My chef’s perfected hummus recipe is ultra-creamy, flavorful, and tahini-forward, like the ones they serve in Middle Eastern restaurants. Video.
Growing up with an Egyptian father, hummus was like water—part of our everyday lives! When we started our vegetarian restaurant in the 90s, hummus was a staple on our menu as well as in our catering business.
The secret to delicious, authentic hummus… is its texture! We add extra tahini paste, just the right amount of garlic, with hint of spice and lemon.
As a chef, I’ve spent my whole life perfecting this hummus recipe, and I can’t wait for you to try it!
Why you’ll love Our Hummus
- The texture! We add extra tahini paste for an ultra-rich, creamy texture. You’ll typically find this at authentic Middle Eastern restaurants.
- The flavor- We add just enough garlic for that “bite” (but not overpowering) cumin, sumac and lemon.
- Fast and easy- no peeling of the chickpeas, and nothing complicated! Make it in 5 minutes.
- The toppings- we show you how to serve hummus like a pro!
Hummus Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Use organic canned chickpeas for fasted preparation, or if you have more time, use dried and cooked chickpeas for optimal flavor and texture. You can also sub any bean, like your favorite white bean!
- Tahini Paste: For creamy texture. Opt for fresh tahini paste to really bring out its earthy, toasty nutty flavor. Quality and freshness do matter here—tahini paste can go rancid quickly, so store it in the fridge!
- Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice, adding bright, tangy flavor!
- Fresh Garlic Clove: For punchy, pungent, garlicky flavor in the hummus dip.
- Spices: Ground cumin adds a savory, earthy flavor (or sub coriander). You will also need salt and pepper. (A little white pepper is a delicious option here, as well as sumac.)
- Extra virgin olive oil: A drizzle of high-quality olive oil to finish, really elevates this hummus!
- Optional: Serve with a sprinkling of za’atar, dukkah, or sumac, and fresh herbs.
How to Make Hummus
Step 1: Blend. Add lemon juice, garlic cloves, tahini paste, olive oil, and water to a food processor and whip until creamy.
Then add salt, pepper, cumin, and chickpeas. Blend until very smooth. Add more cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until you achieve your desired consistency.
Blend for a few minutes! Taste and adjust for salt and lemon. Add any additions you’d like.
Chill. It will thicken a bit as it chills.
Step 2: Platter. Spoon chilled hummus into a wide shallow bowl, plate, or platter, creating a “well” for the olive oil with the back of a spoon.
Step 3: Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with za’atar and fresh herbs.
Hummus Serving Suggestions
Hummus is a great vehicle for fresh veggies! Prep veggies by cutting them into bite-sized “crudites.” Tuck veggies into the hummus, getting creative with your display!
Make the well with the back of a spoon and add a drizzle of olive oil.
More ways to serve hummus!
- Serve hummus as a base for a salad. For example, smear hummus on a plate, then pile up a salad over the top! We love hummus paired with our Israeli Salad, Tabouli, Lentil salad, or our Greek Salad.
- Serve hummus in mini-shot glasses. In our catering business, we would place hummus in a mini shot glass and fill the top with veggies for an elegant passed appetizer!
- Serve hummus as part of a Mezze platter along with olives, tzatziki, baba ganoush, stuffed grape leaves, falafel and tabouli!
- Serve with toasted pita chips or pita bread to create a simple appetizer.
- Top hummus with sauteed mushrooms- create a well in the hummus and pile the mushrooms over top.
- Use as a sandwich spread or in wraps.
How to store Hummus
Hummus will keep up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Hummus Variations and Toppings
Here are some fun ideas and ingredients to get creative with hummus and make it spectacular!
- Preserved lemons (1-2 tablespoons blended in)
- Smoked Paprika (1/2 teaspoon for smoky flavor)
- Za’atar, sumac, or dukkah, sprinkled over the top or blended in
- Zhoug, as a garnish or blended in (1-2 tablespoons)
- Gremolata, as a garnish or blended in ( 1-2 tablespoons)
- Harissa paste, as a garnish or blended in (1-2 tablespoons)
- Roasted garlic for creamy garlic hummus, blended in, or whole cloves on top.
- Red Pepper Hummus– use jarred roasted red bell peppers, blended in!
- Roasted Beet Hummus– blended in for bright pink hummus!
- Yogurt or labneh (1-2 tablespoons blended in) for extra creamy hummus!
- Tender herbs: fresh parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, cilantro (sprinkled over top or blended in)
- Toasted pinenuts, as a garnish on top
- Sun-dried tomatoes, blended in to make sundried tomato humus.
- Spicy Jalapeno, Cilantro and Lime Hummus– add fresh cilantro and jalapeno with lime instead of lemon.
Chef’s Tips
- Add ice cubes to the food processor: In lieu of water, try adding ice cubes. The cold temperature forgoes the need to chill the hummus and gives the hummus an incredible texture!
- Blend for longer: Blend for 4-5 minutes for the best texture!
FAQs
Soak chickpeas for 12 hours then drain and rinse. Add to a pot, cover with a few inches of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook at a simmer for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until tender.
Instant Pot (no soak): Rinse and drain chickpeas, add to pot and cover with 1 inch of water, and add salt. Pressure cook on high pressure for 50 minutes, followed by a 15-minute natural pressure release.
