Hummus
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses UK words and measures (hob, grams, gas marks); the US version uses stove, cups and °F. · US version of this page
A smooth chickpea dip – and a real example of an allergen (sesame in tahini).
- Serves 4
- About 15 min
- No cooking
- Best for: KS2 (ages 7–11)
- Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 tin of chickpeas (400 g), drained
- 2 tbsp tahini (sesame paste) – contains sesame
- ½ lemons
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 pinch salt
Need a different amount? Use the recipe scaler.
Equipment
- sieve or colander
- tin opener
- food processor or stick blender (or a potato masher)
- lemon squeezer
- garlic crusher
- bowl
- spoon
Safety first
- Wash your hands for 20 seconds.
- Ask everyone about allergies first: tahini is made from sesame.
- Rinse the top of the tin before you open it.
Allergens: Sesame. Always read every label and ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes.
Method
- Open the tin, then drain and rinse the chickpeas in a sieve. (Younger children: An adult opens the tin. You rinse the chickpeas in a sieve.)
- Squeeze the lemon half. Crush the garlic with a garlic crusher.
- Put everything in the food processor and blend until smooth, adding the water a spoonful at a time. Keep fingers out and switch off at the plug before scraping down. (Younger children: Mash everything together in a bowl with a potato masher, adding the water a spoonful at a time.)
- Taste with a clean spoon. Add more lemon juice or a pinch of salt if it needs it.
- Spoon into a bowl and serve with carrot sticks, cucumber or pitta. Keep any left over in the fridge and eat within 2 days.
What this recipe teaches
Preparing fruit and vegetables, Blending safely, Tasting and seasoning, Storing food safely. There is no cooking with heat, so it suits younger children with an adult nearby.
Try the interactive lesson
Step by step: a quick safety check, questions marked by Classfern, timers for each cooking step, then an honest look at how it went – a teacher or parent judges the cooking, and learners rate their own work. Photos of the finished dish stay at home.
Use the code your teacher gave you – never your name. Progress is kept on this device.