Hummus Recipe

Hummus is one of those immensely popular foods that most people wouldn’t think of making at home, but it’s actually extremely easy to do it, and you can then alter the quantities to suit your exact tastes, rather than depending on the standards imposed by store-bought hummus.

We’re going to explore the best hummus recipe and some great variations you can try to spice your hummus up. You don’t have to stick exactly to the recipe when it comes to this popular and healthy dip, so feel free to change things up a bit if you find something that you don’t like so much!

The Best Hummus Recipe

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to hummus, but this recipe should suit most tastes and is easy to adapt. You will need:

➔ ½ cup of tahini, stirred well before using
➔ ½ cup of lemon juice
➔ Salt to taste
➔ Pepper to taste
➔ 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
➔ A little extra olive oil to swirl on top when you serve the hummus
➔ 3 cloves of minced garlic
➔ Two 15 ounce cans of chickpeas
➔ 3 tablespoons of aquafaba (the water from the cans of chickpeas)
➔ A little paprika or smoked paprika to serve
➔ A food processor or blending stick and a deep bowl

Method:

Step 1) Tip the tahini and the lemon juice into the food processor, and process them for a couple of minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl or jug to push the ingredients down to the base, and then blend further. Blending well at this stage makes the hummus creamy and smooth, and adds to the store-bought texture (if that’s what you’re looking for).

Step 2) Mince the garlic. You want it finely chopped so that your hummus isn’t lumpy, although it will get cut up when you blend the recipe later.

Step 3) Mix the minced garlic, the olive oil, some salt, and some pepper into the lemon juice and tahini, and blend it for another thirty seconds. Scrape the sides and blend for a further thirty seconds to make sure everything is incorporated.

Step 4) Open both cans of chickpeas and drain them, but save the aquafaba. Rinse the chickpeas in cold water.

Step 5) Add half of the chickpeas to the blender or food processor, and blend the mixture for a minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and blend again for thirty seconds.

Step 6) Add the rest of the chickpeas and blend for a couple of minutes, pausing to scrape the bowl if necessary.

Step 7) Check the hummus consistency. If it is too thick, you can add a couple of tablespoons of your reserved aquafaba, or some plain water. Blend it some more. You can keep adding aquafaba/water, but you shouldn’t need more than a few tablespoons. Blend further until you reach the consistency that you like best.

Some people prefer their hummus a little chunky, while others like it perfectly smooth. The great thing about this is that you can make it exactly the way you like it!

Step 8) Taste the hummus and add salt or pepper or additional lemon juice as necessary. If you are happy with it, serve it into a glass dish, add a swirl of olive oil to the top, and sprinkle on a little paprika. You should then have the perfect dip for any meal.

Step 9) Transfer leftover hummus into an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. It should last for up to a week like this, so make sure you refrigerate it to make the most of it!

Hummus Without Tahini Recipe

Have you ever wondered about a no tahini hummus recipe? Tahini is a staple ingredient, but if you can’t get it or you don’t like it, you might be wondering what can I use instead of tahini in hummus?

For a great hummus without tahini recipe, try using peanut butter. This will alter the flavor of the hummus, making it strongly peanutty. You might enjoy this, but if you don’t, another no tahini hummus recipe uses Greek yogurt. You can also swap in avocado, frozen peas (thawed), olives (pitted), or roasted beets.

Essentially, you just need an ingredient to expand the creamy flavor and smooth the texture a bit, so almost anything else will do. Try any of these, or experiment with other options to see if any seem perfect to you.

That might lead you to the question is hummus better with or without tahini? The answer is simply that it depends on your perspective. Some people love the flavor of tahini, while others prefer their hummus with different flavor profiles.

If you can’t get tahini, you can toast hulled sesame seeds in oil and then blend them into a paste. This is simple, fast, and a good way to increase your repertoire of homemade goods. If that doesn’t appeal, try one of the substitutes above for a great no tahini hummus recipe.

Spicy Hummus Recipe

What about a spicy hummus recipe? This is immensely popular, and there are so many ways that you can make it. You should try making a mild version first, and slowly dial up the heat so that it’s perfect for you. After all, you don’t want to lose the flavor of the chickpeas.

One of the great things about hummus is that it is in some ways quite bland, which just invites you to play around with flavors and textures. You might end up with an entire recipe book of hummus variations.

So, let’s start with a hummus recipe with red peppers. You can use roasted red peppers for a delightfully smoky flavor, or fresh red peppers if you prefer a crisp, refreshing taste. The choice is yours!

For this hummus recipe with red peppers, you can use the basic recipe found above, and then add four chopped red peppers to it. If you would rather use roasted pepper from a jar, you will want about a cup and a half of chopped peppers.

