Surprisingly Quick, Easy and Delicious: Homemade Hummus (Classic + Variations)

Homemade hummus is excellent for picnics and snacking on-the-go. It’s super easy to make and better than store-bought. And wait until you’ve tried our delicious variations of the classic hummus recipe…

Just in case you don’t know, hummus is a middle-eastern / east-mediterranean plant-based spread or dip. Its basic ingredients are chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tahini (sesame paste), olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Besides being super delicious, it’s also a great source of protein – especially helpful for a happier-making plant-based diet.

The Many Ways of Eating Hummus…

First and foremost, it’s the perfect dip for vegetables, pita bread or chips. It’s a tasty substitution for mayonnaise and mustard in sandwiches. We love hummus as the base in a wrap also featuring artichokes, baby greens and sun-dried tomatoes. Yum!!! Also try it on top of salads, with falafel, or in deviled eggs (just mix with the yolks).

Is Hummus Healthy?

The simple answer is: yes, hummus has quite a few nutritional benefits. Chickpeas are pretty high in plant-based protein, fiber and some minerals and vitamins. The olive oil and sesame seed paste (tahini) provide good (unsaturated) fats. When it comes to the question if hummus is low-carb or high-carb, opinions vary. Make up your own mind: 2 tablespoons of basic hummus contain 4 grams of carbohydrates. It’s rather high in sodium for some. By the way, canned chickpeas retain pretty much the same nutrients as otherwise cooked chickpeas.

Classic Hummus Recipe Ingredients

1-2 cloves garlic (peeled)
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
(up to) 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (to taste)
(up to) 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Classic Hummus Recipe Instructions

One quick note on the recipe instructions: the fastest, easiest, best way to make hummus is in a food processor. You could also use a blender. Or in a pinch: just chop, smash and stir. We know you can do it!

1. With food processor running, drop garlic in via the feeding tube. (Obviously, don’t put your fingers down into running food processor!)
2. With food processor turned off, add: chickpeas, salt, cumin, cayenne (to taste), black pepper (to taste).
3. Blend for 30 seconds. Scrape down food processor sides if necessary.
4. In a (measuring) pitcher, stir together until well blended: water, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice.
5. With food processor running, slowly pour in water-tahini-oil-juice mixture. Let it run for 1 – 2 minutes. Scrape down sides and even bottom, if necessary.
6. Done! You just made your very own delicious homemade hummus!

Happier Hummus Tips

Let the hummus rest for 20 minutes to let the flavors mix.

Before serving, add a little bit of olive oil.

If you’re feeling fancy, add a garnish: toasted pine nuts (see: Our Favorite Picnic Food: Happier Pasta Salad), fresh parsley, olives, capers, smoked paprika powder etc.

A note on mixing the liquid with the dry-ish ingredients in this hummus recipe… Some recipes have you add all ingredients at once and let the food processor do the rest. But hummus might end up more chunky than smooth. Other recipes will instruct you to add each liquid separately. But that seems like a little too much extra effort. So we’ve made a compromise by having you mix all liquids in an easy-pour pitcher and then adding them to the already-processed spiced-up chickpeas.

Any leftovers should get refrigerated and be eaten within 5 days. You might want to add a little bit of water to make refrigerated hummus smooth again.

Delicious Hummus Variations

If you’re committed to upscaling your entire batch of classic homemade hummus, feel free to add the additional ingredients to the hummus in the food processor as a last step, and pulse it 3 – 5 times.

However, we recommend that you split your basic homemade hummus into several bowls and create a variety of different spreads. Just use a spork to stir in less (just 1/2 or 1/3) of the respective additional ingredients. Keep in mind: this isn’t baking, so add additional flavors based on your own preference.

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

Stir the following ingredients into (about 2 cups) Classic Hummus to make Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus:
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (drained if in oil, chopped)
2 tbsp fresh basil (washed, dried, chopped)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Olive Parsley Hummus (aka Tapenade Hummus)

Stir the following ingredients into the Classic Hummus to make Tapenade Hummus:
1/4 cup fresh parsley (washed, dried, chopped)
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives (drained, chopped)
1/3 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives (drained, chopped)

Of course, the above isn’t really a direct mix of tapenade and hummus. Tapenade itself is a spread mainly made of olives and capers. It usually includes other ingredients already present in the Classic Hummus (i.e., olive oil, lemon juice) – but can also include things as fishy as anchovies.

Still Even More Homemade Hummus Varieties

There are quite a few other delicious spins on the classic hummus recipe. But quite a few of them, require substitution of ingredients in the main recipe (e.g., lime instead of lemon for cilantro/lime hummus) or look best if the additional ingredients are added right into the food processor (e.g., red beets for a Red Hummus or a whole cup of parsley, chives, tarragon etc. for a Green Goddess Hummus).

We like to keep it “simple with a twist” here at Happier Place because we want to help you get out the door and enjoy the outdoors, food, drinks and all the fun as fast as possible. So we stuck to variations that are based on: just add a little extra to the basic recipe.

Now, go out there and have some delicious fun!

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Wait, it’s snowing, raining or just too darn hot outside?
Then please take a moment and leave us a comment. We’d love to read what YOUR favorite hummus flavor is… or how you like to eat hummus (have you tried it in a pizza sauce yet?)… or your favorite place for an outdoor picnic… or whatever you’d like to share.

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