Always travel with hummus. That’s my advice to new vegans and to anyone trying to eat healthy on the road.
Having hummus in a small cooler saved us last month when my family went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. With the streets and streetcars closed for parades, we were limited to restaurants we could walk to, and because it was Mardi Gras, all of the vegan-friendly ones that were close enough were closed.
So we ate hummus–hummus on carrots, hummus on crackers, hummus on bread. The best meal we had was hummus on a Subway Veggie sandwich; after dry bread and crackers, a sandwich with all those veggies tasted like something from a 4-star restaurant, I kid you not.
The night before my family goes on any trip, you’ll find me in the kitchen making this hummus, which takes about 5 minutes in a high-powered blender. Up until a few years ago, I always used my food processor to make it, but once I tried the silky smooth hummus that a Vitamix produces, I’ve never gone back to the processor.
The recipe is basically the same; the blender version just uses more liquid to get the blades moving, but somehow it comes out as thick as the food processor version. And the best part: if you want, you can use whole sesame seeds instead of tahini. The blender grinds them as it makes the hummus.
Hummus in the Vitamix
If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can make my basic hummus in a food processor. Start by chopping the garlic first, and use only 1/4 cup of liquid. Bryanna Clark Grogan says that you can get silky smooth hummus from a food processor if you start with warm chickpeas, so if you cook your own beans, I recommend that.
I like to make a a mildly-seasoned hummus for general use (and my daughter’s taste), and then scoop out half of it, add additional seasonings to the Vitamix, and blend. Since the seasonings I like to add are usually spicy, I garnish the “doctored” hummus with slices of jalapeno to let my family know which container holds the fiery hummus. The amounts of seasoning in the recipe below are conservative, so feel free to add more to taste.
Want More Hummus?
I have over a dozen flavors of hummus and hummus-type dips and several recipes where hummus is an ingredient. Find them all here.
Hummus in the Blender
Ingredients
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas (See notes below for home-cooked chickpeas)
- 2-4 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tablespoons tahini (or 4 tablespoons sesame seeds)
- 2-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4-1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8-1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper
- Salt to taste
Suggested Tools
Instructions
- Drain one of the cans of chickpeas. Dump both cans (including liquid from one) into the blender. Place all remaining ingredients except salt in the blender in the order listed, using the smaller amounts. Start the machine on low and increase speed to high. Use the Vitamix plunger to break up air pockets and push chickpeas toward the blades, if necessary. (Other blenders: Stop and use a spatula to do this.) If the mixture is too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time. Turn up to the highest speed and blend for a few seconds until hummus is completely smooth.
- Stop blender and taste the hummus. Add additional seasonings and salt to taste and blend briefly to combine.
- Store hummus in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It’s best after it’s had a chance to rest for at least an hour, but use within a week.
Notes
Variations
I often remove half of the hummus to serve as-is and get creative with the other half. Try adding any one of the following during the last brief blending: roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, chipotle chile peppers, green onions, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, jalapeno peppers, black or green olives, balsamic vinegar, spinach, smoked salt or Liquid Smoke. 1/8 of the recipe counts as 1 Smart Point on Weight Watchers Freestyle program.Nutritional info is approximate.
P.S. I’m on the road again as I write this, so it may take me a little time to approve and respond to your comments. Rest assured that I have a big tub of hummus in the ice chest!
veglandia
Just made your hummus – it was truly easy. Always looking for great things to make in my vitamin. Thanks again for another great recipe.
Quirky Eats
Your use of cumin in this hummus recipe caught my attention. I make one with cumin too, and add tamarind to it.
http://quirkyeats.posterous.com/tamarind-cumin-hummus
Fiona
This is a helpful post! I have always made hummus in the processor but will be trying the Vitamix next time! Thank you!
