By Debra Maslowski
This easy hummus recipe makes a creamy, delicious hummus that is great as a healthy snack and more. Also included are creative variations on the base recipe.
I love hummus!
A company in my local area makes hummus from traditional chickpeas, adding all sorts of interesting things like spinach, curry, coconut milk, and even mangoes. When then they started making some with black beans and lima beans, I was inspired to make homemade hummus with some of my favorite legumes and vegetables.
Now I have a delicious and easy hummus recipe, with many options for the base!
An Easy Hummus Recipe
Yield 2 cups
This easy hummus recipe is a great one to start with. Once you try it you can adjust it to your tastes, and even use different bases.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces soaked and drained chickpeas (find organic chickpeas here)
- 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
- juice from one lemon
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup tahini (find organic tahini here)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (find unrefined sea salt here)
- freshly ground pepper (find organic black peppercorns here)
Instructions
Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix well. You can omit the tahini if you want less fat, but it does help to make a smoother dip.
Cuisine Mediterranean
Great Additions to This Recipe
Once you have this easy hummus recipe down, you can add all sorts of cool things. Here are just a few:
- Spinach, steamed nettle leaves, lamb’s quarter leaves, cilantro, or beet leaves
- Roasted red peppers, chipotle peppers, or jalapeño peppers
- More garlic
- Avocados, carrots, or peas
- Ranch dressing mix
- Basil, oregano, or thyme
- Greek seasoning, chopped olives, and feta cheese
- Cucumbers, dill, and smoked salmon
You can see that there is no end to the possibilities. But, let’s take this one step further, a base other than chickpeas.
Different Items for the Base
My easy hummus recipe is great, but what about all the other fun veggies out there?
- Butternut squash: While most any squash would work here, butternut is a bit more solid, making it a better choice. Blend with a bit of cinnamon and cumin for a different flavor profile.
- Edamame: These tender soybeans have just the right texture to make a great hummus.
- Black Beans: One of my favorites, black beans are packed with nutrients.
- Lentils: This is yet another great legume to make hummus with.
- Sweet potatoes: These create a great dip for any time of the year.
- Roasted beets: I saw a recipe for this and had to try it. It was unbelievable!
Dessert Hummus… Delicious!
I admit that when I saw recipes for sweet hummus I was skeptical. But not anymore! Some tasty options include:
- Peanut butter with honey and bananas
- Chocolate
- Apples and cinnamon
- Coconut and pineapple
- Pumpkin pie
- Berries
With the sweet hummus recipes you’ll want to omit the garlic, but keep some salt to bring out the sweet flavors.
Note: check out our other homemade hummus recipe.
What do you think of this easy hummus recipe? Do you have other ideas for variations?
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I add a slice of preserved lemon. Always a big hit at parties! Also, I never seem to have tahini around, so I add sesame seeds with some additional olive oil. Works like a charm.
Are the chickpeas raw? I probably would not want the amount of, um, er, gas that would produce. . .
I’ve never had that problem, L, but if you are concerned, you can cook them first. Just don’t cook them too long because they’ll get mushy.
Do you start with dried chick peas? If so, how long do you soak them?
You can start with dried beans if you wish, Frances. If you do, soak them overnight or at least until they are tender.
Great ideas! I use cannellini beans as a base and add artichoke hearts or hearts of palm. Zucchini is good as a base also.
Great idea, Pam! I never thought of cannellini beans. I’ll have to try it.