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This creamy, dreamy Homemade Hummus Recipe is sure to enter your regular rotation! Serve homemade hummus with piles of warm, fluffy pita bread, tuck it into sandwiches, or simply eat it with a spoon, it’s that good!
Easy Homemade Hummus
Homemade hummus is one of the best and easiest dishes that’s also incredibly versatile. You can serve a bowl of homemade hummus with a pile of crunchy fresh vegetables for dipping, spread it on a wrap or sandwich, use it in a salad dressing, scoop it up with blue corn tortilla chips, or eat it simply with a fresh baguette or my personal favorite, pita bread, and make it a complete meal.
I love making hummus because it’s so simple to put together. If you have tahini and a can of chickpeas in your pantry you can whip this up right away (and might I suggest always keeping these two ingredients in your kitchen so you can make hummus on the spur of the moment!). I’ve included a few tips below to make sure your own homemade hummus turns out ultra-creamy and smooth.
This is a foolproof, straightforward recipe that will satisfy any hummus craving. Don’t forget to use fresh lemon juice for that wonderful tangy flavor that brings it all together. What are you waiting for?
Why Make Hummus From Scratch?
In my opinion, the best hummus is found in Middle Eastern restaurants and I won’t be convinced otherwise! Once you’ve tasted “real” hummus, the store-bought stuff just won’t cut it anymore. The next best thing to traveling to a Mediterranean country and digging into an authentic plate of hummus is to make it yourself. You can add more garlic if you like, and the same goes for lemon juice. Homemade is always best and homemade hummus is definitely worth the minimal effort needed to make it.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this hummus recipe. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Chickpeas: You can use one can of chickpeas, which equals about 1 ½ cups of beans.
- Lemon Juice: From a fresh lemon is best, although you can use bottled juice if needed.
- Garlic: If you love garlic, you can increase the amount called for.
- Tahini: Tahini should be smooth and creamy, so choose a brand that is
- Ice Water: This helps make the hummus super creamy and with a lovely pale color.
- Olive Oil: I like to use extra virgin olive oil.
- Salt: I use Kosher salt in this recipe.
- Ground Cumin: Cumin is found in the spice aisle at the grocery store.
- More Olive Oil, Fresh Lemon Juice, Coarse Black Pepper, Sesame Seeds, Fresh Herbs: For garnish.
How to Make Hummus From Scratch
You’ll need a food processor or blender to make hummus from scratch, and it’s such a simple recipe. Here’s how to make homemade hummus:
- Cook the chickpeas to soften them. To make canned chickpeas as soft as possible, place them in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes. Drain and dry the chickpeas. Set aside.
- Process the lemon juice, garlic, and tahini. Pour lemon juice into a food processor or blender and add chopped garlic. Process together for 10-15 seconds. This will allow the flavor of the garlic to become less harsh. Add tahini paste and 2 Tablespoons water. Process until smooth.
- Blend in the chickpeas. Add the chickpeas, reserving a few peas for garnish, if desired, and the olive oil, salt, and cumin. Process until you get a smooth hummus, adding the last tablespoon of water or additional olive oil to achieve your desired consistency.
- Plate and serve the hummus. Transfer the hummus to a deep plate, and make grooves with a spoon so that the olive oil does not flow to the edges of the plate. Drizzle with additional olive oil and lemon juice, if desired, then garnish with reserved whole chickpeas, pepper, sesame seeds, or fresh herbs, as preferred.
Tips & Variation Ideas
Here are a few tips that will help you make the most of out of this hummus recipe:
- Add baking soda to the cooking water. Baking soda helps break down the chickpea skins while you’re boiling the chickpeas, which will make your homemade hummus even creamier! Add ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the pot when you stir in the chickpeas for the best results.
- Make olive hummus. Add ½ cup of pitted Kalamata olives (or olives of your choice) to the food processor when you add the chickpeas to make an olive hummus.
