Place the chickpeas in a medium saucepan and add the baking soda. Cover the chickpeas by several inches of water, then bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Continue boiling for 20 minutes. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent overflow.

While chickpeas are boiling, place minced garlic in a small bowl with 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice to completely submerge garlic. Let the mixture rest so the garlic flavor can mellow, ideally 5-10 minutes.

After 20 mins of boiling, chickpeas will look quite soft and the skins will be falling off. Drain chickpeas and run under cold water for 30 seconds. Set aside *

Add the cooked chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, cumin, black pepper, salt, along with the lemon juice garlic mixture to the food processor. Puree for 2 minutes.

While running the food processor, drizzle in 2 tablespoons ice cold water. Puree additional 2-3 minutes until smooth, pausing halfway to scrape down the sides.

Taste and season with additional cumin, lemon juice, black pepper or salt if needed. If it seems too thick, add in either water or lemon juice for more lemon flavor. Add 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached (I added an extra tablespoon of lemon juice because I like it lemony). The hummus will thicken in the refrigerator as well.

When hummus is at your desired taste and consistency, scrape into a sealed container and place in the refrigerator or serve immediately. I enjoy the hummus chilled, plus it gives it time for the flavors to blend. When ready to serve, garnish with your desired toppings.