Koren Helbig
Hi! A belated little note to let you know we loved your blog so much we nominated it for a Versatile Blogger Award. Pop over here if you want to check out our other nominations: http://nofoodwithaface.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/versatile-blogger-award/
xx Alana and Koren
Robalee Deike
Thanks for another great recipe! We are heading on a trip Friday, so I made this up just now. Hope it will last until we hit the road. We also enjoyed the Irish White Bean and Cabbage Stew on St. Patty’s Day — our Irish-heritage guests loved it and we enojyed the leftovers for a quick meal last evening!
VeganCouchPotato
That looks delicious, I am going to have to start making hummus myself now!
Wendy
I so needed this recipe today. I cooked a big batch of chick peas yesterday and last night when I was trying to make tofu mayo my (13 year old) food processor died. (Rest its poor overused soul.) I was wondering how on earth I was going to use all of those chick peas if I couldn’t make hummus….now I know.
Nicole Caligiuri
this is amazing. thank you so much- it not only cuts down on my weekly grocery bill (oh hummus, I love you!) but also enables me to eat healthy and personalize it on a daily basis! hubby loves it with sundried tomato pesto mixed in. mmm. thank you!
Jerry
I just made a batch and instead of paprika, chipotle, or cayenne powder, I blended in a fresh jalapeño and cilantro. Yum yum yum 🙂
Marsha
Pasta of any kind
Brittany.Romanchik
So I literally just made this, not as smooth as I would have liked because I’m still using a regular Kitchen Aid blender, but still delicious.
Ps. Wanted to say thanks, I’m in culinary school at the moment and it’s been really difficult to find vegan recipes at all with all the contrasting things I’m learning in school. Your blog however is a god send, and I hope you don’t mind but I’m using it almost exclusively for anything my instructors will let me. Thanks.
Debbie
Thank you so much for this recipe! I was finally pushed to try my hand at hummus-making when I bought a cheaper brand at the store and could not eat it because it just was not good. Your post had great timing. I JUST made this, so my flavors haven’t mingled yet, but it is among the best hummus I have had (granted, my experience is limited to grocery store brands). I used the minimums of everything except for using the maximum of cumin. I made it in my food processor so it isn’t 100% smooth but I kind of like it that way. Wonderful recipe and I am glad I picked this one instead of that with 5,000 positive reviews (and with oil) at the big recipe website.
Kait's Inside Dish
I always wondered how oil free hummus would taste but judging from this picture it would be pretty amazing! I love your suggestions about the unique add ins, there so much you can put in hummus to flavor it up!
Edward
I´ve always had trouble making hummus in my vitamix, it would always end up too thick for the vitamix to handle no matter how much water or oil I put…so I just gave up. This post has given me the hope to try it one more time, thank you. I will add one chickpea at a time haha.
shan
Do you use the tamper? It’s a must for making hummus.
Love reading about all the different hummus variations. Can’t wait to try them out.
Good luck!
caryn
(If you’re approving any of my comments, please use this one, as I had an unfinished sentence in the previous one due to getting distracted. Thanks!)
Hello! Your hummus is almost exactly like my hummus! The smoked paprika can’t be beat. It’s a must. I haven’t tried it with water in lieu of EVOO, but it seems like you can’t miss it. If I’m feeling a little spicy, I’ll add 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo with a handful of cilantro. I’m a little surprised with all of the comments from people wanting to eliminate the tahini to lower the fat! Sesame seeds are highly nutritious, albiet fattening, but if used in moderation, in the case of a couple tablespoons of tahini in a batch of hummus. For vegans & raw foodies, it provides protein, B vitamins, EFAs and a TON of calcium. They’re a good source for healthy fats our bodies need.
Tom Virtue
Wow! I’m six weeks into an Esselstyn plant-based, no oil eating plan and this recipe is a godsend. I made your recipe (excluding the tahini/sesame seeds) and it delighted my palate. What a fantastic staple to this new way of eating for me. Many thanks.
DD
I made this today in my new vitamix and, I agree, the texture is SO much better than the food processor or blender! However, I have a question…why not include the salt with all the other ingredients? I saw this in my vitamix cookbook but no explanation. I added salt when I put everything else in since I use kosher salt and it is rather coarse. But it worked just fine. I was just wondering why the recipe says not to add the salt in the blender.
