Don't Throw Out That Extra Aquafaba — Use It In Your Hummus For The Fluffiest Texture

If you like to make your hummus from canned chickpeas, it may be tempting to rinse them straight from the can before dumping them into a food processor. But if you want that hummus to be creamy and fluffy, it's really important that you don't throw out the aquafaba.

What is aquafaba? It's that slimy, thick liquid found in canned chickpeas. While you may think it belongs in the trash or rinsed down the drain, it absolutely does not. Aquafaba has many great uses, including acting as an egg substitute for vegan dishes because of its similarity to egg whites.

However, when making hummus, aquafaba is often thrown out when it should be saved and used to elevate the texture of the nutrient-rich dip. It doesn't take much aquafaba to turn your hummus into a texture dream. Just use a little bit to wet the food processor blades before tossing in the other ingredients, and the end result will be even better than before.

It's no secret that the best way to make hummus is to start with dry chickpeas and boil them yourself. But if you're in a hurry or you just want to use canned chickpeas, there are a few things you can do to make your hummus so delicious that everyone will think you started all the way from scratch.

Before blending canned chickpeas, pour them into a saucepan and cook them a bit before adding them to the food processor to soften them. This will make the texture creamier than if you just pour them straight from the can.

Another way to amp up your hummus is to whip the tahini with lemon juice, water, or even a bit of that aquafaba before adding it to the food processor. As the tahini is whipped up, it will get creamier and lighter in color, turning it into a sesame seed cream and adding to the velvety smooth texture you want in a quality hummus.

Two more quick ways to create a creamier and mellower hummus are to roast garlic before adding it to the food processor and to mix the roasted garlic with the lemon juice first. This helps to reduce the strength of the garlic flavor even more. Additionally, don't add olive oil into the food processor; instead, just drizzle it on top before serving.