3 Israeli Essentials From Molly Yeh — Hummus, Tahini and Zhoug

Hummus garnished with, among other things, zhoug and tahini. Image by Molly Yeh

Each of the recipes below plays a role in Molly Yeh’s party dish hummus with meat all over it. And each is a great to have around pretty much at all time.

Hummus

Makes 2½ cups

1 cup dried chickpeas
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup tahini
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 cloves garlic (optional)
¼ cup cold water
Olive oil, for drizzling

1) In a medium bowl, cover the chickpeas with enough water to reach 2 inches above the height of the chickpeas and soak them for 12 hours.

2) Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them in a large saucepan with the baking soda. Cover them with 1 to 2 inches water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer until the chickpeas are very soft, about 2 hours. Drain them and let cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor.

3) Add the lemon juice, tahini, salt and the garlic (if using) and blend until very smooth, about 1 minute. With the motor running, drizzle in the water and continue to blend for 2 to 3 more minutes. Taste and season with additional salt if needed.

Tahini

Makes ½ cup

¼ cup tahini 3 tablespoons cold water 1 tablespoon lemon juice Kosher salt and black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, water and lemon juice until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Zhoug (pronounced shkoog)

Makes 1½ cups

5 jalapeños, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Black pepper
¼ cup olive oil

In a food processor, combine the jalapeños, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, a few turns of pepper and the olive oil and blend until it’s the consistency of pesto, adding more olive oil if desired. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or spoon into ice cube trays, freeze, and thaw as needed.

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Excerpted from “Molly on the Range” by Molly Yeh. By permission of Rodale Books.