Basic Hummus

I love hummus, but I'm really picky about it.  Before I decided to venture into making my own, I'd only purchase the Sabra brand because of its extra smooth texture.  So when I decided to really break in my new food processor by whipping up a batch of hummus, I did some preliminary research online to figure out the best way to get that super smooth texture.  (My best source was The Toby Show -- all credit to that author for the method I used!  It's fantastic!)

Extra-Creamy Basic Hummus (Yield: about 5 1/2 cups)

• 1lb dried chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• 1/2 c. tahini
• Juice from 2 lemons
• 5 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 tsp. ground sea salt
• 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Water as needed to obtain desired consistency (I used about a half cup)

1.  Soak chickpeas in 6-8 cups of water for at least 8 hours. 
2.  Rinse chickpeas well. 
3.  Cook chickpeas for 24 hours on low in a CrockPot.  (You can also simmer them on the stove per the directions on the bag, if you so desire.)  Drain and rinse.  If you are feeling extra ambitious, you can slip the skins off the chickpeas at this point, but this is an extremely tedious process.  I did about 1/2 of my chickpeas in my first batch but probably won't bother next time.
4.  Add tahini and lemon juice to the food processor.  Process well, as if you were going to 'cream' the tahini.
5.  Add garlic and sea salt.  Process again until garlic is well minced and incorporated.
6.  Begin adding chickpeas, about 1/2 c. at a time.  Process between each addition, and be sure to scrape the sides of the food processor bowl.
7.  Once all chickpeas are added, add olive oil and process for several minutes.  Add water as needed to get the consistency you prefer.  Scrape walls of the bowl as needed to ensure.

Notes: I noticed that after refrigerating for about 24 hours, the lemony flavor became a little more mild (as opposed to a definite "zing" fresh out of the processor).  Additionally, I can say from experience that this recipe freezes well -- it maintains its consistency, texture, and flavor upon thawing.

Sometime soon, I'm hoping to jazz up the hummus recipe with some roasted red pepper or roasted garlic.  What's your favorite flavor of hummus?