Place the chickpeas and baking soda in a medium pot and cover with water. Simmer on low for 1 hour, until the chickpeas smash easily against the side of pan with a fork. During cooking, skim off any skins that float to the top. Drain, while reserving some of the liquid.

Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the lemon juice. Let it sit for 10 minutes to “cook” the garlic and mellow it out.

Add the remaining ingredients. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides once. If you wish to thin out the hummus a bit, add some of the reserved cooking liquid.

To serve, transfer hummus to shallow bowl or platter and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Garnish with olives and chopped herbs, if desired.