This technique of soaking and cooking chickpeas comes from Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbook, "Jerusalem: A Cookbook". A fantastic cookbook, I might add. This hummus recipe is an adaptation of his basic hummus, to which I made some small adjustments to fit my taste. I like to either drizzle or fold in olive oil at the end for texture and flavour, but this is optional.

IF USING DRIED CHICKPEAS, START HERE...

In a bowl, cover chickpeas with twice their volume of water. Let soak overnight.

After about 12 hours, heat chickpeas and baking soda over high heat, in a saucepan. Cook and stir for approximately 3 minutes, before adding 6 cups of water to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and let cook, removing skins as they float to the surface. After approximately 20-40 minutes, the chickpeas should be soft and very easy to crush with your fingers. Check them frequently as they cook, within this timeframe.

IF USING CANNED CHICKPEAS (PREFERABLY SKINNED), START HERE...

Pour drained chickpeas into a food processor and blend until smooth. If you have extra chickpeas, adjust tahini/lemon/water ratio slightly or reserve them to fold into the hummus at the end of the process, to add some dimension to the texture.Continue to run the food processor, adding ice cold water, lemon juice, garlic, tahini paste, and salt, in that order. If you have a finicky food processor or are using a blender, I find this helps to keep the hummus smooth, making it easier to mix. Taste and adjust flavouring to your liking.

Remove hummus from the food processor, fold in parsley, and drizzle with olive oil to serve.