Hummus: Quick, Easy, and Delicious!

Here's how to make hummus, the ultimate delicious and healthy Mediterranean snack.

Step 1 The ingredients

First you need a food processor.
While you're at the grocery store pick up the following things:

15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, otherwise known as chickpeas
6 oz. cup of plain Greek yogurt
jar of Tahini, often located in the Mediterranean food section, or near salad dressing
1 good sized clove of garlic, or 2 small ones
1 lemon
salt
olive oil

Optional ingredients:
cumin, chili pepper, chipotle pepper, and/or any other delicious spices
olives
capers
avocado
roasted red peppers
black beans
sun-dried tomatoes
pine nuts

Comments

[l8nite]

We love garlicy and spicey hummus, never thought about sundried tomatos though, I'll have to remember that

[aristide202]

Or just spread hummus on dried tomatoes

[ckoehler1904]

Good Instructable with great suggestions for additions to the mix.  Also, consider using peanut butter instead of tahini.  It's inexpensive, almost everyone always has it on hand, and it tastes pretty much like tahini in hummus.  Also, you don't have to figure out what to do with the unused tahini sitting on the shelf for years.  I use peanut butter all the time and people love it!

[aristide202]

Unused tahini ? Make hummus !

[chrisbaker]

I tried it with PB.  My suggestion is to avoid JIF.  Oh, it's my favorite PB, but it's just too darn sweet in this recipe.  Next time I'll throw some peanuts into the food processor first & make my own peanut butter.

[b1russell]

But, ckoehler, if you just keep making more hummus, you'll run out of tahini in no time flat!  THEN  you try the peanut butter.  ; )

[allen]

Peanut butter, hey? Interesting.

We've had tahinni sitting in our fridge for a long time and it still makes good humus but I'm always up for a variation and hummus is pretty cheap to experiment with.

We don't use yogurt to moisten the hummus just adding back in the liquid from canned garbanzo beans as necessary but that's another variation we'll have to try.

[DELETED_addiefleur]

(removed by author or community request)

[arex]

I've NEVER put yogurt in my hummus...that just don't seem right.  If it's too thick, you mix in a little more oil or water or lemon juice.

[aristide202]

I completely agree, I don't add any yogurt neither. I add lemon juice , white vinegar or both or boiled water, it depends on taste. Anyway I'll try this new yogurt option as a a particular stand alone recipe.

[foodwriter]

I agree. Never heard of using yogurt. have many friends in the middle east... they use some water to thin it out, or they use more lemon juice. Tahini is used minimally, it dampens, the lemon brightens... for myself, I enjoy a bright hummous.

[makalove]

ditto. i've been making hummus for years, learned the recipe while working in a local vegetarian restaurant. i do like adding various spices and flavorings. i make curried hummus, cumin-cilantro hummus, roasted garlic hummus, honey-habanero hummus... :)

[DELETED_addiefleur]

(removed by author or community request)

[arex]

I wouldn't do that, either.  Hummus is a simple dish, and I think it's best to keep it simple.  I do like the idea of capers in it, though I've never done it.

I suppose that a grated hard cheese like pecorino romano might be all right, in moderation...but it still doesn't seem right. 

[lpalazzolo]

I can't wait to try this!

When I make my hummus I save the liquid from the chick peas can then use that to thin it out (if needed) it works great!

[chrisbaker]

I use the Greek yogurt and the color of the hummus needed some color (almost white!) so I added about 1/2 a teaspoon of Frank's Red Hot sauce. That much doesn't add much flavor, but it helps the color a lot. Then I added more for some flavor -- very good when you add cumin also.

[nav_lexy]

my wife loves this stuff. I dont know why but i am willing to give it a shot.
can the greek yogurt be replaced with reg. yogurt? Is there something special about it?

[woodycanuck]

Texture tip: I finally figured out how to get the smoothest creamiest hummus like in the middle eastern restaurants. You have to peel the chick peas! It's not too hard, boil them for 2 minutes, then put them in cold water, then just rub a bunch between your hands. It's a bit messy, if anyone has a good system I'd love to hear it. But SO worth it.

[zenser]

Vegan yogurt, please....Greek yogurt contains animal milk. Come on with the vegan.

[fauge7]

so get vegan yogurt you can substitute

[Zion_Sphere]

Buy some soy yogurt, you can get it from any supermarket etc, cheap and just as yum :)

[Gottwinkies]

My Redneck-Lady version of hummus has the following:
Garbanzo beans
Several cloves of fresh garlic
Olive oil (or veggie oil of you don't have the other)
Salt/sea salt
Sour cream if you have it-adds a bit of creamy richness
Lemon juice-again, if you have it, but something to add that bit of tang to the flavor

I sort of taught myself how to make this after trying hummus, and not really knowing what was "supposed" to go in it. Where I lived at the time-NO one could get tahini without driving at least 100 miles. I have cooked my own garbanzos and frozen them in batches, and have been known to experiment with the additions, but I would have to agree...keep it simple: fresh basil, or rosemary, fresh spinach, sesame seeds. Get creative in small batches so if you muff it, disposal is easy. I like some on toast instead of margarine...num

[dadaa]

around Antakya region in Turkey, Arabian cuisine is popular and they melt butter with powder red chilli peppers and add on top of hummus while serving. it's delicious!

[arex]

Is it just plain butter, or is it clarified butter or ghee?

[b1russell]

I've never had hummus with yogurt - I'll have to try it that way.  Good suggestions for variations!

You forgot to mention the best reason for making your own hummus:  I can make a batch for less than $1, in about 5 minutes, while the store wants $5 for half a batch!  And if you make it yourself, you know exactly what goes into it! (And I get to add "almost" enough garlic!  Your measly "2 small cloves" just won't cut it in THIS house!)

The Original Garlic Girl (lol)

[Jayefuu]

Oooooooo. I love hummus. Home made is so much better than the rubbish from the supermarket too. Great pictures :D

[jessyratfink]

Nice photos and explanations. :D

[oddstray]

Here's a garlic tip.  Get rid of the green 'core' from the garlic cloves.  Those are what make you reek of garlic.  (My Lebanese ex taught me this, and it must work, because my co-workers were ragging on some other guy at work for his garlic stink.  They were amazed when I told them we almost never skip garlic in our dinner!)