Everyone needs a great hummus recipe! Creamy, earthy, utterly addictive.
Made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon, olive oil and garlic, it’s a great standby pantry dip for unexpected guests or midnight munchies! Creamy and smooth, it’s completely incomparable to the thick, sour store bought hummus.
Hummus recipe
Whenever I’m planning gatherings, I like to keep the stress levels down by using a combination of some store bought things and some homemade things for pre dinner nibble platters. I buy cured meats, olives and crackers (though these homemade gourmet crackers are in high demand in my circles).
But I always put hummus on the “make” side of the list.
Though there really are some great dips at supermarkets nowadays, hummus is not and never will be one of them. It’s too sour, it’s too thick, it lacks the signature creaminess of real hummus.
The first time you try homemade hummus will be a game changer. I absolutely swear to you.
And it’s so darn EASY.
I want to tell you that I always make hummus with dried chickpeas that I’ve soaked overnight and cooked until tender but that would be bollocks. The truth is, hummus is the sort of thing I want to make right now and that means grabbing a can of chickpeas. At best, I’ll pressure cook the chickpeas – which means waiting one whole hour. But it’s better than waiting until tomorrow. 😉
There’s only one thing that you may not have in your pantry right now but it’s available at all major supermarkets nowadays here in Australia – tahini.
Tahini is just sesame paste, and if you don’t use it, then it’s not hummus. I’m not saying it won’t be tasty, but it just won’t be hummus. 🙂 It lasts for ages in the pantry, and it’s a great standby for all those Friday evenings when the clock ticks over to 5 pm (4 pm?) and you’re ready to put your feet up with some nibbles and a glass of wine…. (I literally just described what I’ll be doing in 2 hours).
Be sure to use HULLED tahini, not unhulled. Unhulled tahini is made using sesame seeds, hull and all, which makes the sauce richer but more bitter.
How to serve Hummus
As for how and what to serve with hummus? Well, how about like THIS…. I mean, truly. If there was ever a way to get excited about eating loads and loads of veggies, this would be it!!! Thank you Bon Appetit, for the beautiful inspiration. 🙂
But of course, there’s always the option to stick with the classic – serving with flatbreads, or crispy baked store bought pita bread. I like to cut them up, spray with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until crispy.
If you want to get a bit fancy, try sprinkling with a bit of dukkah too (it’s a spice mix with seeds that’s sold at supermarkets nowadays).
Using hummus in dishes
Hummus is also a popular sauce options for Middle Eastern wraps such as Shawarma and Doner Kebab. Smear flatbreads with a generous dollop of hummus before piling on the marinated meats and fresh salads!
I make the consistency of my hummus the way it is served in the Middle East which is much looser than the dip you buy in stores. The consistency is more like a very thick ketchup. But it is much thinner than the store bought version.
In the Middle East, it is served spread out on a plate, then you use the back of a spoon to make swirls in it, drizzle over olive oil (which pools in the swirls). Then sprinkle over some reserved chickpeas and a pinch of paprika. One day, try this traditional Hummus with Spiced Lamb – it’s incredible!
My biggest tip is to serve it at room temperature! It makes such a difference, the flavour is better and it’s creamier.
We made it to the end of the week. It’s Friday. Go on. You deserve some end-of-week nibbles and wine!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Hummus
Ingredients
- 400g / 14 oz canned chickpeas (1 can) , drained (reserve liquid and a few chickpeas for garnish) (Dried Chickpeas - Note 1)
- 1/4 cup liquid from the canned chickpeas
- 1 medium garlic clove , minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup tahini, hulled (sesame paste), mixed well before using (Note 2)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Garnish
- Pinch of paprika, more olive oil and reserved chickpeas
Instructions
- Extra smooth optional steps: If you want ultra smooth hummus, do one of the extra Smooth Hummus steps below (I rare bother!).
- Reserve for garnish: Reserve 10 or so chickpeas for garnish.
- Blitz! Place remaining chickpeas, garlic, lemon, tahini and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blitz until it becomes a paste.
- Season - Add salt and pepper - if using canned chickpeas, add salt gradually because the saltiness varies from brand to brand.
- Thin sauce - Add reserved liquid from can. Blitz for a couple of minutes until smooth - but note you will have tiny little grains in it, it won't be 100% smooth unless you do one of the extra steps below.
- Adjust - Adjust lemon and salt to taste, adjust thickness with more liquid. It should be a soft dropping consistency, like ketchup.
- Serve the traditional way: dollop a big scoop of hummus on a plate or shallow bowl. Use a spoon to spread it and make swirls on the surface. Top with reserved chickpeas, drizzle generously with more olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.
Optional- easy ways to make ultra smooth hummus (Note 4)
- Method 1: Drain chickpease, place in large bowl and fill with water. Grab handfuls and rub between your hands submerged in the water - skins will rub off and float to surface. Skim floating skin off, drain and use per recipe.
- Method 2: Tip all contents of can INCLUDING liquid into heatproof bowl. Cover loosely with lid or clingwrap, microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drain then use per recipe (hot chickpeas blitz smoother).
