In a medium saucepan, add chickpeas, baking soda, and enough water to cover the chickpeas by a few inches. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat and continue boiling for 15 minutes or until chickpeas become very soft. Drain the chickpeas and rinse with cold water.
Transfer the chickpeas to the food processor along with the rest of the ingredients except oil (if using) and the 2 tablespoons of cold water. Start to process.
As the hummus is processing, drizzle in the cold water and olive oil or additional water if not using oil. Continue to process until creamy adding more water 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.
Chill in the refrigerator. Hummus will last about a week in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.