- Add roasted red peppers. Roasted red peppers are great add to hummus! Use about ½ cup to 1 cup of chopped, roasted red peppers in your hummus, adding them when you add the chickpeas to the food processor or blender.
- Toss in some fresh herbs. To make a green, herb-infused hummus, try adding ½ cup of fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, or thyme, or an assortment.
- Stir in more lemon juice. Add a little more lemon juice if you like a very lemony hummus. You can add up to 1 extra tablespoon of lemon juice without affecting the consistency of the hummus.
- Try roasted garlic. Roasted garlic has a mellow sweetness that is so nice in homemade hummus. You can substitute 4-5 cloves of roasted garlic for the fresh garlic in this hummus recipe.
- Cook the chickpeas from scratch. If you wish to make your own chickpeas from dried beans, it’s so easy. Here’s what to do: place ¾ cup of dried chickpeas plus ½ teaspoon of baking soda in a large pot. Cover the chickpeas with water by at least 2 inches. Then bring to a boil over high heat, using a metal spoon to skim off any foam that forms. Lower the heat and continue boiling over medium-high until the chickpeas are very mushy and falling apart, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Drain the chickpeas and rinse with cold water before proceeding with the recipe.
FAQs
Hummus is a good source of plant-based protein and fiber. Tahini is made from chickpeas, which contain calcium. And olive oil is heart-healthy.
Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic.
Things to Serve With Hummus
I think the real question is: what doesn’t go with hummus? Here are some of my favorite ways to serve homemade hummus:
- Fresh vegetables. An assortment of raw, fresh vegetables is so good for dipping into hummus. Some of my favorites include baby carrots, cucumber spears, cut-up red pepper, and broccoli.
- Pita bread. Pita bread and hummus were made for each other. Scoop up homemade hummus with my Gluten-Free Pita Bread or make pita pockets with hummus and raw veggies.
- In a wrap. Make a fresh wrap with hummus, avocado, and sprouts! Take my Gluten-Free Wraps recipe and fill it with hummus and whatever vegetables you like for a light but satisfying lunch.
- With garlic bread. A batch of my Gluten-Free Garlic Breadsticks would make for a great appetizer alongside a big bowl of homemade hummus.
- On a sandwich. Make a loaf of my Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread and make a wonderful savory sandwich with hummus as a condiment. You can add cheese, lunch meat, avocado, or anything else you can think of!
- Toasted bagels. Toast one of my Gluten-Free Plain Bagels or Gluten-Free Everything Bagels and spread it with homemade hummus.
- As a dip. Swap hummus for salsa and serve it with white or blue corn chips for a salty, crispy snack.
- Make a meal. Enjoy it dolloped over Grilled Greek Chicken or Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes.
How to Store It
Store hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve the hummus straight from the fridge.
Can You Freeze Hummus?
You can freeze hummus in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months. Defrost the hummus in the fridge before using it. However, the longer you freeze hummus the more its texture will change once it’s defrosted. I prefer to make my hummus when I want it rather than freeze it.
Homemade Hummus Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup tahini
- 2-3 tablespoons ice water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- Additional olive oil and fresh lemon juice, coarse black pepper, sesame seeds, and fresh herbs, for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- To make canned chickpeas as soft as possible, add them to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil them for 20 minutes. Drain and dry the chickpeas. Set aside.
- Pour lemon juice into a food processor or blender and add chopped garlic. Process together for 10-15 seconds. This will allow the flavor of the garlic to become less harsh. Add tahini paste and 2 Tablespoons water. Process until smooth.
- Add chickpeas, reserving a few peas for garnish, if desired, and the olive oil, salt, and cumin. Process until you get a smooth hummus, adding the last tablespoon of water or additional olive oil to achieve your desired consistency.
- Transfer the hummus to a deep plate, and make grooves with a spoon so that the olive oil does not flow to the edges of the plate. Drizzle with additional olive oil and lemon juice, if desired, then garnish with reserved whole chickpeas, pepper, sesame seeds, or fresh herbs, as preferred.
Did you make this?
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