Roasted Tomato Basil Hummus Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why doesn't my homemade hummus taste good? ›

If your hummus is the right consistency or thickness but it tastes dry and pasty, it might be lacking a bit of oil. This recipe relies on the tahini to give it creaminess as I don't find olive oil makes enough of a difference to warrant the extra calories.

Next, enhance the blank slate of flavor with a few squeezes of lemon juice, a sprinkling of garlic salt, a turn of freshly cracked pepper, a heavy-handed sprinkle of paprika, and a generous drizzle of your nicest olive oil. Bonus points if you have an herby olive oil on hand with a little color to it.

Freshness: The Homemade Advantage

By using freshly cooked chickpeas, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and top-notch tahini, you're guaranteed a hummus that bursts with flavor. On the other hand, store-bought hummus, while convenient, often lacks the same level of freshness.

You might need more tahini, garlic, lemon and/or salt and very likely more chickpea water. Add a bit of each as you need, the recipe explains. "Blitz the hummus until very smooth, a few minutes at least. Don't worry about the hummus being too loose; it will thicken as it sits."

Sometimes just an extra pinch of salt can transform a bland hummus into a terrific hummus where all the flavors come together perfectly.

Add Some Nice Spice

Spices like paprika, cayenne pepper and sumac all lend a marvelous layer of nuance to a classic hummus dip. Seasoning your hummus with spices is perfect when you want to supercharge your hummus dishes with flavor. This trick also works with making canned soup taste better.

If your Hummus tastes bland, start by adding more salt. You can also add more lemon juice or garlic, or stir in some fresh herbs, spices, roasted peppers, and more (see below for more tips).

Consider jammy, Roasted Caramelized Onions or crispy garlic (that you can fry in your microwave!) as your next hummus toppings for an easy upgrade. If you're looking for a little extra crunch, consider Dukkah, a savory blend of nuts, seeds, and spices.

We use a simple pantry ingredient that we all have in our kitchens instead of the traditional tahini – peanut butter! Peanut butter is more readily available in many kitchens, making it a convenient substitute for tahini in a pinch.

Why does homemade hummus go bad? ›

Once the dip is left open and unrefrigerated, it is exposed to various bacteria and microbes that may accelerate its spoilage, and it does go bad if left out for too long.. If you plan to store some for later, it is best to minimize the amount of time it spends unrefrigerated, and try to keep it free of contamination.

Baking soda: Adding baking soda to the chickpeas helps make the legume easier to digest, softer, and makes them easy to peel. Don't skip this ingredient! Lemon juice: I never suggest using pre-bottled lemon juice, but I especially urge you not to in homemade hummus.

Ice Cubes Incorporate Much Needed Air And Moisture Into Hummus. Adding ice cubes to your hummus may seem counterintuitive, but it works to improve the texture of your hummus greatly. Two elements you need for food that's meant to be fluffy and creamy are air and moisture.

Tahini is sesame butter, and to make creamy hummus, the secret is to first turn that into sesame cream! To do that, you need to emulsify the tahini in a water based liquid first. This will not happen if you just put everything into a food processor all at once!'

You may be using poor quality olive oil, compared to what they use in restaurants. You might be using a different variety of cumin. I have noticed a difference between Indian cumin and the cumin you usually get in typical western grocery stores. You might not be using enough oil.

Fresh lemon juice is essential for great hummus, so skip the bottled juice and buy fresh lemons—one large or two medium lemons should do. Fresh garlic adds a little spice and zest. I add one small clove and find it's just right. Add more for a garlicky kick, or substitute roasted garlic and make roasted garlic hummus.

The best hummus is lusciously creamy, yet somehow light and fluffy. It's beautifully smooth and swirled, and begging to be scooped up onto a wedge of pita bread. It's nutty and tangy, thanks to the tahini, with notes of bright, fresh lemon and mellow garlic.