Instructions

1. Sort and rinse the chickpeas. Spread the chickpeas out onto a rimmed baking sheet or plate and pick out any debris or broken beans. Transfer the chickpeas to a strainer and rinse under cool, running water.
2. Soak the beans with salt overnight. Combine the rinsed chickpeas and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a 6-quart or larger electric pressure cooker, such as the Instant Pot. Pour in 4 cups of cool water, cover, and soak 10 to 12 hours.
3. Drain the soaked chickpeas, but don’t rinse. Drain the soaked chickpeas and discard the soaking liquid. Do not rinse the soaked chickpeas. Return the chickpeas to the electric pressure cooker, add the garlic, and cover with 3 cups of fresh, cool water.
4. Cook the beans for 25 minutes under high pressure. Seal the pressure cooker and make sure the vent is closed. Set the pressure cooker to MANUAL, HIGH pressure for 25 minutes. The electric pressure cooker should take about 20 to 25 minutes to come to pressure.
5. Natural release for 30 minutes. When the 25-minute cook time is up, naturally release the pressure for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes, release any remaining pressure by opening the valve. Uncover — the chickpeas should be incredibly soft, tender, and falling apart when pressed.
6. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Before draining the chickpeas, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. You will use this later to thin the hummus.
7. Drain the cooked chickpeas. Drain the cooked chickpeas and remove any chickpea skins that have fallen off naturally — don’t worry about removing all the skins.
8. Purée the chickpeas. Place the cooked chickpeas and garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process until the hummus is mostly smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Stop the food processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
9. Thin and process the hummus with the cooking liquid. With the food processor running, drizzle in the reserved cooking liquid, a few tablespoons at a time, adding about 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid. Process until the hummus is ultra smooth and lightened in color, about 5 minutes. Discard the remaining cooking liquid.
10. Serve or store. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with spices such as za’atar, sumac, or cumin if desired.