Most of us have probably had really good hummus…
you know the one from that local Mediterranean restaurant (heck, it may be the reason you keep going back)…it is so creamy and delicious that it leaves you thinking about it days later, even craving it from time to time.
Then, maybe you have bought hummus at the store, or even made it at home, and it never quite compares to that lusciously creamy restaurant version.
We have a secret to share with you!
But first, we all probably know, but just to be sure…
what is hummus?
This staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines is a creamy dip or spread made from chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) that are mashed and blended with lemon juice, olive oil, tahini (ground sesame seeds) and garlic.
Believe it or not, hummus recipes started showing up in cookbooks as early as the 13th century!
Is hummus healthy?
Yes! Hummus is loaded with beneficial nutrients and health benefits:
- It’s low in saturated fat.
- It’s high in fiber and protein thanks to the chickpeas and tahini. The healthy bacteria in our guts love the fiber!
- The olive oil and tahini include omega 3’s to help prevent cardiovascular disease.
- The oil, garlic, tahini and chickpeas all have great anti-inflammatory properties!
- It provides serotonin to help reduce stress and anxiety and help provide a good night’s sleep.
- Its complex carbs will help keep you feeling full (which is why it makes a great snack!)
- Plus, it pairs perfectly with fresh, crisp veggies, amping up the nutrition even more!
Which is better, homemade or store-bought?
Like most foods, homemade hummus has clear advantages over the store-bought varieties. It is super-easy to prepare and allows you to customize the flavors for whatever you are in the mood for. Your homemade creation will cost less and allows you to use higher quality ingredients (and know EXACTLY what ingredients and going in).
While store-bought hummus can certainly be convenient – and a good option when you can’t make your own – just make sure to read those ingredient labels! Many store-bought versions include preservatives and lower quality oils like soybean or safflower oil.
In our experience, homemade hummus provides better taste, texture and flavor vs. the store-bought versions…plus, it can save you some money!
So, what’s the secret to that creamy, dreamy hummus?
Maybe some of you know this trick…it was actually shared with us by a loyal Eat REAL America member, and honestly we kept thinking…really?! We finally tried it and let’s just say, this might just be a game-changer in your homemade hummus!
There are 2 things that help create that crazy creamy texture:
- Boiling the chickpeas with a little baking soda!
- Adding 2 Tbsp of very cold water!
How to make homemade hummus:
Prepare the chickpeas! You can certainly use dried chickpeas, but we find it challenging to remember to soak them overnight, so we tend to opt for canned chickpeas. If using canned chickpeas, boiling them for 20 minutes with 1/2 tsp of baking soda helps them break down and helps create that creamy consistency. You can then drain and cool them by rinsing with cool water. Keep in mind, boiling the chickpeas isn’t required…you can just rinse and add them straight from the can, but you may not get that super-creamy texture.- Blend it all together! Add your hummus ingredients in a food processor, blender, or Ninja, along with 2 Tbsp of very cold or ice water. This cold water is another key to creating the creamy consistency. In our everyday hummus you will add 2 garlic cloves, juice from a large lemon (about 2 Tbsp), 1/4 cup of tahini paste, 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 2 Tbsp of plain Greek yogurt, 1/4 tsp cumin (which adds great flavor) and 1/4 tsp of salt. Puree the ingredients for up to 3-4 minutes, or until you get your desired consistency, adding another 1 to 2 Tbsp of cold water if it seems too thick.
The end result?
A creamy, dreamy delicious hummus that can be enjoyed with pitas, veggies or chips, on sandwiches (it’s a great substitute for mayo!), and even can be used as pizza or pasta sauce!
Some terrific ideas include the Roasted Veggie Sandwich, Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken Bites or the Mushroom Tortilla Pizzas, just to name a few!
The possibilities are endless!
Check out our Everyday Hummus for a traditional version, and then get ready to get creative because you can also incorporate other healthy, REAL ingredients to amp the flavor even more and add some pizazz! Try these creations:
Roasted carrot hummus- Garlic dill pickle hummus
- Roasted beet hummus
- Roasted garlic white bean hummus
- Spicy sweet potato hummus
- Thai-inspired hummus
- Cilantro lime hummus
- Avocado hummus
Make your hummus a sweet treat!
Believe it or not, you can even enjoy hummus as a dessert or sweet snack!
If you haven’t already, check out our coaching tip as well as our recipes for different versions of dessert hummus: chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolatey brownie batter and cinnamon-infused snickerdoodle cookie…all made with REAL ingredients!
Making homemade hummus is so much easier than you might think!
If you have not tried it yet, we encourage you to do so soon! And, if you are already an expert, please share with us your favorite versions!
Thank you for this information! I’ve always wondered why my hummus was kind of gritty! One question though…do you boil the chickpeas in their original liquid in the can or drain them and boil them in water?
Thanks
Heather
Heather – great question! We boiled them in water, after draining and rinsing them from the can. If you are buying low sodium or chickpeas with no salt, you can include the can liquid, but typically draining and rinsing them from the can liquid is a great way to knock down the sodium. Hope that helps, thanks for asking!
I was excited to read this coaching tip because I have always wanted to make hummus at home. The reason why I haven’t is I can’t find Tahini paste!! Several times, I have looked while at the store and searched it with no luck while doing an online grocery order. Help!
You are not the first one who has struggled finding this at the store! Look in the Asian section, it should be by the soy sauce, and coconut milk. But depending on your store, it might also in the Mediterranean section, next to the vinegars, that sometimes has a random assortment of Mediterranean items. If all else fails, call or text me and we will figure it out!
You are awesome! Hopefully I don’t need to make an emergency call to you from the store. 🙂
I would not mind! Ha!Ha!
It’s near the peanut butter at my store! Lol
Another place to look for jarred tahini could be the organic section of your grocery store. That’s where I found mine! The brand name was Krinos. And people at our EAT REAL class said our local health food store carries tahini.
Thank you Beverly – great tip!
What can you use in place of tahini?
Thank you for asking! You could use a nut butter in place of the tahini, such as almond butter, or sunflower butter. If you are asking because of allergies, these might be good substitutes. Hope that helps and please let us know if you have more questions or if we can help more!
Another tip…I use Swad Chana Dal chickpeas. They’re split & have no skin-super creamy.
Nice! Thank you, we will look for those and try it!
Couple questions for you: do you discard the skins that come loose after boiling or grind them up with the chickpeas? Do you also add the ice cold water when making a dessert hummus?
Thank you for asking, and yes, I just grind up everything after boiling, including the loose skins of the chickpeas. We stumbled upon this tip after we made the dessert hummus, but yes, next time we make it I will definitely include if not both the boiling and ice water, then the ice water for sure! Should make the dessert hummus creamier too! Please let me know if you beat me to it and it works! Thank you again!
I did try it with 2 Tbsps cold water and it was a little runnier than I’d like so next time I’ll try using just one. It definitely had a creamy texture and was very delicious. 🙂
So happy you had success with this too! Definitely adjust to your desired consistency — at least now you know the secret to that creamy, dreamy restaurant hummus!
Do you treat other beans the same way? Boiling them in water for 20 minutes to help remove the toot? 🙂
Kathleen – Thank you for asking, we actually don’t treat other beans the same way, although we typically are using canned beans. We only boil the chickpeas to make our hummus smoother and creamier. Here is a link to our coaching tip which will tell you more about beans! I hope this helps – thank you!https://eatrealamerica.com/2019/05/the-magical-fruit-2/