Classic Hummus Recipe

Name: Classic Hummus Recipe
Prep time: 4 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 2 cups garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed; 2 cloves garlic, minced; ⅓ cup tahini; ¼ cup lemon juice; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 tablespoon olive oil; paprika to taste

September 11, 2020 by Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN

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Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip that’s become super common in the States and elsewhere over the past two decades. If you walk by the refrigerated section at your local supermarket, you’ll find a myriad of brands and flavors of the stuff being sold — sometimes at exorbitant prices. But did you know that it’s incredibly simple to make your own?

How do you make hummus from scratch? The easy hummus recipe below is a great place to get started.

This hummus recipe isn’t flashy; it doesn’t require fancy ingredients, but instead uses those you probably already have in your kitchen. What it does have is a ton of flavor that’s foolproof to make. Once you try this homemade hummus, you’ll wonder why you ever spent money buying it pre-made.

What Is Hummus?

What is hummus made with? This thick spread/dip is traditionally made with chickpeas (garbanzo beans), sesame tahini, olive oil and garlic. Other flavor enhancers like lemon juice, red pepper, olives and veggies can also be included.

Hummus has long been enjoyed in Middle Eastern and North African countries, including Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and others. In fact, it’s deep history goes all the way back thousands of years. Today, it’s considered to be one of the most widely consumed Middle Eastern foods in the world, often paired with pita bread and veggies for dipping.

Because it’s a good source of fiber (from chickpeas), protein (from chickpeas), healthy fats (from tahini and olive oil) and even some antioxidants (from garlic and other additions), it’s not only tasty but a very healthy addition to your diet, too.

Regularly consuming hummus may help to promote healthy cholesterol and triglycerides levels, fill you up and reduce overeating, contribute to digestive health, and more.

Nutrition Facts

Serving 8, each serving of 1/4 cup of homemade hummus contains about:

259 calories
10 grams total fat
32 grams carbohydrates
11 grams protein

How to Make Hummus

Ready to make the best hummus recipe that’s also super simple? This recipe serves 4 to 8 people and only takes about 5 minutes to make.

Ingredients include 1.5 cups cooked garbanzo beans, drained (about one can) and rinsed; ⅓ cup sesame tahini (made with hulled sesame seeds, it usually comes in a jar); ¼ cup lemon juice; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon good-quality olive oil; and paprika to taste.

Start by draining and rinsing the garbanzo beans. Next, place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until you’ve reached the desired consistency.

If necessary, add a bit more benefit-loaded olive oil to keep the hummus smooth and creamy.

Hummus tastes great served with raw veggies or gluten-free crackers. It also makes a tasty spread for wraps or sandwiches. But if you eat it with a spoon on its own — well, that’s okay, too!

Varieties and Potential Add-Ins

What can you put in hummus to make it taste better? There’s not shortage of easy hummus recipes that you can try if you’re looking for variety in terms of flavor.

Authentic Lebanese hummus recipe
Healthy beet hummus recipe
Red pepper hummus recipe
Creamy roasted garlic hummus recipe
Try using other beans instead of chickpeas, such as edamame, black beans or white beans
Spice it up with jalapeños or different kinds of pepper/pepper flakes
Make any kind of herb hummus you like (try adding parsley, basil, cilantro, paprika, cumin, dill, etc.)

Do you prefer a hummus recipe without tahini? You’ll simply need to add more olive oil instead. Try using about 1/3 cup of olive oil per full recipe and slowly adding more until you reach the consistency you’d like.

You can use hummus on this falafel recipe as well.

Storage Instructions

How long does homemade hummus last? If you make the hummus recipe above, it should last for about one week in the refrigerator, or possibly up to 10 days when stored in an airtight container. Homemade hummus does not stay fresh as long as the kinds you’d buy in the store because it doesn’t have preservatives, but adding lemon juice may help to keep it fresh for a bit longer.