Best Oil-Free Hummus | Easy Homemade Recipe - Elavegan (2024)

FAQs

Should hummus have oil? ›

Hummus is a spread made from chickpeas, tahini (ground sesame seeds), lemon juice, garlic, and, traditionally, oil. But, you can skip that and use water or liquid from your can of chickpeas (also known as aquafaba) instead. As I do in all my hummus recipes! Why is this a basic, must-have recipe?

You might need more tahini, garlic, lemon and/or salt and very likely more chickpea water. Add a bit of each as you need, the recipe explains. "Blitz the hummus until very smooth, a few minutes at least. Don't worry about the hummus being too loose; it will thicken as it sits."

As I'm sure you're aware, chickpeas don't have a lot of flavour to them, so they need some pretty punchy ingredients to make it what it is. Yes, adding things like cumin or paprika will make it more interesting, but at the end of the day, if there isn't enough salt and lemon (acid), it will taste bland and insipid.

Baking soda: Adding baking soda to the chickpeas helps make the legume easier to digest, softer, and makes them easy to peel. Don't skip this ingredient! Lemon juice: I never suggest using pre-bottled lemon juice, but I especially urge you not to in homemade hummus.

Most hummus you buy in a supermarket is made with either soybean oil or sunflower oil. Both of these are highly processed and can be inflammatory. Look at the label and find hummus made with extra-virgin olive oil for the most health benefits (not to mention flavor – good olive oil is like a fine wine).

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil, made from pressed sunflower seeds, is a mild-tasting oil good for sautéing, stir-frying, or roasting. You can't really taste it in cooked dishes, but when you use it raw in dips like hummus or in salad dressings, it adds a light nutty flavor.

Tahini is sesame butter, and to make creamy hummus, the secret is to first turn that into sesame cream! To do that, you need to emulsify the tahini in a water based liquid first. This will not happen if you just put everything into a food processor all at once!'

Had an interesting experience using a different brand of tahini and also a diferent brand of organic canned chickpeas. Hummus turned out so much thicker than usual and I stirred the tahini really well before adding.

Many people worry, and ask “is hummus fattening” as they begin their diet. This is unfortunate, because humus can be a great snack to actually aid weight loss. That's because monounsaturated fats help you lose weight – specifically belly fat.

Next, enhance the blank slate of flavor with a few squeezes of lemon juice, a sprinkling of garlic salt, a turn of freshly cracked pepper, a heavy-handed sprinkle of paprika, and a generous drizzle of your nicest olive oil. Bonus points if you have an herby olive oil on hand with a little color to it.

What makes hummus taste better? ›

Fresh lemon juice is essential for great hummus, so skip the bottled juice and buy fresh lemons—one large or two medium lemons should do. Fresh garlic adds a little spice and zest. I add one small clove and find it's just right. Add more for a garlicky kick, or substitute roasted garlic and make roasted garlic hummus.

It tastes bad - the amount of lemon and tahini is off. It has preservatives and it has ingredients that are unnecessary (like salt), it uses soy bean oil, and other stuff like locust bean gum that I'm guessing is added for a smoother texture.

If you feel adventurous, try replacing the tahini with an equal amount of peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, Greek yogurt, chopped roasted peppers, pitted olives, roasted beets, steamed sweet potato, avocado, or thawed frozen peas, to name just a few possibilities.

Homemade varieties will generally last anywhere from 3-4 days, whereas store-bought brands generally lasts 6-7 days after opening. These estimates assume that it maintains a refrigerated temperature; as we mentioned already, the shelf life of hummus is diminished greatly if it does not remain chilled.

Apple cider vinegar is the secret ingredient that replaces lemon and garlic in this hummus recipe. I love hummus made with fresh lemon juice and minced garlic. However, I don't always have lemons at home and sometimes I can't be bothered peeling and mincing cloves of garlic.

Olive oil is a crucial ingredient in our hummus. Not only is high-quality oil important for flavor, but it's also important for nutrition. There are so many olive oil benefits – we capitalize on this by using organic, high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

Sabra hummus is made using chickpeas and tahini with soyabean oil, a bit of garlic and salt, citric acid, and potassium sorbate to maintain freshness.

While opened and homemade hummus can last up to seven days, it does not mean it will. You will definitely notice that the hummus is spoiled when you see mold growing on it. The less obvious may be that the hummus offers an unpleasant, off-odor and sour smell. This hummus may also taste sour if you decide to try it.

Just check that the store-bought kind doesn't have added sugars, inflammatory oils like soybean, or extra preservatives. No matter how you prefer to eat it, hummus is a tasty and healthy way to introduce more plant-based protein, fiber, and nutrients to your diet.