Creamy Lemon Hummus Without Garlic
This delicious hummus without garlic is a weekly staple. Lots of lemon makes it fresh and flavorful, and boiling the chickpeas gives it a creamy texture without the fuss of removing the chickpea skins. Perfect for little ones (or anyone!) who don’t like the bite of fresh garlic.
Hummus is a staple in my house. Before learning to make my own hummus, my family went through a family-size tub of store-bought hummus every week.
But I’ll be honest – it wasn’t necessarily a staple because everyone loved it so much. It was more a staple because hummus is just so convenient. It’s a perfect plant-based protein for a picnic or school lunchbox. It’s a quick and healthy snack. Everyone liked it well enough, so I never really questioned it.
Then, one week, our grocery store ran out of hummus. I picked up some nut butter and called it a week. The following week, they were still out of hummus. I rolled my eyes a little, and picked up some guacamole. The next week, staring at bare shelves again, I decided that I was witnessing the Great Hummus Shortage of 2021, and that I just better learn to make it myself.
Well, let me tell you, homemade hummus is so good. This easy hummus recipe is our new weekly staple, and now we eat hummus not only because it’s convenient and healthy, but also because it’s completely delicious. Load it up with toppings and serve it at a party, put it in lunchboxes with some veggies, or sneak it straight out of the fridge with a spoon. There is no wrong way to eat this.
You Will Love This
- Garlic-free hummus is perfect for little ones who don’t like the sharp flavor of fresh garlic cloves.
- No need to remove the chickpea skins! Many hummus recipes get that silky smooth hummus texture by removing the outer skin from each. individual. chickpea. If you are reading that and thinking “ain’t nobody got time for that!” this is the recipe for you. Instead of removing the skins, boil the chickpeas for 15 minutes until they soften up. It’s quick, hands-off, and yields deliciously creamy hummus.
- This healthy hummus recipe is a great way to add some extra protein and dietary fiber to your family’s diets. Serve it with veggies for dipping, and it’s a perfect simple snack.
Ingredients
Gather up your ingredients. For this recipe, you will need:
- Lemon juice: Please, please use fresh lemon juice for this recipe. Fresh lemon juice makes this hummus bright and flavorful, and it’s just not the same with the bottled stuff (I tried it).
- Tahini: Tahini is a ground sesame paste you can buy in the nut butter section at your grocery store. The flavor of this ingredient varies widely from brand to brand, and bad tahini can sink the flavor of your hummus. A good quality tahini is a great pantry staple to keep on hand. Soom is one of my favorite brands.
- Chickpeas: I use canned chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) for this recipe, but you could use dry chickpeas that you have cooked yourself. I favor the instant pot for all dried bean cooking. Chickpeas will take about an hour in the instant pot.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Spices, including onion powder, paprika and kosher salt
- Ice water
- Make it your own! This is a basic traditional hummus recipe, without the garlic. It is a great recipe for customizing. Add fresh herbs (dill is one of my favorites) or roasted red peppers to make this your own.
Instructions
Step One: Add a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed) to a medium saucepan, and cover the chickpeas with water. You can add a half teaspoon of baking soda to the water to help soften the chickpeas, but it’s not absolutely necessary. Bring the chickpeas to a low boil over medium heat, and continue to boil for about 15 minutes, until the chickpeas are very soft and start to separate from their skins. Drain the chickpeas. Rinse them if you added baking soda to the water, to get any residual baking soda flavor off.
Step Two: Add the cooked chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor with fresh lemon juice, tahini, extra virgin olive oil, salt, paprika and onion powder.
Step Three: Pulse the food processor for a minute or so until all ingredients are combined. Scrape down the sides of the food processor.
Step Four: Add a tablespoon or two of ice-cold water to the food processor and blend another minute. Don’t skip this step! There is something about the ice water that leads to the creamiest hummus. You can add tablespoons of water one or two at a time until your hummus gets to the consistency you prefer.
Scoop your fluffy hummus into a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, some lemon zest, some red pepper flakes, or fresh herbs.
Serve This With
Hummus is a delicious dip for all sorts of veggies and breads. My kiddos like this best with raw carrots and mini naan bread dippers. I think it’s totally delicious with leftover roasted veggies. Seriously, try this standing in front of the fridge with cold roasted broccoli or asparagus, and tell me it’s not amazing.
Use this recipe to make loaded hummus for your next party!
Creamy Lemon Hummus Without Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 2-3 tablespoons ice cold water
Instructions
- Add a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed) to a medium saucepan, and cover the chickpeas with water. Bring the chickpeas to a low boil over medium heat, and continue to boil for about 15 minutes, until the chickpeas are very soft and start to separate from their skins. Drain the chickpeas.
- Add the cooked chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor with fresh lemon juice, tahini, extra virgin olive oil, salt, paprika and onion powder. Pulse the food processor for a minute or so until all ingredients are combined. Scrape down the sides of the food processor.
- Add a tablespoon or two of ice-cold water to the food processor and blend another minute. Add additional water one or two tablespoons the hummus reaches your desired consistency.
So easy and delicious!!
Love this recipe.
This is my favorite hummus recipe!