Easy Chickpea Hummus Recipe

Learn how to make your own easy chickpea hummus recipe with just a few ingredients. It's a wonderful and versatile dip that you can add to sandwiches, platters, and veggie trays! You can spread it on meats for added depth of flavor and it's not just for savory dishes – you can enjoy it as an addition to breakfast spreads and beyond. With its quick preparation and endless possibilities, this chickpea hummus recipe is sure to become a staple in your kitchen.

Hummus has an element of surprise no matter how many times you make it! From the spices and herbs that you add to the type of beans (legumes) you use and you can always add a different flair and texture to the look and taste. Although it will no longer be a 'classic' hummus it will give you the same Middle Eastern / Mediterranean food experience.

What Are Chickpeas

Chickpeas also known in Spanish as ""garbanzo beans". Together with black beans, kidney beans (another favorite), peanuts and lime beans these are all part of the legume family. A legume is any plant from the Fabaceae family. Lentils on the other hand are a pulse and a pulse is an edible seed that comes from legumes. Pulses are your lentils and peas.

Reasons To Love This Hummus Recipe?

• Inexpensive and a nutritious staple.
• Homemade hummus gives you control over the ingredients in both choice and quantity.
• The quantity is larger than store bought at a fraction of the price
• Quick
• Vegetarian
• Dairy free
• Versatile and delicious!

What else could you ask for from a humble can of chickpeas?

I was watching a food and travel show the other day - of course I was 🙂 The city was Jerusalem and the food was lots of deliciousness including hummus of which they discussed in detail and how it is there there what bread is like to us here. Eaten on a daily basis at any time especially as part of a breakfast. Here, we are always excited about hummus, at least I am and even though its a can of chickpeas it's always treated as a luxury.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can work with it in terms of texture. Extra silky or a bit more of a coarse texture it really depends on what you're wanting.

Ingredients For An Easy Hummus Recipe

Here's what you'll need to make a creamy hummus that's delicious as a dip or spread!

Canned Chickpeas I'm using canned chickpeas but you can also soak fresh chickpeas overnight if you have time. I find the canned version perfect for a quick turn-around.

Chickpea liquid This is where your hummus goes from creamy to extra creamy! The chickpea liquid (also known as aquafaba) will help emulsify your hummus so don't leave it out.

Tahini The star of the show to help thicken the hummus. If you havent yet, you can also make your own.

Fresh lemons and Sea salt I love the combination of fresh lemon and sea salt because it immediately adds a distinct balance in the taste. In this hummus recipe the tart lemon brightens up the hummus and a light sprinkle of sea salt can be used as part of the garnish.

Garlic I always add 2 garlic cloves however, since I started using my Vitamix blender it's a lot more powerful and the garlic flavor is a lot more pungent so one clove is sufficient. If I have roasted garlic, which is my favorite, I use that instead. I can eat loads of roasted garlic, tender and soft.

Cumin This Middle Eastern spice adds a hint of warmth and earthiness.

Garnish Very traditional is to serve hummus with a good quality extra virgin olive oil, sumac and chopped parsley. You can also use smoked paprika.

Below are is the method with images on how to make a smooth chickpea hummus in a food processor. It's a work around that I've worked on with repetition and is unfortunately the only way you can get your hummus smooth without a high powered blender.

Should You Be Peeling Your Chickpeas?

It depends on the blender that you are using. For the longest time I used my old and faithful food processor but sadly it didnt have the power of a high powered blender. I've always peeled my chickpeas and although tedious, it helped in making a smoother, creamier hummus.

Should You Make Hummus In A Food Processor or Blender

Use what you have and except that the result will be different. If you don't have a high powered food processor or blender and you want an extra smooth hummus you may not get the extra smooth results that you're looking for.

Personally I think that I gave too much emphasis on smoother hummus but in reality, hummus is a non complicated, very simple recipe that's traditionally not even made with an appliance. Enjoy the texture for what it is, that's the rustic hummus approach, simply enjoy it 🙂 But if you insist (like I did) on a creamier and smoother hummus, below are my tips.

How To Make Smooth Hummus

Below is how to make a smooth chickpea hummus without a high powered blender.

• Rinse the chickpeas Add the chickpeas to a strainer and give them a quick rinse. You can use fresh chickpeas (to make from scratch) soak them overnight and then simmer for a couple of hours. Here we are using canned.

• Cover in water and cook the canned chicpeas for 15 to 20 minutes, the latter being the better option. This option is for the food processor when you're wanting an extra smooth hummus.

• Peel the chickpeas A half teaspoon of bicarb will help the peels fall off easily. If you're not cooking them then soak them in bicarb using hot water, this will make them fall off.

• Quick Tip Pour the chickpeas into a kitchen towel, make sure you're holding all corners of the towel and give it shake or rub on the counter. You can also add them to a sealed container and shake, for the peels to fall off.

• Dry the chickpeas and add them into the food processor with a sharp blade and run the processor until the chickpeas have broken down. (30 seconds or so)

• Add the ingredients Now add the rest of the ingredients garlic, tahini, salt, lemon juice and ice water and the chickpea liquid (aquafaba). Run for 4 to 5 minutes (stop and scrape the inside of the bowl) into a smooth consistency.

I told you that I was a bit (a lot) obsessed in my chickpea drama!

Recipe Notes

Tahini You can make your own and you can also use store bought. Tahini helps thicken the hummus.

Creamy fluffy hummus - Add a dash of ice water as the food processor spins, give it 30 to 40 seconds and then pour in the chickpea liquid to help. It's best to add the liquid slowly and keep stopping and scraping the sides to see the consistency but about ½ to ⅓ of cup would be suggested.

Have patience - If you think it's done, let it go just another minute. A good five minutes really does make all the difference in the smoothness of your hummus so let the food processor go.

When you are happy with your hummus get it into a container with a lid and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

For something different, substitute the chickpeas with white or black beans. The canned butter beans work best!

Serving Suggestions

Spread it out onto a plate or bowl and add a generous amount of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika or sumac.

More Dip Recipes

• Pumpkin Feta Dip
• Olive Oil Bread Dip
• Whipped Feta Cheese Dip
• Mascarpone Cheese Dip
• Baba Ganoush Recipe

If you try this Easy Chickpea Hummus Recipe, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating! And if you take a photo of your hummus and share it on Instagram, please tag me @anosmickitchen and use the hashtag #anosmickitchen because I simply love seeing your remakes!