This creamy, dreamy Homemade Hummus is packed with flavor and is a breeze to make in under 5 minutes. Trust me!
I love hummus, yes I do, I love hummus HOW ABOUT YOU???
So uhh….can you tell I was once a cheerleader?
Really though, I love hummus — I legitimately had hummus and veggies EVERY SINGLE AFTERNOON during my dietetic internship (which was SIX years ago, how??). I would opt for store bought because it seemed easier and it never crossed my mind to try to make my own.
Why Make Your Own Hummus?
There’s nothing wrong with buying premade hummus, but as I started looking at the ingredient list for many of them I noticed two things:
- The ingredients really are quite simple — hummus can’t be that complicated to make?
- Pretty much every brand included some type of highly processed, high omega-6 fat.
**A note on fats: most products on the market (hummus or not) are laden with highly processed seed oils: think canola/soybean, vegetable, safflower and sunflower oil. These oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids. Now, omega-6 fats aren’t bad — we need them to some degree in our diet as they play an inflammatory role (which in some instances is a good thing). However, they are rampant in the vast majority of processed, packaged foods, and are what’s commonly used in restaurants. So basically, we get A LOT of omega-6 in our diet. Conversely, most Americans are lacking in adequate omega-3 fats, which are more anti-inflammatory. So, we’re getting too much of the pro-inflammatory fat, and not enough of the anti-inflammatory fat. Decreasing our intake of packaged, processed foods is a simple way to skew the omega-6 to omega-3 fat ratio in a more positive manner.
So that was that, I set out to make my own.
And yes, I still buy premade hummus from time to time! No need to live in fear of consuming omega-6 fats — just be aware, and choosy in your choices!
How to Make Homemade Hummus
The method to make homemade hummus is really very simple indeed. Throw it all into a food processor and blend. Seriously!!
Now, I have heard some people suggest peeling off the skin from each chickpea for an ultra smooth homemade hummus, but I don’t quite have the patience for that yet. Plus, I’d say mine still came out pretty dang smooth and creamy!
Ready to make your own? Let’s get after it!
Homemade Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
- 1-4 tbsp water, as needed
- paprika, to garnish
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except chickpeas to a high speed food processor and blend until smooth.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas, then add in to food processor and blend until mixture is a smooth puree. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed, and add in water one tablespoon at a time if mixture is too thick. Adjust seasonings as desired.
- Scoop out of food processor into a small bowl and garnish with paprika, additional shake of sea salt and pepper, drizzle of olive oil, toasted pine nuts, and/or olives -- your choice! Serve with crackers, raw veggies, or smeared on your fav sammie. Store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
