Hummus is ridiculously easy to make and homemade hummus is so much better than the stuff you get at the store. It's rich and creamy and you can taste the fresh flavors of lemon juice, garlic, sesame tahini and fruity olive oil. Here's the scoop on how to make really great hummus.

Hummus is my go-to dip. I almost always have some in the fridge. It's the perfect healthy, satisfying afternoon or pre-dinner snack, scooped onto a cracker or a tortilla chip. Also great with carrot sticks and cucumber rounds to dip. Some store-bought hummus is pretty good. But wait until you taste this homemade hummus. It's a whole other thing. Once you try this recipe, you'll be delighted at how easy it is to whip up one of the world's most popular dips whenever the craving calls.

What is Hummus?

Hummus is a Middle Eastern invention, a dip/spread made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and salt, pureed to a smooth and creamy consistency. Hummus is a dish that Middle Easterners can't live without. (neither can I!) It's part of every mezze (appetizer) platter - it's served as a dip with flatbreads such as pita - and as a spread for shawarma and kofta, adding its creamy deliciousness to those and so many other Middle Eastern dishes. Hummus is highly nutritious, low in saturated fat and high in protein and fiber.

Who Invented Hummus?

It's been called the hummus wars, a long-standing battle between Israel and Lebanon over who invented hummus and who rightfully owns it, and the competition is fierce. In 2010 Lebanon got the upper hand when they filled a satellite dish with almost 9,000 pounds of hummus, stealing the Guinness World record from the Israelis.

HOW TO MAKE HUMMUS

There are 6 essential ingredients in hummus: chickpeas, tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and salt. In addition, you can add a wide variety of herbs and/or spices to create other delicious variations of hummus. I especially love adding a half teaspoon of toasted ground cumin, either mixed in or sprinkled on top or both.

This recipe for hummus truly couldn't be easier: combine everything in the bowl of your food processor and puree. Adjust the flavor by adding more lemon juice or salt. Adjust the consistency by adding a little water.

Scoop homemade hummus into a bowl, add garnishes, if you like, and enjoy with crudités, pita or tortilla chips to dip.

How to serve hummus

Hummus is easy to dress up for a party. Whether I make homemade hummus or buy it at the store, I always jazz it up with a few easy flourishes. I love a festive presentation, plus the garnishes add great flavor.

Scoop hummus into a small serving bowl, just large enough to hold it.
Run the back of a tablespoon over the hummus in a circular motion, to smooth it out and then to make some swirly grooves to hold streams of olive oil.
Drizzle a tablespoon or so of good quality extra virgin olive oil into the grooves.
Sprinkle hummus with one or two dried spices. My favorites are: paprika, Aleppo pepper, Urfa pepper, dried mint, za'atar, ground cumin and toasted cumin seeds.
Top with a few toasted pine nuts or chickpeas
Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley or mint or add a sprig or a leaf to the center of the bowl.
Serve hummus with crudités, warm toasted pita, pita chips or tortilla chips for gluten-free.

Other Great Hummus Recipes to Try

If you want to take your hummus to the next level, try this incredibly delicious and festive Turkish hot layered hummus recipe. It's a fantastic dish to bring to a potluck or to serve at a party.
For an exciting variation on the theme, try this colorful spiced up hummus recipe : Chipotle Carrot Hummus.
Make a batch of homemade Seeded Crackers to serve with hummus or other dips and toppings.

Now here's the recipe and instructions for how to make hummus. If you try this recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

How To Make Hummus

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5 from 2 reviews

Author: Lisa
Total Time: 15 mins
Yield: 10-12 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

An easy recipe for delicious homemade hummus.

Ingredients

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2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed or 3 cups of cooked chickpeas, drained (soak 1 cup dried chickpeas overnight and cook per package directions, making sure to add 1 teaspoon baking soda to cooking water to soften the chickpeas)
⅓ cup tahini (sesame paste)
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut into quarters
¼ cup ice cold water or more, as needed
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt or more, to taste
2 tablespoons good quality olive oil plus more for drizzling on top
Optional toppings: a drizzle of olive oil, a few chickpeas, toasted pine nuts or toasted sesame seeds, a teaspoon of chopped parsley or mint, a sprinkling of ground cumin, Aleppo pepper, Urfa pepper, dried mint, paprika or toasted cumin seeds.

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Instructions

Put chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, water and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Process for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Process 30 seconds longer. Add olive oil (2 tablespoons) oand process for another minute or so, until smooth. Adjust flavor with additional salt or lemon juice if needed. If your tahini was extra thick, you may want to add additional ice cold water, a tablespoon at a time, and process until you achieve your desired consistency.
To Serve, scoop hummus into a bowl just big enough to hold it. Use the back of a tablespoon to smooth it down and then make some swirly grooves. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil into the swirly grooves and garnish with spices and herbs, if you like.

Notes

Where to buy tahini: Tahini is a rich buttery paste made from toasted ground sesame seeds. It's an essential ingredient in Middle Eastern dishes such Baba Ganoush, Shawarma and hummus. Look for tahini in the grocery store near the peanut butter and other nut butters. Tahini has a very long shelf life, 6 months if kept tightly sealed in the fridge.

How to prepare warm pita to serve with hummus: Brush whole pitas with olive oil on both sides and heat them on a grill pan on the stove or on your barbecue grill, over medium-high heat, pressing them into the hot pan/grates on both sides with a spatula, until they get grill marks. Using a pizza cutter, slice pitas in half and then crosswise into strips. Serve them warm, in a napkin-lined basket.

[This post first appeared on Panning The Globe in March 2013. It was updated in March 2020 with all new photos, added nutritional information, clarifying details in the written post and clearer instructions in the recipe.]

Nutrition Information: The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and is not a substitute for the advice of a professional nutritionist.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Category: Appetizer
Method: no cook
Cuisine: Lebanese