And, I added sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and a couple pieces of marinated artichoke hearts. Turned out yummy!
Susan Voisin
I’m not sure why the Vitamix cookbook has you wait to add the salt, but I do it because I’m adding it to taste, and you can’t taste the hummus until it’s hummus. 😉 There’s nothing wrong with adding it earlier if you know how much you’re going to want to add. Since a lot of people avoid added salt and some use canned (salted) chickpeas and others use home cooked, unsalted ones, I leave it up to the individual to decide how much salt to add.
Sarah
Do you think this would also work if I sub the chickpeas with Cannelini beans for a white bean hummus?
Susan Voisin
Yes, but start with less liquid because you may not need it with cannelini beans.
Say
Great! Thank you. I’m going to give it a whirl now. Ha! No pun intended.
Queen
Just made this! It’s delicious and couldn’t be easier to make. Thanks for the recipe!
Ashley
Hi there! I love hummus and have always purchased it from the store. We have a local restaurant that makes it and sells it at the local grocery store. However, it’s expensive!!
I recently was given a ton of garbanzo beans and wanted to try making hummus on my own. I’ve located tahini (took a bit of work) but was curious on cooking the garbanzo beans. Any advice on how to cook them so I can try your recipe! I’ve never cooked them before so I’m clueless.
Thanks!
Katie Loss
HI Ashley, if you do a google search for cooking beans you will find all kinds of information, methods, and personal preferences. You can cook beans on the stovetop, in a crockpot, or in a pressure cooker. My own method: I cook 1/2 lb. at a time because I’m the only one eating beans in my family. They last 4-5 days in fridge. I toss when they just start to smell funky if for some reason I haven’t eaten them up. 1. Pour out beans on a large plate, sort through and toss any little rocks or beans that look off. 2. Rinse in a collander and put into a bowl. Fill with water covering bean by 2 inches or so. Let soak overnight. They will double in size. 3. I personally just use same water for cooking, but most people don’t and claim it is important to rinse them thoroughly and use fresh water for cooking to reduce flatulence. I’ve been eating beans for so long, it doesn’t seem to matter for me. 4. Put soaked beans in pot, fill with water covering them by about 1 – 1 1/2 inches. Bring slowly to boil and then continue to simmer them for 1 1/2 – 2 hours (this will depend on freshness of beans and type of beans. When they are soft they are done. I drain and keep the bean water, or pot liquor as it is sometimes called to use in place of veggie broth in recipes for the week. I never use salt in cooking beans. Sometimes I add a bay leaf, a square of kombu, or chopped miripoix to the pot, but mostly I like to have plain beans which I can use in a variety of recipes through the week or just toss onto a salad or smoosh with a fork on a tortilla. Hope this helps.
Todd
Susan…I just LOVE this recipe for Hummus. I make it every week and we eat in in every way imaginable. Your blog has inspired me to finally start my own blog and talk about the health benefits of eating a vegan diet. Would you mind if I shared this recipe on my blog? Thanks!
Susan Voisin
I’m so glad you like the recipe! Please feel free to share the link, so that people can come here for the recipe. As your blog starts to grow, you will start to see that it’s better for you if your recipes are not duplicated on other blogs. Good luck!
Todd
Thank you Susan! And thank you for all of the great recipes that have helped me to make the transition to Vegan over the past year. Please keep up the great work!
brian
I frequently make variations on this and agree it is a great travel food. You can make it lower fat by leaving out the tahini. Including some tamari provides a similar toasty flavor (but don’t add any salt as the tamari / soy sauce adds enough). I like to add either parsley or cilantro, or carrots or yellow/orange/red bell pepper. The latter make it juicier so if you use these, add less water / bean juice. Takes about 5 minutes to make and is great on sandwiches and as a vegetable or chip dip.
Jo-Ann Brightman
I have to try this recipe. I am always buying hummus and this would be cheaper and perhaps better!
