Hummus must be one of the most widely-loved dips in the world – it’s versatile, full of fantastic plant-based protein, it’s nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and it’s loved by children and adults alike. This ultimate hummus recipe tastes delicious and takes less than 5 minutes to make and I swear it is a hundred times better than the shop versions!
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Why You Will Love This Hummus Recipe
- It takes only 5 minutes to make it quickly in the blender or food processor.
- It's versatile and long-lasting - I make this every week to keep in the fridge for my family. It keeps us going for lunchbox sandwiches, dips for carrot and celery sticks and as an ingredient in salads throughout the week.
- It is full of healthy plant-based protein (from the chickpeas) and calcium (from the tahini).
- It tastes divine!!!
Why Is This The Ultimate Hummus Recipe?
Although there are countless hummus recipes out there, it is still one of those recipes that people ask me about all the time. When I thought about it, I realised that it has taken me years to develop my best hummus recipe (with many failures and adaptations along the way) so I actually have so many tips I can pass on to you about this recipe that I have made every week for so long now!
So how did I come about creating this best ever hummus?
- Years ago, every time I made hummus, my kids would moan and ask for the shop bought one instead. It seemed not worth the effort so for a long time we reverted to the Waitrose and Sabra versions (which are also delicious!).
- It was only on moving to Qatar where I struggled to find a similar hummus in the supermarket, that I went back to making it myself. And boy am I glad that I did!
- In desperation trying to make a hummus that my family liked, I dug out an old recipe that I had torn from a supermarket magazine back in Oman ten years earlier and I used that as a starting point. I couldn’t believe it - it was by far the best hummus recipe I had ever tried and was an instant success with everyone!
- Over the last couple of years I have adapted it to make it quicker to make (and, dare I say it, more like the Waitrose version) but it was really that supermarket recipe that helped to catapult my hummus to now being my kids favourite hummus on the planet!
The Secret to Making the Best Hummus...
What's the secret to making the best hummus? As crazy as it sounds, the key to this recipe is the ice! I can't pretend to know why but all I know is that if I make it without ice, it's either too thick or too watered down and tasteless. Ice seems to fluff it up and gives the hummus this amazing light and creamy, softly whipped texture!
Main Ingredients
- Chickpeas (also known as Garbanzo beans) - a couple of notes about these:
- Although I do think freshly cooked chickpeas taste marginally better than tinned, it's not worth getting into too much of a stress about! Honestly, I mostly use tinned as I'm usually quickly whizzing up a batch while I'm making supper and getting food organised for lunchboxes the next day!
- People swear by peeling the little skins off each chickpea. Yes, that would give a wonderful super smooth hummus but, do we have time in our normal lives for peeling chickpeas? No! As long as you have a good quality, powerful food processor, your hummus will be lovely and will take a mere 5 minutes out of your busy schedule!
- Tahini - tahini is a paste made from crushed sesame seeds. It's full of calcium but tastes quite bitter on its own so it might put you off if you just try a spoonful of it out of the jar! It gives a lovely depth of flavour to the hummus and is what distinguishes hummus from simple chickpea puree. There are varying qualities of hummus around so try to buy the best quality you can.
- Lemon juice - the acidity in the lemon juice cuts through the strong, slightly heavy flavour of the chickpeas and tahini. It really makes the world of difference to the finished hummus so please don't leave it out!
- Garlic - when I'm being lazy and don't want to dirty a knife of chopping board (I know...), I just add a teaspoon of garlic puree or, if I'm feeling very extravagant, a teaspoon of black garlic paste which makes a wondrous variation!
- Salt - hummus really needs salt to bring out the flavours and marry them well with each other but be careful not to add too much! It all depends on the saltiness of your salt! I use Himalayan pink salt that does not have a very salty flavour so I need 1 teaspoon of salt for my hummus. However, when I made this at my mother-in-law's house last summer, using her much saltier salt, it came out unbelievably salty and I had to double up the rest of the ingredients to counteract it! So, I would say, start with half the amount, taste, and work up from there if needed.
- Cumin - this is not essential but I find it gives a lovely background flavour to the hummus.
- Ice - as mentioned above, this is crucial to giving the hummus that lovely soft whipped texture! For best results, use regular ice cube tray sized ice (not especially big nor crushed very small - about 1 tablespoon size). Most good quality food processors will be able to handle ice but if you have any difficulties with yours, you can always fish it out again if any big lumps are left.
Please see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for full list of ingredients and their quantities.
Basic Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a food processor, pulse a few times, then whizz until smooth!
This is a summary only. Please see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page for full detailed instructions. Thermomix instructions are also included in the recipe card.
Chefs Tips
- My hummus is not super smooth because we all quite like a textured version (and I have better things to be doing with my time than peeling chickpeas!) but it is rich and creamy and perfectly balanced with garlic and lemon flavours. If you find it too thick (all tins of chickpeas are slightly different) just add more lemon juice or water (according to your taste).
- Unlike most English hummus recipes, this recipe does not include olive oil as an ingredient which makes it much lighter and more highly flavoured than the oiled versions. Instead, drizzle your high quality extra virgin olive oil on top.
- I often use garlic paste because I am usually making this in a rush while making the supper so I like to just quickly dollop and pour things into the food processor. It tastes just as good and is much quicker than fiddling around with a garlic clove! Try using black garlic paste for a truly sensational version!
Serving Suggestions
This ultimate hummus recipe is so versatile!
- Add it to a graze board with some crudites and crisps for entertaining.
- Spread it on toast or oatcakes for a snack.
- Include it in a lunchbox with carrot sticks or celery sticks to dip into it.
- Add to a buddha bowl for lunch.
- Dollop on top of roasted aubergines and salad for a delicious supper.
- Use spread on a shortcrust pastry base for delicious vegan tarts.
If you're doing a graze board, you could also include:
- Simple Guacamole
- Super Speedy Muhummara
- Spicy Zhoug Dip
- Cauliflower with Chimichurri Sauce
- Zingy Green Olive Tapenade
- Chia and Almond Crackers
Or go all out and make two different types of hummus for your graze board! See this recipe for my delicious black chickpea hummus with black garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.
📖 Recipe 📖
The Ultimate Hummus Recipe
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 250 g chickpeas, drained
- 150 g tahini
- 35 ml lemon juice, (35ml = juice from 1 lemon)
- 1 garlic clove, (or 1 -2 teaspoon black garlic paste)
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt, (try ½ first depending on how salty your salt is)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 5 ice cubes
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Whizz until it gets to the consistency you like. Add more or less lemon juice depending on your taste. (Thermomix: 1 min / gradually increase from sp. 1-8. Scrape down with a spatula. Then 1 min. / gradually increase from sp. 1-8.)
- Serve drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkling of ground sumac or za’atar if you like.
Notes
- Be careful with the salt! Hummus needs salt to bring out the flavours but all salt is different so how much you need depends on the saltiness of your salt! Start with half the amount and work up from there.
- If the hummus is too thick (all tins of chickpeas are slightly different) just add lemon juice or water (according to your taste).
- Adding black garlic paste instead of the garlic clove takes this hummus to a new dimension and it's easier too!
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a ⭐ star rating ⭐ on the recipe card!
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Lucy Daniel says
Camilla, thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe! There are undoubtedly other methods to create the dish, but your method appears to be by far the simplest and quickest. The ice angle appears to be doing its job perfectly, making the dish fluffy. Thank you once more.
Camilla Sanderson says
Hi Lucy. I'm so glad you liked my hummus recipe! Thank you so much for letting me know - you've made my day! 🙂 Yes the ice really makes all the difference - so easy and so healthy too!