This homemade hummus recipe is so easy to make and even better to eat! You’ll never buy store bought hummus again, once you’ve made it yourself. Perfect for a party or just to enjoy as a snack.
Is it hommos, hummus or houmos? Depends on where you come from! Let’s get the basic and most often asked questions out of the way…
What is hummus? The literal translation is “chickpeas.” Hummus ingredients typically include a blend of varying amounts of tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. It is typically viewed as a Middle Eastern recipe.
After that, the sky’s the limit. It can be served plain, with pine nuts, jalapenos or chiles, just to name a few. Roasted garlic, mint leaves, roasted red pepper and even beets are also common hummus flavors.
The next most common question is what is harissa?
Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili pepper paste, the main ingredients of which are roasted red peppers, Baklouti pepper, serrano peppers, and other hot chili peppers, spices and herbs such as garlic paste, coriander seed, saffron, rose, or caraway, as well as some vegetable or olive oil to carry the oil-soluble flavors.
Historically harissa hailed from the Middle East and was made with Maghrebi hot chili peppers. Since these chiles aren’t available worldwide, but the condiment was so tasty, other cultures started making their own adaptations of harissa sauce using different local peppers.
The original harissa recipe uses roasted red peppers, garlic, serrano peppers, coriander, caraway seed and olive oil for preservation. Some even added rose petals. Fancy!
PRO TIP: Taste test your canned chickpeas. Different brands have different tastes and textures. You want one that has a buttery and creamy texture and taste for homemade hummus. It should squish easily between your fingers and not feeling gritty or grainy.
This Harissa Hummus recipe, is a clear-your-sinuses kind of spicy hummus. Don’t be intimidated by that, that’s a good thing! Spicy foods have been linked to increased metabolism and other natural health benefits. There is a lot of goodness hiding out in this hummus dip.
If you really can’t handle the heat, lessen the amount of harissa sauce or just remove it altogether. If you know me I’m always trying to find ways to add some heat to my recipes!
Garnish your hummus with a good quality olive oil (see my notes below on the importance of good olive oil) and sesame seeds. I like black sesame seeds for the contrast, but you can use regular or omit them if someone has a sesame allergy.
PRO TIP: Rinse canned chickpeas well and several times with cold water to reduce sodium.
Serve with vegetables, our favorite pita bread recipe, pita chips or tortilla chips! It also tastes great on sandwiches and salads or to make a chicken hummus bowl.
Check out these other easy appetizers:
- Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Hot Caprese Dip
- Spicy Hummus with Chipotle Peppers
- Pineapple Serrano Hummus
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ranch Oyster Crackers
Harissa Hummus Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 30 ounces chickpeas , canned, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 large garlic cloves , minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 15 ounces tahini sauce
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup harissa sauce
Instructions
- Place chickpeas and baking soda into a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a low boil. Stir occasionally and cook for 15-20 minutes or until beans are super squishy. Remove, drain and cool.
- In large food processor, combine drained chickpeas, garlic, kosher salt, tahini, lemon juice and water. Blend until super smooth.
- Place in serving dish, making a dent in the center. Spoon in harissa. More extra virgin olive oil can be added at this time if desired. you can also swirl it around to evenly distribute the flavor.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
Video
Nutrition
I love love love harissa – so good in this hummus!
Love hummus and love Harissa! This is going to be a showstopper at our party!