You will probably want to chop the peppers before adding them to the food processor. If you like your hummus chunky, make sure you have chopped the peppers finely in advance so that they only need a bit of blending before they are incorporated.

You can also reserve a handful of pepper for a garnish on the top of the finished hummus; this will look pretty and complement the color delightfully. This hummus recipe with red peppers is often a big hit for parties because it’s mild enough to enjoy, but an interesting twist on the classic recipe.

You might want a bit more heat than this provides, in which case, spicy hummus with sriracha may appeal to you. Fortunately, this is also super easy to create, possibly even easier than the red pepper version.

You will need the same basic ingredients, but an addition of 60 ml of lime juice (instead of lemon), 20 ml of sesame seed oil, 20 ml of soy sauce, and 120 ml of sriracha sauce. You may also wish to increase the amount of garlic that you add, but this is optional.

With these ingredients, whipping up a spicy hummus with sriracha could not be simpler. All you need to do is blend everything together, adding water if necessary to make the mix smooth.

This hummus benefits from resting for a while so that the flavors can combine fully. Put it in the fridge for thirty minutes if possible.

Spicy hummus with sriracha makes a wonderful combination with fried bread, crackers, or chips, and you can further increase the heat if you feel the need to.

Is It Better To Peel Chickpeas For Hummus?

Have you ever peeled a chickpea? It is a bit of a tricky process, but if you want smooth hummus, you need to do it. If you prefer your hummus a little chunky, don’t bother with this step.

Peeling chickpeas is certainly not a fun part of cooking, but the fact is that the tough skin of the chickpea isn’t going to become smooth no matter how much you blend it. If you don’t like the “rustic” version of hummus, you need to peel your chickpeas.

Of course, not everyone likes smooth hummus, so you may not feel the need to spend time taking the skins off. However, if you do like the less gritty version, consider the following trick:

Put your chickpeas in a pressure cooker and cover them with water. Add some baking soda, and boil for a few minutes. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, a standard pot will do, but increase the cooking time.

Cool the chickpeas with cold water and then the skins should slide straight off because the baking soda loosens them. If any are not loose, just gently pinch the chickpea between two fingers, and the skin should pop off.

Discard the skins into your compost, and use the peeled chickpeas for a delicious and wonderfully smooth hummus.

What Tastes Nice With Hummus?

You might be wondering what you should pair with your hummus once you have made it. The options are limitless, and this dip is so versatile, you can put it with almost anything. It is generally served with breadsticks or crackers, but you can get a lot more adventurous, and we are going to cover a few of the best pairings here.

First of all, vegetables – you can eat almost any vegetable with hummus, and it will taste great. Try raw carrot, for starters. Cucumber is also a great option because the mild flavor and crunchiness go well with the hummus.

If you haven’t made red pepper hummus (or even if you have!), sliced peppers are another great, crispy option to try. You can also use slices of tomato, rounds of radish, or florets of broccoli, or even cauliflower. If you are adventurous, you could try dipping in raw beets or pile some hummus on an avocado.

Nearly any fresh vegetable is great with hummus, and it’s also delicious with roasted veggies. Some roasted zucchini or butternut squash, topped with a dollop of cold hummus, is a wonderful and healthy snack or side dish.

What about fruits? There are fewer options here (although you can try anything!), but apples are a good choice. Their sweet edge creates an interesting combination with the hummus, and it makes a change from apples and peanut butter or cheese.

If you are a fan of avocado on toast but you can’t get hold of avocados easily, consider hummus on toast. A sprinkle of paprika for a little spicy kick, and this is a delicious and nutritious breakfast any day of the week.

You can also use hummus as a replacement for bechamel sauce, and it works well in a vegetarian or vegan moussaka.

Tips For Great Hummus

If your hummus just isn’t up to scratch but you can’t figure out what’s wrong with it, here are a few things to try. Remember, everyone has different preferences when it comes to hummus, so you will probably have to experiment a bit.

1) Add more garlic for a stronger flavor.
2) Use more tahini for a creamier taste.
3) Add a little more lemon juice or water for smoother, thinner hummus.
4) Drizzle on herb oil instead of olive oil.
5) Try a salty garnish such as capers or chopped olives.
6) Add some extra salt if it is just missing “something,” but you can’t tell what. Keep tasting and adjusting.
7) Include different herbs and spices in the garnish, or while blending.
8) Stir a few mashed chickpeas into the blended recipe for a bit more texture.
9) Sprinkle a handful of pine nuts on the top for a dash of luxury.

Hopefully, you have found a hummus recipe to suit you here. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to hummus, so don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun! Your recipe will probably turn out unique to you because we all enjoy this dish in slightly different ways. As long as you get something you love, that’s just fine!