Easy, Oil-free Hummus!
Hummus is one of the foods that, prior to ditching animal products, I never tried. And to be quite honest I was kind of grossed out by it because the idea of eating any type of bean was disgusting. I’m so embarrassed to admit that now! Especially considering that at any point in time I’ve got at least 4 cans of chickpeas in my pantry, a couple cans of black beans, and hummus is in my fridge at all times. Oh how things change! I’ve mentioned before that when I decided to eat more plant based foods, I sort of had to grow up and start eating more veggies, grains, legumes, and nuts. Because my diet previous to this was reeeaallly lacking all of those categories. SO enter things like hummus!
Oddly enough I think my sister turned me on to hummus for the first time which is strange because she is the pickiest eater I’ve ever known! And then while living with my mother-in-law, she made us the most amazing roasted red pepper hummus so I officially decided that I loved hummus! Not enough to make it myself quite yet but I really loved it and bought a lot of it! I think I was still a little freaked out by beans so if I could just eat hummus, without really seeing the beans as beans, than I was all good. How weird is that?!
I’m so happy I’ve gotten over some of my weird food aversions because my world has been opened up to some of the most delicious foods! Plus hummus is one of those foods for vegans that goes a LONG way. Use it as a substitute for mayo on sandwiches or wraps. Mix it with some starchy pasta water and use it as a creamy sauce for spaghetti. It is perfect, obviously, for dipping your favorite chips, veggies, or pretzels. Add it to buddha bowls, eat it with falafel…the possibilities are actually endless. And it is SO good for you! With just a few ingredients, it comes together really quickly and can be used and scooped and slathered for a whole week! One of the (essential!) ingredients in hummus is Tahini, which is sesame seed paste. Tahini is kind of the new hot food right now. On it’s own, it’s also incredibly versatile and is used for a bunch of difference sauces, desserts, etc. Hummus is also sometimes made with oil, however for this recipe I’ve found that it’s just not necessary. I also learned from a friend of mine on instagram (hey, Inbar!) that traditional Middle Eastern hummus is always oil-free! The tahini is actually considered the “oil”.
Another great thing about hummus is that it is incredibly good for you! It’s a great snack to have on hand which is great because both of my boys LOVE hummus. In fact my youngest (2 years old) literally eats it with a spoon! It’s rare that I don’t have carrots and a dollop of hummus on my kids’ plates for lunch.
So happy hummus making, friends! I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Easy Oil-free Hummus
Creamy, delicious hummus with just a few simple ingredients. Perfect for dipping, spreading, and devouring!
Makes: Serves 8-10
Prep time:
Cook time:
- 2 15oz Cans Chickpeas
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- 1/3 Cup Tahini
- 2-3 Cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ Cup Water or more
- Black pepper to taste
- Combine all ingredients, except water, in food processor and mix until ingredients are well combined.
- Drizzle in your water until you have your desired consistency.
- Enjoy with carrots, pita chips, or whatever your little heart desires!
