An irresistibly smooth, savory, & easy-to-make hummus recipe! It has the simplest ingredients like roasted garlic, chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and cumin. I’ll bet you after making this you’ll forget about your store-bought favorite hummus.

I couldn’t help myself from eating this tangy and rich-tasting chickpeas puree. I had to create my own ImmaculateBites Hummus! It’s so good that I made my version of it and added pepper flakes in my hummus for a spicy kick! (knowing me, I’d typically put it on everything).

What Is Hummus?

The argument of many countries like the Middle Easterns and Mediterraneans about who makes “the best Hummus” in the world, has made Hummus a popular dish (aside from the fact that it’s very delicious). But until now, the biggest question as to where it originally came from is still unanswered. If you have an idea, drop it in the comments!

In relation to culinary, the earliest known written recipes for a dish resembling “hummus bi tahina” (chickpeas with tahini) are recorded in Arabic cookbooks written in Cairo in the 13th century. It is a Middle Eastern dip, spread, or savory dish made from cooked mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic.

It is also used as an aphrodisiac because it contains lots of nutrients and loaded with zinc, magnesium, potassium, and iron which support physical energy.

Is Hummus Good For You?

Hummus is a dip and spread made from chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice, with that said the benefits that we can get from eating it mainly came from its healthy ingredients.

1. No Food Allergens. Hummus is naturally free of common food allergens and irritants, such as gluten, nuts, and dairy, which means it can be enjoyed by most people.
2. Chickpeas or Garbanzo beans are a great source of fiber and protein. Studies have shown that beans and legumes such as chickpeas can help reduce weight, risk factors for heart disease, and potentially even the risk of cancer, especially when they replace red meat in the diet.
3. Olive oil has been linked to many health benefits, including less inflammation, better brain health, protection against heart disease and stroke, and the ability to help fight cancer
4. Vegan-friendly ingredients
5. Help improve bowel function and reduce the number of bad bacteria in the intestines
6. High in fiber & folate, and they’re also low in calories. They can help reduce blood sugar, decrease blood cholesterol and improve gut health.

What Does Hummus Taste Like?

It tastes tangy and rich. The basic ingredients of hummus include chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice and garlic.
ImmaculateBites Hummus Recipe Ingredients

• Roasted Garlic – gives caramelized sweetness and richer flavor to the hummus. Know more about garlic facts here.
• Chickpeas – adds a nutty flavor and an earthy touch to it.
• Tahini Sauce – tastes like sesame seeds with a savory, bitter, and nutty flavor profile.
• Olive Oil – has a dark green or golden hue and a buttery taste, it also adds to the creamy profile of hummus.
• Lemon Juice – I used freshly squeezed lemon juice in this recipe.
• Cumin – gives a warm, earthy, slightly peppery flavor and aroma.
• Salt and Pepper – to taste and act as a flavor booster. Learn more about pepper Hummus.
• Pepper Flakes – it has a slightly sharp and a little earthy taste with a dose of spiciness.
• Paprika – has a bright red color which makes it a perfect garnish for my hummus. Learn more about the kinds of paprika here.

Alternative Ingredients

• Add more olive oil – If you want to make hummus without tahini, then you can leave it out. Put more olive oil in place of tahini.
• Sesame oil – Sometimes tahini gives a subtle bitter undertone and other people don’t like it. So to make up for it you can substitute sesame oil for tahini which will give hummus a creamy texture.
• Nutty hummus – Use my recipe below for hummus but substitute tahini with nuts (be careful as nuts are considered a food allergen) such as macadamias, cashews, pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts. Using these nuts will bring a slightly different flavor.
• Vegetable – Just substitute roasted or steamed veggies for the chickpeas. Cauliflower for example is incredibly delicious or sweet potato which is also an excellent option.

Tips and Tricks In Making Homemade Hummus

• Season it well. Sometimes we want to adjust the taste of our food, it might just need a touch more of the flavor-boosters you’d normally use for seasonings like salt, lemon, spice. Start adding a little at a time and taste as you go.
• More tahini – will make your hummus creamier and nuttier with sesame. Just don’t forget to season with salt and lemon juice to balance its richness.
• Greek yogurt – Mixing in a couple of tablespoons will make your hummus tangier plus the texture will be lighter and creamier.
• Roasted garlic – Add them in for an incredible fragrance and slight sweetness.
• Toasted nuts and infused oil – Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a small saucepan, spices, or spice mix that you prefer and wait until it’s fragrant just a few minutes then add slivered almonds, roughly chopped walnuts, pistachios, or pine nuts and cook you can smell the aroma and turns golden brown. Let it cool then spoon over your hummus.

Storage And Making Ahead Instructions

• Refrigerator – Hummus can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Freezer – Store in an airtight container and keep in the freezer for 4 months.
• Leave extra space. Make sure to fill only ¾ of your container before freezing, because hummus expands as it freezes.
• A layer of oil – Adding a thin layer of olive oil on top of your hummus before storing it will keep it moist.
• Properly thaw – transfer the container of hummus from the freezer to the refrigerator a day before you plan to eat it.

Where To Use Homemade Hummus?

• Top it with/ on other ingredients though hummus already tastes excellent by itself, you can still make it even better by topping it with caramelized onions, tomatoes, chopped parsley, cucumbers, hard-boiled eggs or Deviled Eggs, Sautéed Mushrooms, olives, or pine nuts.
• Other main dishes. Hummus also goes well with falafel, Grilled Chicken, and eggplant.
• Spread and dip in. It pairs perfectly with snacks like wheat thins, apples, pretzels, carrots, celery, bell peppers, Pita bread, and pita chips.

More Easy Side Dish Recipes

• Scalloped Potatoes
• Baked Acorn Squash
• Baked Mac and Cheese

How To Make Hummus?

Roasting the Garlic

• Prepare the garlic. Cut the top ¼” to ½” off of a whole head of garlic, so that each individual clove should be visible. Make sure every garlic clove is exposed. (Photo 1)
• Roast until golden brown. Place the head of garlic on foil paper together with the thyme. Drizzle the top of the garlic with a bit of oil, about 1 teaspoon. Wrap it up and place it in the oven to roast for about 30 minutes or more. (Photos 2-3)
• Roasted garlic. It should be soft, fragrant, and golden. Let the garlic cool, then squeeze individual cloves out of the skin. (Photo 4)

Making The Hummus

• Make a puree. In a food processor add in roasted garlic, chickpeas, tahini sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, and cumin then blend until it’s pureed. (Photos 5-7)
• Season to taste, you can add more of the tahini, olive oil, lemon, and cumin. It really depends on which you prefer to add more and the taste you want to achieve.
• Garnish. Once it’s pureed transfer it to a bowl and top with pepper flakes, paprika, and drizzle with olive oil. (Photo 8)

Watch How to Make it

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