Recipe Notes:
* Originally published May 2014. Updated with recipe video and tidying up the steps plus extra tip for how to make smoother hummus plus using dried chickpeas.Nutrition Information:
More dip recipes
-
Guacamole (done right!) or Avocado Hummus Dip
-
French Onion Dip (from scratch) OR Retro Soup Mix 2 Minute French Onion Dip
-
Hot Corn Dip – you’ll love the flavour in this creamy, bubbly dip!
-
Smoked Salmon Dip (flavour you can’t buy in tubs!)
-
See all Dip Recipes
Life of Dozer
He came to the hairdresser with me the other day when I went to get my usual upkeep done (I live in a very dog friendly neighbourhood!). And he somehow managed to get a splotch of my black hair dye on his face.
That’s PERMANENT hair colouring….
Great recipes but way too much tahini for my taste. I started with half the amount and that would’ve been perfect but had to add a little more to offset the tanginess from the lemons. Will defi make this again but with half the tahini and a little less lemon juice 🙂
Sorry this was a first Nagi recipe fail for me. Need to halve the tahini and less oil too.
Thanks for your reply Nagi, truly I love your recipes, this one just wasn’t to my taste
Hi Kaye, sorry you didn’t enjoy it, could you have possibly mis measured here? N x
Can you sub yogurt for the tahini in this recipe? I saw that as a substitute in your avocado dip posted.
Hi Sondra, you can although it will alter the flavour. N x
? From Canada 🇨🇦
Here we have 19oz cans of chickpeas.
How will this affect the measurements for the lemon juice, olive oil & tahini ?
Hi Joy, easy fix – just click the servings and scale up to a 19oz can and all the other ingredients will adjust for you 🙂 N x
A variation is to use a tin of butter beans.
Hi Stephan – yes you definitely can, it’s just not traditional hummus 🙂 N x
I had this again tonight as a snack with Quavers crisps. Not very gourmet I’ll admit but I have to admit it was a taste sensation as a snack, albeit not as healthy as the veg which I would usually have. Thanks Nagi as I now have crisp dip or as some people say potato chip x
First time making hummus and I have to admit it was so easy using this recipe. I used a stick blender as that’s all I have and it turned out great. Thanks again Nagi x
Best Hummus recipe we have ever tried. Flavors blended beautifully. I can’t say enough about this recipe!
Thank you. Great flavour. To perfection. I used roasted garlic instead.
Made this for the second time in two weeks. Halved the amount of tahini as last time was a bit too bitter, but this time it was perfect! Is it ok to eat it straight from the bowl with a spoon… asking for a friend 😅
Great recipe, but, dried chickpeas, cooked overnight in the crock pot reign supreme. Just throw a pound in the crockpot with 7 cups of water and 1/4 tsp of baking soda, on LOW before you go to bed. I usually cook more chickpeas and throw half in the freezer. Worlds of difference … in the humble opinion of these dedicated hummus eaters.
Thank you so much! Great recipe, lost my old one. God bless you! Praying for america!
This is amazing, thank you! Peeling the chickpeas was definitely a game changer! Have you heard of baba ganoush? It’s similar to hummus but made of eggplant! Highly recommend, and I’d love if you’d make it and share a recipe! Much love
I make this hummus weekly! It’s a big hit but I hit a snag today. I bought different tahini and guess what? Very bitter! I don’t think the kids will eat it (not sure I want to either). FYI I usually use Mayvers hulled.
I can’t remember if I’ve asked – but did you use UNHULLED accidentally?? It’s much more bitter than hulled. I usually use Mayver’s Hulled too! N x
Oh my goooodness. The best. I’ve tried a few store bought hummus that were too sour and too thick and so I stopped buying it.
You swore that this would be a game changer and it was! I had crackers with it and when the crackers ran out I made toast with hummus and my buddy had quiche and hummus. Tomorrow I’ll have a sandwich and spread hummus on it!
This was so quick and easy to make. Thank u again for your great recipes.
Delicious
I don’t have tahini , I substitute with peanut butter and flavor is amazing ! With baked whole wheat pita bread yummy
Yum, sounds fabulous Elaine! N x
Hi Nagi! How long will the hummus keep in the fridge? (If no one touches it 😆)
Hi B, I keep mine up to 4 days 🙂 N x
Wow this is so creamy and delicious. Very easy to make, will never use store bought again. I used a bit less tahini as I have learnt from past experience making hommus it can make it bitter. Serving this with baked pita chips and veggie sticks tomorrow to friends before dinner.
I couldn’t be happy to read your explanation about how to serve a home made hummus – spread it on a plate and drizzle with olive oil and paprika, I am an Israeli and we treat our hummus with utmost respect 🙂 I will add that we sometimes serve it with hard boiled egg (quartered and sprinkled with coarse salt and pepper) and Zhug (a lovely very spicy paste, made from hot peppers, fresh coriander and tons of garlic. Of course a fluffy freshly baked pitta is a must xx
How do I fix the bitter taste?
Hi Liz – it shouldn’t be bitter! What type of tahini are you using? N x
Hi Nagi,
I use the organic tahini from Woolies. Read from some sites that tahini might cause the bitter flavour and to just add only a little. Tried just a teaspoon and that seems to have worked. My hummus was perfect!