easy to do, too. Just replace the water you'd normally use to thin out your basic hummus recipe when blending it with a couple of ice cubes (do make sure your blender can handle ice before trying this) and blitz everything together as per usual. Because ice cubes contain little pockets of air, the air gets injected into the hummus as it blends, whipping it up and giving it a lighter, smoother texture. The cold temperature of the ice also aids in the emulsification of all the ingredients, resulting in a super creamy hummus with a rich, glossy mouthfeel.

Another trick to ensure your hummus has a fabulously smooth texture is to add baking soda. The king of Mediterranean food, Yotam Ottolenghi, swears by it. Apart from being a leavening agent (and a surprisingly good natural kitchen cleaner), baking soda changes the pH of the water you cook your chickpeas in. Making it more alkaline helps effectively break down the pectin in the skin of the chickpeas. The skin is often the cause of coarse hummus, so breaking it down as much as possible is going to aid in achieving that perfect consistency. Of course, an even more effective trick in that regard would be removing the skin entirely. Baking soda will also help with that, softening the skins so they're easy to peel off.

You can also take advantage of the chickpeas' fortunate byproduct, aquafaba. Also known simply as chickpea water, this gloriously starchy liquid is what's left behind when chickpeas are cooked — and it's what they'll come encased in if you buy the jarred or canned variety. As well as being a remarkably good substitute for egg whites, this miraculous stuff works as a thickener and an emulsifier. Adding a touch of it to your hummus as it blends will have a similar emulsifying effect as the ice cube — and together they make for a powerhouse combination. Even better, you can actually freeze aquafaba – fusing the two and negating any possibility of over-dilution from the ice cubes.