Easy Hummus Recipe (Better than Store-Bought)

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I think I was at least 23 years old the first time I tried hummus. Since then, I’ve had a love affair with it—especially after going to Israel a few years ago. It’s such a good way to eat more vegetables, and it’s one of the best naturally dairy-free dips out there! 

If you’re dairy-free, you know exactly how hard it can be to find any dip that doesn’t have cream cheese, sour cream, butter, or all three included. Hummus is the answer to your problems, my friend!  

While I know the hummus I make at home will never compare to the hummus I had in Israel (*sigh* I miss traveling and experiencing new foods), I wanted to give y’all a recipe that you can easily incorporate into those slightly fancy (or slightly lazy) charcuterie board nights.

So, what is hummus? 

Hummus is a Middle Eastern dish made by pureeing chickpeas into a smooth texture, typically mixed with:

• Tahini
• Lemon juice
• Garlic
• Spices 

The word hummus is Arabic, and it literally means chickpeas. The Arabic word for our version of hummus today transliterated is ḥummuṣ bi ṭaḥīna, which means “hummus with tahini.” 

The origin of hummus is actually pretty hotly debated. Some claim it’s a Jewish food, but many have claimed that hummus has Lebanese, Egyptian, Syrian, or Turkish roots instead. I’m not going to try to solve that mystery here! 

As an American, at the end of the day I think it’s just important to recognize that hummus definitely did not originate in America, and we cannot claim it. It’s a Middle Eastern dish.

No matter who first invented the idea of hummus, I’m so grateful they did—because it’s amazing! I eat this quick snack practically daily now. 

What I learned in the making of this recipe:

1. I highly recommend whipping the tahini before adding your chickpeas in. 

Yes, tahini is already pureed, but something about pureeing the tahini with the lemon juice, garlic, oil, water, and salt makes this dish a tad smoother. One time when I did this, the tahini did turn into a thicker paste than it already is, but when I added the chickpeas it smoothed out exactly like it’s supposed to. 

2. Let. The. Food processor. Do. Its. Job. 

Once you add the chickpeas, it takes less than 30 seconds for this mixture to look like a puree; HOWEVER, if you like a smooth hummus, keep mixing for that extra couple of minutes! This allows the chickpeas to be pureed even more, which gives it that smooth hummus consistency. 

3. If you add more garlic, let the mixture sit overnight before serving. 

I know it’s tempting to add more garlic because, let’s be real, garlic is absolutely delicious. But when I tried this same recipe with four cloves of garlic and ate it immediately after pureeing it, the hummus was very bitter and not suited to my taste buds.

However, once I let it sit for 24 hours, the taste had improved significantly. As I typically serve hummus immediately, I went for two cloves of garlic in this recipe rather than four cloves. 

4. Adjust the ingredients to your taste!

The great thing about hummus is that it’s more of a template than a firm recipe; it’s flexible. You can play around with the ingredients. 

For instance, I like the extra zing of a whole large lemon, but if you’re not sure, you can always start with less lemon juice, taste, and add more as desired!

If you want to experiment with additional flavors, you can always try adding:

• Avocado 
• Roasted red peppers
• Pine nuts
• Jalapenos
• Chipotle peppers/adobo sauce
• Whatever sounds good to you!

And as always, if you’re oil-free, you can substitute the olive oil for water.

Serving Suggestions: 

Serve with warm pita, pita chips, and/or fresh vegetables. If you’re looking for things to dip into hummus, the possibilities are endless! 

Can’t get yourself to eat vegetables? Try dipping them in hummus—it’s a fabulous substitute for ranch dressing, and you can literally dip any vegetable you can eat raw into hummus. The more variety the better! I usually go for:

• Red/yellow/orange peppers
• Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Celery
• Sugar snap peas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower

Also, try serving the hummus warm! In Israel they serve hummus warm with warm pita, and oh my goodness, it is so good. If you’ve only ever eaten cold hummus, you definitely have to try warming it up! 

The easiest way to serve warm hummus is to heat your chickpeas before you put them in the food processor. That way, what you’re pureeing is actually warm instead of having to heat it up after it’s already pureed. 

As mentioned above, hummus is a great base for a charcuterie board! Usually we think of charcuterie boards as being meat, cheese, crackers, and fruit, but I love adding hummus to make a charcuterie board still tasty, but healthier for you.

Over to you! Have you made your own hummus before? Please comment below with any and all questions! 

I don’t pretend to be an expert in making hummus, but I have gone through some trial and error. Hopefully this basic recipe will help you get creative and try your own at home! 

Happy snacking,
Elana