I have a secret ingredient in my easy homemade hummus recipe that adds great flavor and eliminates an ingredient I hate.
Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip recipe that is traditionally made from cooked chickpeas, garlic, lemon, olive oil, and tahini. Served with pita or other flatbreads, hummus is eaten as a dip or spread. Hummus is an ancient recipe dating back almost a thousand years. Often served at the beginning of the meal as part of a selection of small plates known as a ‘meze’. My hummus recipe is both vegan and gluten-free.
As I said at the beginning, my hummus recipe has a secret ingredient; cucumber!
Many hummus recipes use the liquid from the cooked chickpeas or worse, the ‘nectar’ from canned chickpeas. Personally, I find this liquid tastes bad and don’t want to add it to my recipe. So, for this hummus recipe, I puree a cucumber with the chickpeas to add moisture and get a perfect consistency. The cucumber adds a subtle flavor to this hummus that is very complementary to the dish. I honestly believe that this is one of the best hummus recipes I’ve ever tasted. If you take anything away from this recipe, it’s this: stop adding the ‘nectar’ from the canned chickpeas to your hummus, it’s gross.
Always cook the chickpeas prior to making hummus. Raw or undercooked beans will cause gas, and no one wants that. If you are using dried chickpeas, I highly recommend soaking them overnight then cooking them prior to making the hummus recipe.
If making hummus with dry chickpeas you’ll need to soak them first. There are two ways to soak chickpeas, overnight and a quick soak.
- Overnight Soak: Simply place the chickpeas in a large pot and cover with 2-3 inches of water, cover and let soak for at least 12 hours. When ready to cook, simply drain and rinse the chickpeas and add the cooking liquid of your choice; water, broth, stock, etc.
- Quick Soak: Place the chickpeas in a large pot and cover with 2-3 inches of water, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and cover, let soak for around 3-4 hours. Same as the overnight method, when ready to cook, simply drain and rinse the chickpeas and add the cooking liquid of your choice; water, broth, stock, etc.
Ingredients in my easy homemade hummus recipe:
- Chickpeas: Also, known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are the base of the hummus recipe. If using canned chickpeas to make my Hummus recipe, they should always be rinsed and cooked thoroughly. Then allowed to cool prior to making the hummus.
- Tahini Paste: Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. I occasionally omit tahini from my hummus recipe if I am cooking for people with nut allergies. The hummus recipe tastes great with or without the tahini.
- Garlic and Lemon: My homemade hummus is a very garlicky, lemony bean dip. I add 1 to 2-teaspoons of chopped garlic to the dip and the juice and zest from 1-lemon. You can adjust the amount of garlic in the hummus recipe to suit your taste.
- Cucumber: Cucumber is the secret ingredient in my hummus recipe and the source of moisture. It gives the recipe a great consistency and subtle flavor. Once you make hummus this way, you’ll never use the liquid from the canned chickpeas again.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil adds a smooth texture and bright flavor to the hummus. It is also used as a garnish for the finished dish.
- Spices: Salt, paprika, and red pepper flakes. I experimented a lot over the years with the amount of salt in the recipe. I definitely believe that salt is the key to a great hummus recipe. Too little and the hummus will be bland, too much and it’s just salty.
Here is my easy homemade hummus recipe:
Easy Homemade Hummus
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Chickpeas 2-15 ounce cans. Cooked, drained, rinsed, and cooled. Reserve 1/4 cup of chickpeas to use as a garnish.
- 1 Lemon Zest and juice
- 3 Tablespoons Tahini Can be omitted if you have concerns over nut allergies
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1-2 Teaspoons Garlic Crushed and chopped. Adjust to taste, 2- teaspoons is very garlicky.
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cucumber Peeled, seeds removed
Garnishes
- 1/4 Cup Chickpeas
- Drizzle Olive Oil
- Sprinkle Flat Leaf Parsley rough chopped
- Pinch Paprika
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, place in a small pot, cover with fresh water and boil for 20 minutes. Drain, cover with cold water, and let cool, then drain.
- Add the garlic, cucumber, lemon juice and zest to a food processor, puree until smooth
- Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.
- Refrigerate, garnish with a few whole chickpeas, a drizzle of olive oil, a few parsley leaves, and a pinch of paprika. Serve with my warm homemade Pita Bread recipe!
Nutrition
Serve my Easy Homemade Hummus recipe with my warm homemade Pita Bread!
