Sometimes to find an on-trend recipe you have to go way back in history (ironic, right?). Agriculture began in the Levant, so it makes sense they have had a lot of time to come up with delicious plant based recipes. Hummus (or Hoomus) has been around a good long time. It is simple, clean and delicious. It goes with almost anything from pita chips to veggies.
I’ve shared many of my grandma’s recipes but this one comes from Stacey’s “Tita” (her great grandmother). They came to America from Lebanon in the early 1900’s, so I feel like this one has some serious authenticity. It is also delicious. Recipes don’t last over 100 years if they aren’t tasty and easy. Equipment wise all you need is a food processor or blender to make this tasty treat. You will also need Tahini. If you have made my falafel recipe you might already have a jar in the cupboard. If not, now you have two reasons to buy a jar. It is great stuff to have around.
After you try this delicious hummus, you may want to check out some of my other Lebanese recipes – Stuffed Grape Leaves, Tabbouleh, and Falafel.
This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you purchase an item via one of my links. Your purchase helps to support this blog at no additional cost to you and allows me to continue to provide delicious recipes and kitchen help. For more information click here.
Traditional recipes use chickpeas (garbanzos) and/or fava beans, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, salt, parsley and olive oil. I like to add a pinch of red pepper for a little zip, and a dash of cumin for a little more depth of flavor (full recipe at bottom of the post). That is the base recipe and is delicious as is, but there are many variations you can try. We eat this a lot at our house so I change it up sometimes just for variety.
The easiest variations are things you can simply put on top of a bowl or stir in:
- Minced garlic and olive oil
- Black olives
- Harissa paste (spicy and delicious)
- Toasted pine nuts
- Pesto
- Red pepper flakes or ground red pepper (if you like heat)
If you are feeling more adventurous you can also change up some of these ingredients:
- Try adding some avocado with the beans before you blend them. If you like guacamole and hummus you will like this combo.
- Roasted red pepper. These are sweet, not spicy but add a great flavor to hummus. You can buy a jar or simply put some whole red peppers on a baking sheet and roast them at 450°. Roast for about 15 minutes, turn with tongs and then roast for another 10-15 minutes. Let them cool then remove the stem and seeds and any charred skin. Cut into pieces and add them to the beans before blending.
- Try using different beans or a combination of other beans with the garbanzos. Black beans, pinto beans, almost any canned bean can be used.
I highly recommend Ziyad brand Tahini. (This is not a sponsored recommendation, I just really like this brand) You can find it at many grocery stores or order it on Amazon here.
Tita's Hummus (Hoomus) Recipe
Save to BigOven Simple, authentic Lebanese hummus recipe from “Tita”. So good with pita, chips or veggies.
- 15 oz can Chickpeas, drained
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced or 2 tsp minced garlic
- 4 Tbsp Tahini sesame paste
- 1/4 Cup fresh parsley leaves or 1/2 Tbsp dried parsley leaves
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice (more if needed to thin the humus)
- 1 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin (optional)
- 1/4 tsp ground red pepper (optional)
- Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender.
- Blend on high, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- You want a very smooth consistency, almost like frosting. You can add additional lemon juice and/or tahini if you need more moisture.
This base recipe for classic hummus is delicious as is, but also works great as base for variations. Try adding roasted peppers, pine nuts, olives, even avocado. Let your imagination run wild.
