My Delicious Homemade Hummus
I don't remember exactly when I was first introduced to hummus, but I suspect it was during my internship in Ottawa, Canada. At that point, I was a poor student who had never set foot in a Middle Eastern restaurant, so hummus was completely new to me. My roommate loved snacking on it, and one day, curiosity got the better of me. I tried it for myself and was instantly hooked. I first enjoyed it with sourdough bread, not realizing that the traditional pairing was pita.
Before writing this post, I decided to dig a bit deeper into the origin of hummus and found the answer is somewhat controversial and inconclusive. This BBC article is a fun read, and one line stuck with me:
Hummus is a Middle Eastern food claimed by all and owned by none.
Regardless of the controversy, I’m grateful to whoever invented hummus. It’s one of my favorite foods because it’s healthy, satisfying, and endlessly versatile.
In recent years, hummus has become a staple in our household. We used to buy packaged hummus from the grocery store, and while it was delicious, I started paying closer attention to the salt content. That led us to make our own, and we quickly realized just how easy it is. Today, I’m excited to share our favorite recipe. It isn’t fancy and is probably similar to the one you’d find on a jar of tahini, but it has proven to be delicious and foolproof every time.
Homemade Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- about 1 cup water (adjust to your desired creaminess)
- salt, to taste (I tend to be conservative — start small and adjust)
- a pinch each of cumin, garlic powder, and smoked paprika
- 1–2 garlic cloves
- a generous scoop of tahini
- juice of 1–2 lemon wedges
- a drizzle of olive oil
Instructions
- 1.Blend the rinsed chickpeas with water, tahini, lemon juice, and seasonings (salt, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika) until smooth.
- 2.Once it reaches a creamy consistency, add the minced garlic cloves and blend again briefly.
- 3.Taste and adjust salt and seasonings as needed.
- 4.Before serving, drizzle generously with olive oil, then dust the surface with smoked paprika for a pop of color.
- 5.Voilà! Enjoy with your favorite bread or fresh vegetables. It also travels well to gatherings — and it's vegan!
Notes
Add the water gradually to reach your ideal creaminess, and go easy on the salt — you can always add more, but you can't take it back.
Pro Tip: Out of Tahini?
It happened to us just the other day! Here's a quick rescue: substitute with peanut butter, Chinese sesame paste (the kind used for spicy noodles), or a mix of both. It turned out just as delicious!
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