Those of you who have not yet started making their own hummus are totally missing out on how delicious it is.
It just takes about five minutes, the taste can be tweaked so that it tastes exactly the way that you desire, and you can make new varieties every week so that you never get bored.
The first batch of homemade hummus you make will leave you with no regrets. I promise you that after that, you will never go back to store-bought hummus.
What is Hummus?
As its name suggests, hummus is a Middle Eastern dip or spread made from chickpeas. It is made using nothing but a few simple ingredients. At its most basic, hummus includes:
- Chickpeas
- Tahini
- Olive Oil
- Lemon
- Garlic
- Salt
The basic hummus recipe below is a good starting point, but I am including three additional flavor variations with this recipe (Jalape*o Cilantro, Roasted Red Pepper, and Parsley Scallion).
As a garnish, I have added a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika, and a few chickpeas to my “original” flavor. You are more than welcome to add any of those to your food.
Hummus: How to Use It
A great thing about hummus is that it can be kept in the fridge so that you can eat it as a snack on pita bread, naan, vegetables, or chips, or it can also be used to spread on sandwiches, wraps, and loaded flatbread.
I also love to add hummus as an addition to scrambled eggs, pasta sauce, or even pizza because it has such a great richness and adds moisture.
It can also be used as a great alternative to mayo or cheese in my opinion.
Homemade Hummus lasts for how long?
In comparison to some store-bought hummuses, homemade hummus is free of preservatives and remains good for about five days in the refrigerator once made. If you are planning on using it within five days, only make the amount of hummus that you will be able to eat within that period of time.
Can I Substitute the Tahini?
I strongly advise against substituting tahini in hummus.
While many people substitute either peanut butter or almond butter for the tahini, they have very different flavors from tahini and this will definitely change the final flavor of your hummus.
To get that true authentic hummus flavor, you definitely need to use tahini.
Hummus Can be Made in a Blender, Right?
It’s true that you can make homemade hummus with some of the best blenders in the world (such as Blentec or Vitamix), but it may not be a blender that is able to handle something that thick.
Basically, I recommend that you use a food processor to make your hummus. I recommend that you do not necessarily need a heavy duty, expensive food processor to prepare your hummus.
I use a Hamilton Beach model, which is a fairly inexpensive food processor and yet it is a total beast. (I earn a commission on qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate.)
Make Homemade Hummus
To make the best homemade hummus, you only need a few simple ingredients. Plus, there are four more hummus flavors that you can try..
Prep Time: 5 minutes/ Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6 (1/4 cup each)
Ingredients
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas ($0.79)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice ($0.182)
- 1/4 cup tahini ($0.85)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin ($0.03)
Instructions
- Once the chickpeas have been drained, place them in a food processor with the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, salt, and cumin, along with the chickpeas and the olive oil. Process until smooth.
- It is important to pulse the mixture in the food processor until it is fairly smooth. If it is too dry to process smoothly, add a couple tablespoons of water, extra olive oil, or liquid from the canning chickpeas to make it more workable.
- Depending on your taste, adjust the amount of salt, cumin, lemon, or garlic in the hummus to suit your preference.
Note
*About 1.75-2 cups chickpea
The Best Hummus Recipe – Step by Step Photos
We are going to look closely at tahini first. The same thing as peanut butter is tahini, but it is made from sesame seeds instead of peanuts.
It even has a very similar texture to natural peanut butter, but it is completely different in flavor. I believe that this flavor is vital when creating authentic hummus.
In my opinion, tahini has a slightly nutty, slightly bitter flavor that is completely unique. In some cases, peanut butter is substituted for tahini, but the flavor is vastly different.
Even though tahini is more expensive than peanut butter, you will only need a small amount at a time to enjoy it and it will stay fresh in the refrigerator for quite some time (you may need to stir it occasionally).
There are several places in your grocery store where you can find tahini, including near peanut butter, near Mediterranean ingredients like olives and artichokes, or in the natural foods section.
The chickpeas are drained and combined with two tablespoons of olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup tahini, one clove of garlic, half of the salt, and a teaspoon of cumin in a food processor.
The mixture must be processed until it becomes smooth. If it is too dry for the hummus to fully puree, add a few tablespoons of water, olive oil, or even the drained juice from the canned chickpeas if the hummus is too dry.
Taste the hummus and adjust the salt, lemon, garlic, or cumin to your taste. And that’s it. You are done.
The dish can be garnished with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of sumac or paprika, as well as a drizzle of olive oil.
Jalapeño Cilantro Hummus
It is necessary to remove the stem from one jalape*o, slice it lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon in order to make Jalape*o Cilantro Hummus.
To make the hummus more flavorful, you can also roast the jalape*os in the oven until they are soft and blistered (don’t forget to remove the seeds) along with about 1 cup of fresh cilantro leaves.
When you are done, add this hummus to your food processor and process until smooth and tasty. If you want a more subtle flavor, you can try roasting the jalape*os until soft and blistered in the oven (don’t forget to remove the seeds).
Hummus with roasted red peppers
A batch of plain Homemade Hummus can be made into a roasted red pepper flavored hummus simply by adding one to two roasted red peppers to it and mixing it until smooth.
The pepper must be completely drained from the jar before being added to the processor in order not to thin the hummus out too much. This is a great hummus that is great with a touch of smoked paprika.
Parsley Scallion Hummus
It is necessary to thinly slice three to four scallions (green onions) and to pull about half a cup of parsley leaves off their stems for the Parsley Scallion Hummus.
In a food processor, combine the parsley, scallions, and plain hummus in a blender and process until the hummus is smooth.
You can use this hummus as a sandwich spread, in a vegan pasta sauce, or even as a salad spread.
What is your favorite flavor of Hummus?
Hummus is a familiar dish and very easy to make, especially it doesn’t take much time. As Apronese introduced above, it only took you 5 minutes for this problem, too fast, right?
And there are up to 4 recipes for you to choose, try and experience. Don’t forget to share a better recipe with us in the comments.
