Are you a hummus fan? I am! I usually buy it at the store, but the other day I got a craving for hummus on my pita bread and decided to try to make it at home. Read: I was too lazy to drive to the store. If you are looking for a basic hummus recipe – try this one. Now that I know how easy it is to make hummus, I won’t be buying it anymore.
A lot of hummus recipes call for tahini. Honestly, I don’t even know what tahini is – I’m assuming it is a spice. The good news is that you can make great tasting basic hummus without tahini. The even better news is that it only takes a couple of minutes to whip up a batch of hummus with just a few basic ingredients.
Basic Hummus Recipe Easy
- 1 Can of Garbanzo Beans – 15 oz. (drained, reserve juice)
- 1 Clove Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt*
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin*
Place the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, salt, cumin and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. (Add small amounts of garbanzo bean juice as necessary for texture. I used about 1/4 of the reserved juice.) Transfer mixture to a serving bowl.
Serve with pita bread, pita chips, or fresh veggies for a healthy meal!
*Note: You will want to experiment with the amount of Salt and Cumin you use in your recipe. I like salt and cumin, so these amounts tasted good to me. You may like it less salty and cumin-ey.
Do you make or buy your hummus? Please feel free to share any tips and suggestions in the comments section.
Dave says
Great Hummus Recipe. I don’t especially care for Tahini. I used 1/2 Teaspoon cumin, as I find it a powerful spice, and it was perfect.
Nicole says
Adding the cumin is a great idea, I love that flavor and I am sure it added a lot to the recipe. Thanks, Dave!
Tahini says
Jeez, thank you very much for posting this! It is gonna be so helpful when I buy Sesame Tahini at the grocery store! So Extraordinary!
Kevin says
I know this is kinda late by a few months but I make a very similar hummus and one thing I add that really adds a great flavor is prepared horseradish. Lately I use an extra hot variety but when I am bringing hummus to pot lucks I use the Horseradish with Beets which turns the hummus a nice pink color. People actually ask me now to bring the pink hummus.
Marie-Joe says
Hi Nicole, I came to your blog through the Easter bunny cookies..amazing btw!
While browsing through your posts, it was funny reading about a Hummus recipe without tahini;
For the simple reason that Hummus, which is a Lebanese recipe, is called in Lebanon “Hummus b t’hineh”, which means “Hummus with tahini”..but I surely hope it’s still yummy without it!
Too bad its that expensive at your local stores…maybe we can send you some from Lebanon, its way cheaper 😀
Anyway, I related to this post and just felt like commenting…I really like you’re blog, and will definitely keep checking it!
Keep up the good work 🙂
Nicole says
Hi Marie-Joe, Thanks for your comment! That is funny about tahini. I need to do some real taste testing of hummus with and without tahini and see how noticeable the difference is with and without. I would love to try authentic Lebanese food. Maybe I can find a restaurant here in the US that serves real hummus. I’ll have to look into that. Have a happy Easter and hope to “see” you here again soon. -Nicole
Tina @shopaholicmommy says
I never attempted to make my own hummus because I always thought it had to have Tahini in it. I went to buy some at whole foods and found that it was $9 for a jar of it. So, I am happy to find it that hummus can still taste good without it! Thanks for sharing your recipe – I am adding it to my menu for the week!
Rhonda Gayle Nash-Hall says
yummy, might try these recipes
Small Footprints says
Oh yum! Tahini is like peanut butter only it’s made from sesame seeds. It’s yummy but it does contain a lot of fat. I love that this recipe is made without it because, while delicious, it is higher in calories. Your version is a healthy, tasty version. Thanks!
Small Footprints says
Whoops … what I meant to say is that while the other version is delicious, it’s higher in calories than your version. (It’s been a long day). 🙂
Nicole says
Thanks for letting me know what Tahini is – I had never come across it at the store so I had no idea. 🙂 I think the cumin in this recipe makes up for any taste difference because I really didn’t miss any taste (if Tahini is even part of any of the store bought hummus, that is!). Hope that makes sense. The texture was even the same. I’m sure the Tahini does add nutritional value (and fat) but this recipe sure was easy for me to make. LOL
Julie Wood says
I notice that Hummus can be very expensive in the store! I am going to make this awesome recipe for Hummus! It does not look hard to make. Thanks for sharing!