Nov 5, 2015  By Jewish National Fund  Category: Go North,

In the JNF Kitchen: Heavenly hummus

Ah, hummus. It's not only the heavenly spread that makes its appearance at almost every meal in Israel, it's also the dish that unites Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians, because everyone loves it equally. It is at the heart of a shared food culture that goes beyond nationality and politics.

There are many variations of the dish, but this hummus recipe is brought to us by Chef Uri Arnon, who owns restaurant Arnold's in Moshav Nativ Hashayara, voted one of Israel's 10 best kosher gourmet restaurants!

Uri opened Arnold's to shatter the myth of "kosher or delicious." Arnold's is a Galilee bistro menu with French and Mediterranean touches and it features a wide-ranging list of Israeli wines that mesh perfectly with the atmosphere and the dishes presented, as well as fine-quality draft beer, and excellent desserts, including homemade sorbets.

Uri is a member of JNF partner organization Western Galilee Now, a consortium of small businesses in the region. See our gallery below for more scenes from the area.

Shabbat Shalom!

Ingredients

16 ounces chickpeas 
16 ounces tahini paste 
1 tablespoon baking soda powder 
Lemon juice
Salt to taste
Olive oil
Raw chopped onion for garnish

Preparation

Soak the chickpeas overnight in cold water. 

Boil the chickpeas with the baking soda, cover with water, and cook until soft (when you can easily mash one pea between your fingers). 

Drain the chickpeas and reserve the water for use. 

Put the drained chickpeas in a food processor and puree them until you achieve a silky texture. 

Add one tablespoon of lemon juice and ½ cup of the cooking water. 

Add the tahini paste while the food processor is running. 

Continue until it is nice and thick. 

Serve with a lot of extra virgin olive oil, and chopped raw onion to taste. 

Bon appetit!

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