This traditional Lebanese hummus is a creamy chickpea dip that is an essential part of Middle Eastern cuisine. This Mediterranean dip combines smooth tahini, fresh lemon juice, and rich olive oil for an irresistibly delicious flavor. Serve homemade hummus as part of a Lebanese mezze platter, use it as a dip for veggies, or spread it on a bagel.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the disclosure.
There is such a difference between making hummus at home and buying it at the grocery store! Once you learn how to make hummus chickpea dip at home, you’ll never want to buy store-bought hummus again!
Homemade Arabic hummus has a smooth texture and fresh flavor, and you can customize the flavor to suit your tastes.
If you love garlic, add more garlic! Or add more lemon juice if you want it to be more like Lebanese hummus. It’s a versatile and nutritious recipe.
Serve hummus traditionally with warm pita bread, spread it on sandwiches or bagels, or use it as a dip for vegetables like carrots, celery, cucumbers, or bell peppers.
This authentic hummus recipe is a budget-friendly dish that can be eaten over several days. It stays fresh for days in the refrigerator.
➡ If you enjoy this easy hummus recipe, try my recipes for mutabal (baba ganoush), muhammara, batata harra, Turkish green beans, or chicken shawarma.
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Lebanese Hummus Ingredients
💡 Ingredient and Recipe Tips for Homemade Chickpea Dip
🫒 Olive Oil: Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil.
🍋 Lemon Juice: Try using freshly squeezed lemon juice for this recipe. It makes a big difference. You can also add some lemon zest for extra flavor.
🍶 Tahini: Tahini is a roasted sesame seed paste. A good quality tahini is the secret to great hummus. Al Kanater and Soom are good brands and may be available at your local Middle Eastern grocery store. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods/Amazon tahini are also good. Mid-East brand is fine, too.
🌶️ Spices: If you can get it, use Aleppo pepper, which has a medium spice level and a smoky flavor. You can also use smoked paprika (with a pinch of cayenne).
🫘 Chickpeas or garbanzo beans: Cook dry chickpeas in the Instant Pot for at least one hour, adding a pinch of baking soda. Reserve some cooking liquid. If using canned chickpeas, drain them and reserve some of the liquid (aquafaba). For an extra creamy hummus, boil the canned chickpeas with a pinch of baking soda until fall-apart tender. Rinse and drain before using them in the recipe.
💦 Water: Add ice-cold water or ice cubes to the blender or food processor to thin out the hummus. This makes the hummus extra smooth.
❓ FAQs
If you use too much tahini, the hummus can become bitter. If you use inferior quality tahini, it can be bitter. Use fresh, high-quality tahini, starting with a smaller amount and adding more to taste. Also, rancid olive oil can taste bitter. See tips above for good brands.
If stored in an airtight container, homemade hummus will stay fresh for about a week in the refrigerator. Hummus tastes better after resting overnight. Drizzle a thin layer of olive oil on top before storing it to preserve freshness and prevent it from drying out.
To make your hummus more flavorful, add roasted red peppers, harissa paste, or roasted garlic. Remember that good quality ingredients, especially fresh lemon juice and premium tahini, will significantly enhance the base flavor.
♨️ How To Make Hummus
- In a food processor or blender, puree tahini and olive oil. Doing this first ensures a smooth and creamy hummus.
- Reserve a handful of cooked chickpeas for garnish. Add remaining ingredients (except garnishes).
- Puree until smooth (or desired texture).
- Transfer to a shallow bowl and garnish with chickpeas and paprika. Top with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve hummus with warm pita bread or pita chips.
Lebanese Hummus
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoon olive oil + more for garnish
- 1 ½ cups chickpeas 1 can of 15.5 oz, 286 g [See Note 1]
- 3 tablespoon aquafaba liquid drained from canned canned chickpeas or cold water
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or paprika with a pinch of cayenne
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- paprika for garnish
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Reserve a handful of chickpeas for garnish.
- In a food processor, puree ¼ cup tahini and 3 tablespoon olive oil until smooth. [See Note 2]
- Add 1 ½ cups chickpeas, 3 tablespoon aquafaba, 2 teaspoon garlic, ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper, and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Puree until smooth or your desired texture. [See Note 3]
- Transfer to a shallow bowl and spread the hummus in concentric circles to the edge of the bowl. Make a groove in the middle with a spoon. Drizzle some olive oil into the groove and all over. Garnish with reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of paprika, and fresh parsley. [See Note 4]
Notes
- Use high-quality olive oil and tahini.
- Note 1: You can cook dry chickpeas in the Instant Pot or use canned chickpeas. For extra smooth hummus, boil the canned chickpeas for 20 minutes with ½ teaspoon of baking soda.
- Note 2: Blend the tahini and lemon juice before adding other ingredients for the smoothest result. This creates an emulsion that helps achieve the perfect texture. I usually use my Vitamix blender when I’m making a larger quantity, and it produces a very smooth hummus.
- Note 3: If the hummus is too thick, add ice-cold water or ice cubes to the blender or food processor to thin it out. This makes the hummus smooth!
- Note 4: For maximum flavor, allow the hummus to rest for 30 minutes or overnight before serving to let the flavors meld.
Nutrition
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
Did you know that the best way to support your favorite bloggers is to comment and rate recipes, and share on social media? If you loved this recipe, please comment and give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below. If you’re a pinner, pin this post using the Pin buttons at the top and bottom of this post and in the recipe card above. Thank you for your support!
Angie says
This recipe came out great! I doubled it and froze half of it.
Neena Panicker says
Hi Angie, thanks for commenting! I am glad to know that you were able to freeze it.