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5 from 22 votes
Homemade oil-free hummus that is fluffy, smooth, flavorful, and delicious. The recipe is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make. This creamy hummus with tahini is ready in less than 25 minutes and therefore perfect as a quick side dish and meal prep.
Oil-Free Hummus
I love eating hummus, especially when it’s creamy and fluffy. Therefore, I created this hummus recipe which contains only wholesome ingredients and zero oil.
You might love this hummus because it is:
- A quick and hearty side dish
- Creamy, fluffy, and flavorful
- Easy to make with healthy wholesome ingredients
What Is Hummus?
As per Wikipedia, Hummus is a Levantine dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas or other beans, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and garlic. It is popular in the Middle East and Mediterranean, as well as in Middle Eastern cuisine around the globe. It can also be found in most grocery stores in North America and Europe.
“Hummus” comes from theArabicword meaning “chickpeas”, and the full name of the prepared spread in Arabic isḥummuṣ bi ṭaḥīnawhich means “chickpeas with tahini“.
How To Make The Best Hummus?
Apparently, the best hummus in the world is made by an Israeli chef named Michael Solomonov. His hummus is light, fluffy, and super creamy. Now, what’s his secret? The secret to creamy hummus is overcooked chickpeas which are actually falling apart.
Solomonov cooks the chickpeas from dry, and he adds baking soda which makes them cook faster. I also prefer making the hummus from scratch (and often cook the chickpeas in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker), however, if you are in a hurry, you can of course, also use canned chickpeas.
Just make sure to boil the canned chickpeas in water with some baking soda until they are overcooked/a bit mushy (which takes about 15 minutes)!
It’s also important to blend the garlic, lemon juice, spices, half of the plant-based milk, and tahini first. Blend until completely creamy and smooth. Only then start adding the overcooked chickpeas.
Keep blending and add the remaining amount of plant-based milk. You can also add water (preferably ice-cold water), however, I had a better result with plant-based milk. In the above photo, you can see the hummus before adding the remaining milk.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more salt to taste and more lemon juice, if desired.
Should I remove the outer skins from the chickpeas?
I tried both versions and yes, removing the outer skins from the chickpeas definitely makes the hummus creamier and more luxurious! It will turn out less grainy and fluffier. It is time-consuming though and takes an additional 10 minutes or so to remove the skins from the chickpeas.
Oil-Free Hummus Ingredients
I am not the biggest fan of processed foods and since oil is highly processed I often avoid it. This homemade oil-free hummus contains only simple ingredients which are as follows:
- One 15 oz can of chickpeas
- Lemon juice
- Tahini
- Plant-based milk (or water)
- Fresh garlic
- Ground cumin
- Paprika
- Sea salt to taste
- Fresh herbs to garnish
- Baking soda
Find the exact measurements below in the recipe card!
Health Benefits Of Chickpeas
I found a great site that describes the health benefits of chickpeas (garbanzo beans).
1) Diabetes
Chickpeas are particularly high in fiber. Studies have shown that people with type 1 diabetes who consume high-fiber diets have lower blood glucose levels. For people with type 2 diabetes, higher fiber intake may improve blood sugar, lipid, and insulin levels.
2) Bone health
The iron, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K in chickpeas all contribute to building and maintaining bone structure and strength.
3) Blood pressure
Maintaining a low-sodium (low-salt) intake is essential for maintaining a low blood pressure, however increasing potassium intake may be just as important because of its vasodilation effects.
4) Heart health
The high fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B-6 content all support heart health. Chickpeas contain significant amounts of fiber, which helps lower the total amount of cholesterol in the blood, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease.
To learn more about the health benefits of chickpeas, visit this site.
This Oil-Free Hummus Is:
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free
- Hearty
- Low-fat
- Healthy
- Creamy
- Fluffy
- Light
- Comforting
- A great side dish
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
Maybe you want to make my delicious vegan lasagna roll-ups that are filled with this homemade oil-free hummus?! Here you can see a photo of it:
Should you give this creamy hummus a try, please leave a comment and rating below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes! 🙂
Are you interested in more savory oil-free dishes? If yes, definitely also check out the following vegan recipes:
- Mexican Avocado Salad
- Vegan Potato Salad
- Chickpea Eggplant Curry
- Vegetable Curry With Pineapple
- Gluten Free Buns (Bread Rolls)
- Vegan Hungarian Goulash
- Easy Vegan Pasta Salad
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
- Healthy Vegan Mac And Cheese
- Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Vegan Chickpea Tacos
- Spinach Pasta Sauce
Oil-Free Hummus
Author: Michaela Vais
Homemade oil-free hummus that is fluffy, smooth, flavorful, and delicious. The recipe is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make. This creamy hummus with tahini is ready in less than 25 minutes and therefore perfect as a quick side dish and meal prep.
5 from 22 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Arab
Servings 6
Calories 120 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas
- 1/4 cup (60 g) tahini
- 4 tbsp (40 ml) lemon juice (or more to taste)
- 1/3 tsp salt or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 4 tbsp (40 ml) plant-based milk (or more for a creamier hummus)
- 2-3 small cloves of garlic
- 1/3 tsp baking soda
- Paprika for serving
- Fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
Rinse and drain canned chickpeas, then place in a medium saucepan and add 1/3 tsp baking soda. Cover chickpeas by at least 2 inches (ca. 5 cm) of water and bring to a boil over high heat. See recipe notes if you want to cook the chickpeas from dry.
Boil the chickpeas for about 15 minutes. Once they look overcooked and slightly mushy, they are ready! Drain the chickpeas in a strainer, rinse with plenty of cool water and set aside.
Process the lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin, half of the plant-based milk, and tahini in a food processor until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pause the food processor to scrape down the sides of the processor.
Add the mushy chickpeas to the food processor and blend for about 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the processor as needed.
Now add the remaining plant-based milk and blend for a further 1-2 minutes, or until very smooth, creamy and fluffy.
Taste the hummus and add more salt to taste and more lemon juice, if desired.
Serve in a bowl and top with more lemon juice (I also added a bit of the chickpea cooking water), a dash of paprika (use smoked paprika for a variation), and fresh herbs.
Store leftover hummus covered in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days.
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- Recipe adapted from Michael Solomonov, via The New York Times.
- If you don't want to use canned chickpeas you can cook them from dry. Here is how:
- In a medium bowl, cover 3/4 cup (150 grams) dried chickpeas by at least 2 inches (ca. 5 cm) of cold water.
- Add 1/2 tsp baking soda and let soak at room temperature overnight. Drain and rinse.
- In a medium pot, cover soaked chickpeas by about 4 inches (ca. 10 cm) of water.
- Add 1/2 tsp baking soda and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until chickpeas are soft, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain and rinse under running water.
- You might also enjoy this Vegan Ricotta Cheese.
- Recipe serves 6. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition Facts Oil-Free Hummus Amount per Serving Calories 120 % Daily Value* Fat 6.6 g 10 % Carbohydrates 8.6 g 3 % Fiber 3.6 g 14 % Sugar 2 g 2 % Protein 4.7 g 9 % * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Equipment
Food processor*
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