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Creamy Super Smooth Hummus (Oil Free)

May 20, 2022 | 0 comments

Say hello to easy, creamy SUPER smooth, oil-free hummus that is so much more delicious than anything you can pick up at the store. It uses just FIVE ingredients, is packed with protein and it’s vegan.

A small white plate of chilli oil topped super smooth hummus, with pita chips on the side.

I used to make hummus just by throwing everything in the food processor and hitting go, and while it was good, it was always a little gritty. Now after MANY years of testing different processes and methods, I’ve created the best creamy hummus recipe. I’m talking about the smoothest, most creamy, perfectly seasoned plate of deliciousness. It uses no oil, is totally vegan and so super smooth you’ll never go back to buying from the store.

The secret? Simmering the chickpeas for about 20 minutes before you blitz your hummus, to break them down and make them super soft before blending into an unbelievably creamy dip.

You don’t have to boil them if you want to save time – you’ll still get amazing hummus and it’ll still be much better than store-bought, it just won’t be quite as smooth and creamy.

What is hummus?

Let’s go right back to the beginning. Hummus is essentially a thick and creamy dip or spread that’s made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Yup, a traditional hummus recipe doesn’t use any oil at all. You’ll find supermarket hummus brands loaded with different oils but you don’t need it for a super creamy hummus. All you need is chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and ice. That’s your base.

Ingredients

This recipe uses only a few ingredients, but there are a couple of key things to be aware of.

Ingredients for hummus laid out on a grey marble background and labelled.
  • Use fresh lemon juice if you can – the hummus needs the fresh and zingy lift you get from the real stuff.
  • Baking soda helps to break down the chickpea skins to give you a smooth, creamy result.
  • Tahini. No two tahini brands are alike. Tahini is a creamy and nutty sesame seed paste that’s crucial for making creamy hummus. I’ve had a couple of people ask about the best tahini to use and this is super important because it does make a difference to your finished hummus. A gritty and bitter, low-quality tahini can ruin it which is so disappointing. Look for the country of production or origin to be Lebanon or Palestine and you’ll be onto something good. I like using Belazu or Al Yaman.

You’ll also need ice cubes (or use very cold water) to help make your smooth hummus.

Canned, dried or jarred chickpeas?

There are a lot of options out there, right? The good news is you can get amazing results no matter which option you choose. Traditionally, dried chickpeas are used and need to be soaked overnight in water before being cooked for about 2 hours on the stove. But again, who has time for that??

With this recipe, you can use either canned or jarred chickpeas. I like to use jarred because I find the chickpeas are better quality and you can tell in the finished hummus, but canned will work well too (and they are a lot cheaper). My favourite jarred chickpeas in the UK are from Bold Bean Co.

If you want to try making hummus using dried chickpeas and you have an Instant Pot, I have an amazing hack you can use. Just pop your dried chickpeas in the bowl of your pressure cooker, cover them in water and add a little baking soda, then cook at high pressure for 45 minutes. Then you’re ready to use them!

How to make it

Start by boiling your chickpeas with the baking soda in a large pot of water – this is going to make their skins break down and give you that creamy dreamy hummus you’re after. Get it simmering for 20 minutes. While the chickpeas are simmering, add the tahini and lemon juice to your food processor. Chop your garlic roughly, then add that too. Blitz until the tahini changes texture and becomes thick, then let it sit.

Once the 20 minutes are up and the chickpeas are super mushy (they should easily squash when you press against them with a spoon – if they don’t, cook them for another five minutes and test again). To make things simple, I like to directly transfer the chickpeas from the water into my food processor using a slotted spoon. Don’t worry if some of the cooking liquid goes into the food processor. Then all you’re going to do is add your ice cubes (if you’re using ice water, drizzle that in when the motor is running) and 2 tablespoons of chickpea cooking water and blitz until lovely and smooth, about 1 minute.

And you’re done! All that’s left is to top the hummus with whatever you like – I love drizzling it with chilli oil and fresh mint, or dukkah, olive oil and sumac. Serve with homemade pita chips for the best snack!

My four best hummus tips and tricks

There are a couple of tricks that make this hummus super creamy and delicious:

  1. Soft and mushy chickpeas make for the smoothest result. If you try and blend your chickpeas directly from a tin or jar, no matter how long you blend for you’re not going to get the smooth creamy result you’re after. Instead, boil your chickpeas on the stovetop with a little baking soda. The baking soda is going to help to break down their skins (this is what makes the hummus gritty) so doing this is fab for two reasons – you’ll end up with soft chickpeas AND you’ll have broken the skins down. The alternative is to peel all the skins off your chickpeas manually and honestly, who has time for that??
  2. Blend your tahini, lemon juice and garlic first. This will help you achieve that coveted creamy result. You’re essentially whipping the tahini – creating lots of lovely air pockets that will make your finished hummus lovely and smooth.
  3. Add a couple of ice cubes to the food processor when you add your warm, cooked chickpeas. Like whipping the tahini, this is going to help the hummus become super airy and light. You can also drizzle in 2 tablespoons of ice water if you are out of ice!
  4. Use some of your chickpea cooking water in the hummus to thin it and help you achieve that lovely creamy texture. This is a tip I picked up from Noor at the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen and it gives the finished hummus an even more delicious flavour.

