Artisanal Smooth Hummus with Rainbow Vegetable Batons

Place 1 cup dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with 4 cups of water. To quick-soak, bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit for 1 hour. Alternatively, soak in cold water for 8 hours.

Drain the soaked chickpeas and transfer them to a medium pot. Add 6 cups of water and 0.5 tsp baking soda (this helps break down the skins for a smoother texture).

Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 45-50 minutes, or until the chickpeas are very soft and starting to fall apart.

While the chickpeas simmer, wash 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 3 carrots, and 3 stalks of celery under cold water.

Peel the 3 carrots using a vegetable peeler. Slice the carrots, celery, and both bell peppers into uniform 3-inch long sticks (batons). Set aside on a serving platter.

Peel 3 cloves of garlic and halve the 2 lemons. Juice the lemons to obtain approximately 0.25 cups of fresh juice.

Once the chickpeas are cooked, drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water. For the smoothest hummus, you may choose to gently rub the chickpeas between your hands to remove the translucent skins, though the baking soda makes this optional.

In a food processor, combine the cooked chickpeas, 0.5 cup tahini, 0.25 cup lemon juice, 3 peeled garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 1 tsp salt.

Process the mixture for 2 minutes. While the motor is running, slowly drizzle in 3 TBSP olive oil and 2 TBSP ice-cold water. Continue processing until the hummus is light, airy, and completely smooth.

Finely chop the leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh parsley.

Transfer the hummus to a shallow bowl. Use the back of a spoon to create a circular swirl on the surface. Drizzle 1 TBSP olive oil into the swirl and garnish with 0.5 tsp paprika and the chopped parsley.

Arrange the vegetable sticks around the bowl of hummus and serve immediately at room temperature.