No, this is not necessary. However, for an exceptionally silky texture, you can peel chickpeas in just 10 minutes. Simply place the chickpeas in a bowl of water and rub them with your fingers. The skins should float to the top.
If you don’t have a food processor, a high-speed blender also works. Just make sure to blend for 4-5 minutes to get that ultra-creamy consistency.
Hummus is packed with plant-based protein. It’s also rich in fiber, which promotes digestive health and can help regulate blood sugar levels. The main ingredients in hummus, such as chickpeas, tahini, and olive oil, provide essential nutrients, including iron, copper, and heart-healthy fats.
Yes, you can freeze hummus in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Leave extra room, as it will expand.
And there you have it, my creamy authentic hummus recipe, made in about 10 minutes. It is a staple in my kitchen, and I usually make a double batch. Love it? Please rate it for us! ⭐️
xoxo
More Favorite Dip Recipes
- Whipped Feta Dip
- French Onion Dip
- Authentic Baba Ganoush
- Smokey Harissa Red Pepper Dip
- Muhammara Dip
- Epic Tzatziki
- Killer Guac
Watch how to make my Hummus!
Hummus Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10
- Yield: 2 cups
- Category: appetizers, vegan, dip
- Method: blended
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegan
Description
My chef’s perfected hummus recipe is ultra-creamy, flavorful, and tahini-forward, like the ones they serve in Middle Eastern restaurants. Video.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 –3/4 cup tahini paste (See notes. Make sure it tastes fresh, not bitter or rancid.)
- 2–3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup ice cold water, more to the desired consistency
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper (I love white pepper here, up to you)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (canned: rinse and drain)
Instructions
- Place lemon juice, garlic cloves, tahini paste,olive oil and water in a food processor, and whip this up until creamy.
- Add the salt, pepper, cumin, chickpeas and blend until really smooth. Add more cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until it is the consistency you like, and blend for 3 more minutes.
- Taste and adjust salt and lemon. Add any optional additions you like.
- To serve, spoon the hummus into a wide, shallow bowl or onto a plate or platter, using the back of your spoon to create a “well” for the olive oil (or other sauces). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Za’atar.
Notes
If using dried chickpeas, soak 1/2 cup chickpeas in cold water (for 8-24 hours), then cook them in salted water until extra tender. Cool, then follow instructions. I always make a double batch if going with dried chickpeas and cook these ahead.
Tahini Paste. In winter I use 3/4 cup tahini for a richer, creamier version. In summer, I use a 1/2 cup. Most recipes out there call for a 1/4 cup- do as you like. I prefer hummus that is “heavier” on the tahini, because I love the taste of it and this is how I grew up eating it. Truly authentic. If you go with a 1/4 cup tahini- you will most likely need less garlic and less water. Taste as you go. 🙂
A TIP on Sauces: Sometimes like in the photos above, I’ll “loosen up” a sauce (like harissa paste, gremolata, or zhoug, etc) by adding extra olive oil to it. Then I’ll put it in a squeezy bottle and drizzle it around the hummus. An extra burst of flavor!
Optional Additions: See post body for creative ideas.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 198
- Sugar: 1.6 g
- Sodium: 376.4 mg
- Fat: 15.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.5 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sounds delicious. I just love tahini. Will make some. Incidentally, I have been having toast with honey and tahini, so good.
Tahini is the best, yummy on toast! Let us know what you think Jim.
I believe this is by far the best hummus I’ve ever made. My husband, however, rates it as the second best because even 1/2 cup of tahini is not enough for him. Next time I will use the high rather than the low end of the scale and I think we’ll both be hard-pressed to keep from eating it all in one sitting!
Awesome Marnie!
I visited Israel a few years ago and have not been able to replicate the hummus I enjoyed on that trip. This was the closest I have come! Delicious!
So glad to hear this Sonya!
This is so good! Perfect taste and consistency. I will never buy hummus again!
Yay Amy, so happy you gave it a try!
THIS. THIS is the hummus I want to eat. Thank you, the heavy on the tahini had eluded me till now. Heavenly.
So glad you tried and enjoyed Barbara!
First time making hummus- this is delicious! No more shop bought for me
Great to hear Sarah!
Out of this world hummus! Thanks for sharing yet another wonderful recipe!
Wonderful to hear!
So good and so easy to make! Your recipe is perfect 🤩 thank you!
Glad you liked it!
Your photos still blow my mind! I love your site and tell everyone who will listen about it. I haven’t made this yet, but it is saved in my stuff. I find it hard to see photos on any site as pleasing as yours and I have not made a recipe of yours that has not been a favorite. Top of mind is your Harrira, https://www.feastingathome.com/harira-soup/
But everything you do is beautiful and tastes amazing! I wish everyone in the world cooked this way!
So nice to hear this Chirl! We love knowing you are enjoying the recipes!!
First of all, there are only four recipe sites that we follow and You are by far our most favorite. The creations that you bring us with food, exude how much you love and respect the fine art of cooking and how to enjoy real food. Your recipe for this delightful Hummus has become a stable in our household along with many of your recipes. Thank you so much for loving food and knowing what to do with it! We love playing around with different toppings and additions. Store bought has become a thing of the past!
Stephan this is so heart warming! Thanks for being here, so happy you are enjoying!