Musabaha: The Deconstructed, Easy-to-Make Cousin of Hummus

The cream of chickpeas from the Middle East is less popular than its relative, but it wins out in simplicity and texture. It also stains fewer dishes, which is always a plus.

If you’re tired of the chickpeas in hummus, especially the cleanup after making it, join us in discovering a new world called musabaha. This primitive and rustic relative of the Middle Eastern chickpea cream is not only a refreshing variant of the same, but it also requires less equipment to prepare: a fork, a plate, a couple of bowls, and little else.

Musabaha means something like “swimming” in Arabic, and that’s more or less what the chickpeas do on the plate. While the ubiquitous hummus improves the more finely ground it is, here the opposite is sought, the texture of the pieces or whole legumes. In Syria, Lebanon, or Palestine, it is eaten warm as breakfast, but no one will say anything if you use it as an appetizer spread. If you want to see how it’s made, watch the video above.

Ingredients

• 300 g cooked chickpeas
• 1 clove garlic (optional)
• 1 green chili or dried red pepper (optional)
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon natural yogurt (optional)
• Salt
• Black pepper

Instructions

1. Chop the parsley very finely and mix it in a bowl with salt and olive oil. If you want it spicy, add chopped green chili or red pepper. You can also add chopped or crushed garlic to taste.
2. Mix the tahini, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. The yogurt is optional, but you can omit it and add a little more tahini and water.
3. Reserve a few chickpeas for final decoration and place the rest on a plate. Crush a few with a fork and mix with the tahini sauce and a couple of tablespoons of the parsley sauce.
4. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon to taste.
5. Add the rest of the chickpeas on top, a drizzle of olive oil, and the rest of the herb sauce.