Recipe: How to Make Authentic and Low Fat Hummus
- July 13, 2008 by Fox | Comments: 14
What is Hummus? Hummus is simply a frugally fantastic and delicious dip or spread made from cooked chickpeas! It’s cheap, high in protein, and easy to make in under 10 minutes. Hummus (also spelled hamos, houmous, hommos, hommus, hummos, hummous or humus, WHEW!) is a popular food throughout the Middle Eastern world.
Traditionally, hummus is served as a dip with pita bread cut into wonderful wedges. It also pairs well as a vegetable dip for carrots, snow peas, celery, mushrooms, radishes and much more! Hummus makes a great appetizer at parties, is delicious as a meat alternative in sandwiches or wraps, and is an amazing side dish served with grilled meats (chicken or salmon) and a salad.
Since I love sharing frugal, delicious, and healthful foods with you, here are three recipes for making heart-healthy protein-packed hummus. I’ve included an Authentic Hummus Recipe , a Lighter Hummus Recipe (with dairy), and a Low Fat Vegan Recipe.
Recipe: Authentic Hummus
One of the tricks to making gob smacking humus is keeping the ingredients fresh. I’ve included directions for using both canned chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) and dried beans.
| Nutritional Info | Per 1tbsp (15ml) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 37 |
| Protein | 1g |
| Total Fat | 3g |
| Saturated Fat | trace |
| Carbohydrates | 3g |
| Fibre | trace |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 44mg |
| % RDI: | |
| Iron | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 2% |
| Folate | 3% |
Ingredients:
- 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed. (OR soak and cook 6 oz of dried chickpeas)
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (25 mL) tahini
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp water (if desired)
Instructions:
In a food processor, blend chickpeas. Add lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper and blend. Add a little water to thin if desired. Scrape into serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Tip: Tahini is a sesame seed paste (or spread) found in grocery or ethnic speciality stores. Tahini adds a few extra calories to the hummus, but it’s the best for an authentic hummus recipe. For a lighter hummus, feel free to omit the tahini.
Recipe: Lighter Hummus (with dairy)
Looking to lighten the authenticity of full fat hummus dip? Then try this delicious and lovely lower calorie version using yogurt!
| Nutritional Info | Per 1tbsp (15ml) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 26 |
| Protein | 1g |
| Total Fat | 1g (about) |
| Saturated Fat | trace |
| Carbohydrates | 3g |
| Fibre | trace |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 44 mg |
| % RDI: | |
| Iron | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 2% |
| Folate | 3% |
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (175 mL) fat-free plain yogurt
- 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed. (OR soak and cook 6 oz of dried chickpeas)
- 2 tbsp (25 mL) lemon juice
- 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil (optional)
- pinch paprika
- 3 tbsp water (if desired)
Instructions:
In food processor, blend yogurt, chickpeas, lemon juice, sesame oil, garlic, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper until smooth. Add water to thin, if desired. Scrape into bowl. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Tip: To lessen the liquidity of the hummus, try draining the water from the yogurt. Line a small sieve with cheesecloth and set over bowl. Add yogurt and drain in refrigerator until reduced by half, about 2 hours. Add this reduced yogurt to the hummus.
Recipe: Low Fat Vegan Hummus
Not darling over dairy? Want to go low fat? Then try this humble hummus recipe.
| Nutritional Info | Per 1tbsp (15ml) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 19ish |
| Protein | 1g |
| Total Fat | .5g (about) |
| Saturated Fat | trace |
| Carbohydrates | 3g |
| Fibre | trace |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 44 mg |
| % RDI: | |
| Iron | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 2% |
| Folate | 3% |
Ingredients:
- 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed. (OR soak and cook 6 oz of dried chickpeas)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
- 3 tbsp water (if desired)
Instructions:
In food processor, blend chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper until smooth. Add water to thin, if desired. Scrape into bowl. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Hope you love all three versions of my wonderful keener beaner hummus! Are you nutty for hummus? Do you get sandwiched in hummus spread or dipped hummus goodness? What’s your favorite hummus recipe? (There are soooo many versions!)
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Comments:
Never tried it. (It’s that ‘old dog, new tricks’ thing)
However, now that I know it’s just beans, I would be
willing to
Thanks for the great recipes!
Mmmmm… hummus. I love this dip!
Thanks for these recipes. I love hummus and can’t wait to make it myself!
Also, thanks for visiting my site–I ammended my post to make sure it was clear that I love visiting frugal sites and that they are definitely fun to read.
@Marci Ohhh you’ve got to try hummus. There are seriously no rules…just add as much lemon, garlic, oil, and salt as desired! Yum!
@SunkistMom I agree. I love love love hummus.
@Alexis Ohh yay! I was so happy to see your list of fellow frugal sites. Thank you for mentioning many of my frugalicious friends (and meeee tooo). I really believe that personal finance and frugal living can be sexy, delicious, and sooo much fun.
In a pinch one night I made pasta, lightly cooked some fresh veggies and used a couple tablespoons of hummus in place of a sauce. Quick, easy & delicious! I LOVE hummus.
@K9-CRAZY I love love love your recipe! May I borrow for a future post? Please please? I will fully attribute!
Thanks for the recipes, I’m eager to try them! I love hummus but haven’t been able to replicate the deliciousness of my favourite local Greek restaurant (even though I’m a pretty good cook, I’ve been known on occasion to sneak over there any buy a tub before I have company over and pass it off as my own…terrible
)
Amanda
yum.
i would like to make the suggestion of using roasted garlic for a nice variation on the theme. it adds a garlicky sweetness.
Substituting some (or all) of the olive oil with sesame seed oil really improves the flavor. I’ve never found a need for a full 1/4 c. of oil. . .
Roast (and then peel) red peppers and add them in for extra flavor, color, and veggie nutrition.
Roasted, peeled eggplant substituted for the chickpeas is an easy Baba Ganoush recipe.
I LOVE hummus, and lucky for me, there are Middle Eastern restaurants on almost every corner in my city! I was told (by one of these restauranteurs) that the secret to really good and creamy hummus is to take the skin off of the chick peas.
Like Ann, I’m also a big fan of Baba Ganoush but I’ve never tried making it. Thanks for the recipe(s)!
I used to buy hummus until I realized how easy it was to make at home (all the ingredients are always in my kitchen).
I ran out of tahini once, but I had sesame seeds, so I just toasted them and ground them up to make my own tahini. Since then I’ve always done it that way!
I don’t use cumin though, and the paprika is saved for sprinkling on top at the end (with a drizzle of olive oil). Yum. Now I’m hungry.