Emily
I was surprised how well this turned out in out cheap-ish blender. Definitely needed a little help from the spatula but much better than I expected. Also, it is sooo good and so much cheaper to make than what we buy(especially when using sesame seeds instead of store bought tahini). My toddler is happily chowing down. Thank you, thank you!
mettachoo
I hv a waring Xtreme hi-power blender. Can i use it to dry blend (without liquid) boiled chicpea bean or potato as vegan burger? Thanks
David Khaliel
This is NOT fat free. Tahini or sesame seeds adds fat!
Zara
It’s hard to get your hummus silky smooth if you don’t own a high powered blender or food processor, but I know a trick… Blend the tahini and lemon juice FIRST and you will notice that it will get really fluffy fast. THEN add the chickpeas, water, and garlic and you will get a smoother hummus. I add a tiny bit of olive oil at the end and blend for a few seconds longer to make it super smooth and fluffy. For just over a dollar you get awesome restaraunt quality hummus!
Polly
Ditto to idea of first mixing lemon juice with tahini for creamier texture before adding other ingredients.
molly
Try adding a can of black beans
William@paproud
We are on a low fat Vegan based Essylstyn diet and looking for fat free Hummas recipies, which this recipie is not. If you take out the Tahini, you lose that good nutty flavor. If someone could come up with a great fat free Hummus while retaining the wonderful flavors of all of the Tahini containing commercial hummus recipies, you would have a winner for sure.
Susan Voisin
Tahini flavor without tahini? I’m sorry but that’s impossible! But this one does have some tahini flavor with only a fraction of the fat of most hummus recipes.
William@paproud
Just to clarify, just wondering if there isn’t some non fat ingredient or ingredients that could be used to substitute for tahini to come close to the good nutty flavor the tahini brings to Hummus, ie. perhaps a grain, or something else. What about quinoa, I understand that it has a nutty flavor?
Susan Voisin
If you toast quinoa in a dry skillet before cooking, it gets a slightly peanutty flavor. I’m not sure if it would be strong enough to flavor a batch of hummus, though you could try. Also, a drop or two–literally–of sesame oil would add some sesame flavor with only a trace amount of fat per serving. There’s also a powdered peanut product, PB2, that you could try, but it has sugar in it, so I’m not sure it would work.
William@paproud
Thanks for the ideas. I will give them a try. Made your recipie yesterday and added sundries tomatoes in place of Tahini, it was great, thanks for providing my new base Hummus recipie. Delicious.
Ronnie from Tasmania
Hi Susan,
I stumbled across your site whilst searching for a suitable diet for a vegetarian/vegan with PCOS. I am in heaven! I was so excited that I have been pouring through your recipes and bookmarking left, right and centre!
I just made your hummus with a little extra spice (like you I like a nice hit of zing) and it is amazing!!! Now I have this recipe I will never buy store bought hummus again.
I even gave a little taste to my young daughter (sans spice) and she started smacking her lips together and smiling!
Thanks so much for your wonderful site.
Regards,
Ronnie.
Terry Stuart
Enjoying your site and also need your help. Plan to make my own hummus with your basic recipe. My (and my 87 year Mom’s) favorite hummus by far was the Cranberry and Fig (apparently once and only seasonal Sabra) and have really missed it. Would really appreciate your suggestions on proportions to add to your basic recipe of cranberry and fig – also dried vs fresh. Many thanks.
Rick
The whole time i was making this recipe i was telling myself there is no way this can be good. You have to have olive oil in Hummus in order for it to taste good. Holy cow was i ever wrong. This is the best hummus I have ever had.
I know olive oil has many health benefits but i dont like to eat that much of it so this recipe is perfect for me. I now can eat as much hummus as i like.
Thank you so much for this recipe as well as all of the other ones on this site.
Rick
Asta-Karolina
It has just the perfect texture: Not to stiff and not to runny! Excellent!
Mike S
I’m new here Susan. I got a new Vitamix and had to try your hummus recipe. I was specifically looking for a recipe without oil.:) Used 1/2 chilpotle pepper from a can, and the hummus turned out amazing! Thanks for the recipe.