Basic Hummus

I know, I know… not another hummus recipe! A few of my friends here have asked for my humus recipe, and since I’m heading out of town for a month, I wanted to ensure that they had it before I left. I also wanted to share an awesome little trick that I’ve recently learned which results in super-smooth hummus. So hopefully there’s a little something for everyone in this post. And hey, I guess every vegan food blog needs a basic hummus recipe, right?

Basic Hummus

The only reason why I used to *somewhat* prefer store bought hummus was the amazing creaminess of it. I just figured that my cheap little food processor couldn’t get the hummus as smooth as industrial machines could. But then I came across Kristina’s post about peeling your chickpeas and ever since then, it’s been smooth-hummus-city in this house!

As per Kristina:

Pour them into a strainer and rinse. As you are rinsing, pick one up and squeeze it with your fingers, the skin comes off and the pea flies back into the strainer with the others…

Here are a few photos to show you how it’s done:

Peeling chickpeas
Peeling chickpeas

If you want the absolute smoothest hummus, you should do this for each chickpea. As Kristina says, it’s meditative.Β However, if you’re in a hurry, or not feeling particularly zen-like, then here’s my short-cut:

  1. Toss the chickpeas in a big bowl filled half-way with water.
  2. Rub the chickpeas between both hands (this was difficult to photograph and do at the same time – so here’s my one-handed version!)
  3. The peels should rise to the water’s surface. Skim them off and rinse the chickpeas.
Peeling Chickpeas
Peeling Chickpeas
Peeling Chickpeas

By my rough accounts (and depending how long you do it), you should be able to remove about half of the peels in this way. Your hummus won’t be as smooth as peeling each chickpea individually – but it will still be a lot smoother than not doing it at all.

Thanks Kristina for sharing your chickpea-peeling tip!

Basic Hummus
Basic Hummus

Notes — Basic Hummus Recipe

  • I pretty much always use canned chickpeas because I’m bad at planning ahead but you could certainly use dry ones that you soak and cook yourself.
  • I love tahini so I like to use a lot in my hummus, but if you don’t like it or are all out and don’t feel like running out to buy more, feel-free to leave it out.
  • This recipe is very versatile. Make it as-is, or toss other things in there. Here are some ingredients I often add to this recipe:
    • Fresh chives
    • Roasted red peppers
    • Sun-dried tomatoes
    • Roasted garlic
    • Fresh lemon zest (halve the lemon juice if you use this)
Basic Hummus

So, if you love hummus and are still buying the store-bought stuff, I urge you to try and make your own. The cost difference alone should be reason enough (easily 1/2 to 1/3 the price — and even less if you use dried chickpeas).

Basic Hummus

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Basic Hummus

This basic hummus recipe will save you so much money, and with time, you’ll be coming up with your own flavor combinations. Vegan / Gluten-Free

  • Author: Angela @ Vegangela.com
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 10 mins
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Dip, Spread, Appetizer, Starter, Snack
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern, Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), washed and drained
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 or 3 heaping tablespoons tahini (depending how much you like it)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp water, plus more if needed
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • Smoked paprika (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add additional water if needed. If desired, sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with additional olive oil before serving.

Keywords: bean, chickpea, DIY, easy, favorite, food processor, gluten-free, high-protein, kid-friendly, no-cook, nut-free, one-pot, original, soy-free, tapas, under 30 minutes, vegan, hummus

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag me β€” I can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Q: Do you make your own hummus? Do you peel your chickpeas first?

41 thoughts on “Basic Hummus”

  1. I’ve attempted so many hummus recipes and have been disappointed every single time. Yours was the first that tasted amazing, and I am so glad you explained how to make your hummus smooth by removing the peels. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. I took your advice and removed the skins from the chickpeas. I also used a bit of the water from the canned beans (the “aquafaba”). The result was a very smooth hummus. Thank you for the recipe, I will be making it again and again.

