Juice from 1 large lemon (if your lemon isn’t large you may want to have another on hand in case you want to add more to taste)īlend it on high and, if using a Vitamix, use the tamper to make sure it circulates well. If you plan ahead you can move a container from the freezer to the fridge the day before you make hummus, and the chickpeas will be nicely thawed. I like to make a bunch (~2 lbs) in a pressure cooker, and then save them in 2 cup containers in the freezer.

I usually cook the chickpeas myself, but you can use canned if you’re short on time and haven’t made any ahead of time. It’s possible that if you toasted the hulled sesame seeds they would taste better I just used them raw. Traditionally tahini is made with hulled sesame seeds, and when I switched to hulled sesame seeds it tasted much better. Unhulled means that they are still in the hull, which gives them a light brown appearance, compared to hulled ones that have the hull removed and are white. The first time I made Vitamix hummus I used unhulled sesame seeds and the hummus came out unpleasantly bitter. One thing to look out for is the distinction between hulled and unhulled sesame seeds. If you use a powerful blender like a Vitamix there is the additional advantage that you do not need to buy expensive tahini: you can use whole sesame seeds that are much cheaper (and they keep better too). Alternatively, you can make a soup directly after so that the remains of the hummus are blended into your soup and you don’t have to worry about scraping out every last bit. Cleanup takes slightly longer than with your typical smoothie because you may need to use a non-abrasive sponge to wipe down the sides of the container.

I also like the bright lemon flavor you get when you use fresh lemon juice, which generally isn’t possible with packaged varieties. If you read the label of most commercial hummus you’ll find that they use a vegetable oil other than olive oil, which does not taste as good, and many sources would say is less healthy. It’s so much cheaper and fresher than anything you can buy at the store, and like anything you make yourself, you have ultimate control over what goes in it. Blend well and serve, topping the hummus with a touch of sea salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice.If you enjoy hummus, making it yourself is completely worth it. Garlic: Use roasted garlic in the recipe but add 4 cloves of it.Blend well and top with olive oil, sea salt, and freshly chopped basil. Green: Use the main recipe, but add a handful of fresh basil leaves, a handful of cilantro leaves, a handful of parsley, and an additional teaspoon of onion powder.Serve with pepper flakes and olive oil on top. The hummus will turn a pretty reddish color. Skip the water and blend all of the ingredients. Pepper: Using the main recipe, add to the blender 1/2 cup of roasted peppers in oil.Cumin: Add a sprinkle of cumin and a touch of sea salt, and drizzle with olive oil.Spicy: Add a sprinkle or two of red pepper flakes and a dash of smoked paprika on top of the final olive oil drizzle.Always offer warm pita bread, pita chips, and fresh vegetables, but choose among these additional toppings:

Serve your hummus in a variety of ways by switching up the final touches.

Little sesame hummus recipe