PRO TIP: SAVE YOUR AQUAFABA! This stuff is magic. It’s the viscous liquid the chickpeas sit in and you can use it in place of egg whites for so many different recipes. I use it in my easy vegan garlic aioli recipe and much prefer it to using eggs. You can also use it to make meringues.

Got a question?

What equipment do I need?

I make my hummus in a basic food processor and I think this is the best option – you could use a blender but you will have to add a little more liquid to get it going. Start with 1 tablespoon of water at a time.

Can I make hummus ahead of time?

You sure can! I love making a big batch of hummus and using it over the week in different ways. It’ll keep for a week in an airtight container in the fridge. Whenever I’m prepping for a party or having people over (because hummus is always on the menu at my house!) I’ll always make my hummus at least a day in advance to get ahead.

What can I serve the hummus with?

The possibilities are endless with hummus! Use it as a dip with crudités or pita chips, alongside a charcuterie board, load it up with salad, roasted veggies or grilled meat for a loaded hummus plate, use it as pasta sauce, add a dollop to a Buddha bowl, use in place of mayo, on toast or bruschetta or just eat it with a spoon.

What can I top the hummus with?

Again, the possibilities are endless. I’ve topped this recipe with a sprinkling of dukkah (a lovely mix of pistachios, almonds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, chilli flakes and salt), sumac (beautifully pink and tart) and some Aleppo pepper flakes (a lovely bright, mild chilli). You can drizzle it with chilli oil, bread dipping oil, more tahini, load it up with sundried tomatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes or just a drizzle of olive oil.

Is hummus vegan?

It sure is! Chickpeas are a delicious protein powerhouse, and I can never get enough of them in this recipe.

Ready for more dip inspiration? Here are some of my favourites

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Once you realise how simple it is to make it yourself, you’ll never buy hummus from the store again. If you make this recipe comment below and let me know how you go, I love seeing your creations.

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A small white plate of chilli oil topped super smooth hummus, with pita chips on the side.

Creamy, Super Smooth Hummus (Oil Free)


  • Author: Kate Alexandra
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2 cups 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Say hello to easy, creamy SUPER smooth, oil-free hummus that is so much more delicious than anything you can pick up at the store. It uses just FIVE ingredients and it’s vegan too.


Ingredients

Scale

For the hummus –

  • 15oz/450g chickpeas (drained weight, from a can or jar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 ice cubes OR 2 tablespoons ice water
  • 2 tablespoons reserved chickpea cooking water

To garnish (these are just my suggestions – you can use whatever you have to hand here) –


Instructions

  1. Boil your chickpeas. Start by getting your chickpeas into a large pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, then cover them in cold water. Put the pot over medium heat and bring to the boil. Once it’s boiling, turn the heat down and let it simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chickpeas are very soft and squash easily against your spoon.
  2. Blitz the garlic, lemon and tahini. Meanwhile, chop up your garlic cloves into large chunks, and get them into the bowl of a food processor, along with the 1/2 cup of tahini, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of salt. Blitz for 1 minute, until the tahini changes texture from smooth and light and becomes thicker and a little darker in colour.
  3. Add the chickpeas and blitz. Once the chickpeas are super soft, transfer them directly from the pot into the bowl of your food processor using a slotted spoon. Add two tablespoons of the chickpea cooking water to the bowl too. If you’re using the ice cubes, add them now and then blitz for 2 minutes until the hummus is super smooth. If you’re using ice water, get the motor running then drizzle the water in and blitz for 2 minutes, until it’s super smooth. Taste, and add a little more salt and lemon juice if you think it needs it. Just be careful, it’s easy to over-salt.
  4. Garnish and serve. Transfer to a small bowl and create a little crevice in the middle to add your garnishes. Serve with pita chips, flatbreads, crackers or smooth onto focaccia.

Notes

If you don’t have time, you can skip boiling your chickpeas – your hummus won’t be quite as smooth, but it’ll still taste delicious.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: You can make the hummus in advance if you like – it will last a week in the fridge in an airtight container (but to be honest, I doubt you’ll need to store it for long!) It will thicken up a little as it sits and once it’s put in the fridge, just give it a little mix and add a tiny bit of water (a teaspoon at a time) if it needs it.

INGREDIENT NOTES: The quality of tahini vastly differs between brands – I like using Al Yaman or Belazu. Look for tahini manufactured in Palestine or Lebanon for the best quality. Switch up your garnishes to use whatever you have – fresh parsley, basil or thyme is lovely, as is za’atar and sesame seeds.

  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Category: dips
  • Method: food processor
  • Cuisine: mediterranean

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 50g

Keywords: creamy hummus recipe, hummus recipe, hummus no oil, smooth hummus recipe

Welcome!

I’m Kate, the creator behind Dished. I love creating flavour packed, simple (ish) recipes for you, designed for every day and special occasions.

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