    Reply
  3. I found the canned chickpeas I have tried have a particularly unpleasant, strong smell and flavour, as opposed to dried ones. Is there a brand of canned Chickpeas you prefer?

    Reply
  4. I love the tip to skin the chickpeas but I’d go the extra step and prepare the beans yourself. I find a lot of canned chickpeas are under soaked or under cooked.

    I recommend soaking the beans overnight so the germ bulges out and then cook them at medium heat until they are done about an hour or so and then you’ll find you were able to salt them to your preference and get them to a really perfect consistency before you start working with them. from here I find the skins slip off on their own and a lot of them are floating around in the water anyway.

    The recipe also calls for water but if you use the salty water you cooked the chickpeas in it makes them even smoother.

    Reply
  5. I have been wanting to make hummus for years and finally did yesterday. I pretty much followed your recipe exactly and it was just what I was looking for. I soaked and cooked 1 cup of dry beans which when done was 2 cups. Thanks! I will make this many, many times!

    Reply
  6. I made this tonight as a quick fix for the fiance! It was so good, i ate most of it, but it was a winner for him too! I like my humous spicy-so i did add a load of cayenne pepper, but the recipe was just as delicious without.

    Thank you!

    :-))

    Reply
  7. Thanks for this recipe and the tip about removing the chickpea skins.
    I made a double batch last night and it was oh so creamy. I also roasted the garlic which changed the flavour… yummo!!! It was so good that I couldnt resist having the leftovers on toast for breaky this morning. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  8. Awesome recipe. I doubled the garlic, lemon juice, and water to get it exactly the way I like it. Annabelle thought it was great too.

    Reply
    • Hey Fadi! I’m so glad that you guys liked it so much! Thanks so much for trying it and taking the time to let me know that you did. Hope you guys are all doing well! πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • I own two immersion blender/chopper units. You can use the top part with the chopper (food processor, shown) or with the stick immersion blender. They’re so handy! One is a Breville and the one above is actually from Sunbeam.

      Reply
  9. I have found that if you add the chickpeas to your blender while still hot(or reheated in the microwave) with some of the cooking water, they turn out very smooth and creamy without having to peel!

    Reply
  10. Ooh, I’ll have to try peeling the chickpeas. I also like some ground coriander seeds in with mine.

    P.S. Angela, you appeared in my dream last night! It was bizzare.

    Reply
  11. How funny, I just finished making hummus! I wish I had seen this first, I would have removed the skins πŸ™‚ I noticed that you don’t use tahini . . . I don’t think I’ve ever seen or made hummus without it–is there is big difference?

    Reply
    • Hi! Thanks for your comment. I totally forgot tahini! I’m adding it right now. I’ve made hummus many times without it, but I don’t think it would technically be called hummus then… more like chickpea dip. Thanks again for catching that!

      Reply
  12. I never knew this little trick! But it sure makes sense why my hummus never comes out completely smooth. I don’t know why, but sometimes I like it not so smooth – makes it feel more homemade and gives it more texture. I will definitely be trying this though! Thanks for the tip!

    Reply
    • Hi Jodi – You’re right, the roughness doesn’t really bother me either, but I like to serve it smooth when I have guests over. Thanks for your comments πŸ™‚

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    • Hi Anna – thanks for your comment and let me know if you try it. I just visited your blog – do you make all those sweaters? They’re so lovely! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  13. This is such a good tip! I was always wondering what I was doing wrong and why I wouldn’t get the store-bought creamy hummus. Now the secret is out, I will be making this today!

    Reply
    • Hi Laura! Thanks for your comment and I’m happy to hear that this tip was a new one for you. It’s certainly changed the hummus in this house! Let me know what you think of my recipe if you make it πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • Hi sweetie, thanks for your comment. Glad I was able to get it up in time for you guys. Let me know if you have any questions at all, and of course, let me know how you like it! x

      Reply

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