The pantry may look a little empty, but if you have just a few basic ingredients - you can still make this Basic Oil-Free Hummus.
This is my standard Hummus recipe that is super simple to make with a couple of cans of chickpeas, some garlic, and lemon juice.
No oil, no tahini, no added fat of any kind.... just smooth, creamy hummus that you can spread on your morning muffin or toast.
I know all too well how tempting it is to just buy a tub of it in the store. It's super convenient, already made, and tastes amazing, especially with all the different flavors they have.
But most of them have OIL!
What's wrong with a little oil you ask? Well at 9 calories per gram, it's the most calorie-dense food we eat, and those calories add up quickly because nobody can put that tub of hummus down once they get started.
Besides, it's so easy to make oil-free. Just blend some chickpeas, add some garlic and lemon, and a little salt. That's basically all you need to make great hummus.
Interested? Let me show you how I make my basic, oil-free hummus. My wife and daughter just love it.
Basic, Oil-Free Hummus
I take a large bowl and a colander, and I drain two (2) 15oz cans of chickpeas. Do not throw the drained liquid out. It's called aquafaba and can be used in many other recipes. You'll need to save about ½ cup for this recipe and the rest you can freeze (or toss if you'd like).
Rinse the chickpeas well and toss them into your blender.
Add 6 Tbs of that bean liquid (aquafaba) to make it easy to blend, and the rest of the ingredients down in the recipe box below.
Here's the thing about this recipe....
ALL of the remaining ingredients can be tweaked to your own individual taste. Like more garlic? Add it. A little more lemon? Add it. Cutting back on the salt? Go ahead.
We're all different and have different tastes, so feel free to play around with the amounts.
What I give you is the way MY family likes it.
I would maybe start with ½ the amount called for with the lemon, garlic, salt, etc.. And work my way up to the amounts I have listed. You may like less cumin or more onion powder, and that's perfectly fine.
I should also say, I used jarred minced garlic rather than fresh. 1 Tbs of fresh garlic might be more pungent than the jarred - don't know.
As they say.... make this your own.
With all THAT said.....all that's left is to blend all those ingredients until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides a few times.
Serve it with your favorite crackers, veggie sticks, on a sandwich, however you like it.
And before I forget, try sprinkling a little Tajín on top for a garnish. It's that bottle of Mexican Spice powder many of us have in the back corner of our pantry. It's basically dried chiles, salt, and lime. It adds a really nice flavor and a little kick to the hummus.
Until this quarantine is over, I will continue to try and give you more easy, pantry-friendly recipes. With the restaurants closed, many people are having to cook at home, so it's my goal to show you how easy it can be to make delicious, healthy food right in your very own kitchen.
Stay safe - wear those masks - and wash those hands, and we'll see you next week.
Basic Oil-Free Hummus
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: About 3 cups 1x
- Category: Dips, Spread
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Oil-Free, Vegan
Description
The pantry may look a little empty, but if you have just a few basic ingredients - you can still make this Basic Oil-Free Hummus.
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 15oz ea
- 6 Tbs of the bean liquid from the can (aquafaba)
- 4 Tbs lemon juice
- 1 Tbs minced garlic
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- Tajin for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Drain the chickpeas into a bowl and save about ½ cup of the liquid
- Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly and add to blender
- Add all the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides occasionaly.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of Tajin for a little extra flavor kick.
Notes
Anna
I’m sorry to be that person who posts their deviations from a recipe, but here we are. My deviations were out of ingredients I had on hand and not paying enough attention. But it was still delicious!
I had some lentils left over (about a cup cooked) that I cooked further until they were slightly mushy so they’d blend better. This is about 1/3 of the beans amount called for in the recipe.
I accidentally used a bit more of the seasonings (the amount for 1/2 the recipe). It still worked!
I also didn’t have fresh garlic so I subbed more powder.
It blended and was nice and spreadable and tasty even with my limitations and mistakes! That’s the mark of a good recipe and at some point I’ll also make it as intended.
Elyse Ross
Yum! I added a roasted red pepper too!
Karen T
I made this many times and it's always good. This time I added a little dill pickle to it and it really is yummy.
Thanks for sharing your recipe
Debbie
So good!!!
SusanM
This was amazing! Thanks for sharing!!
Paul
I saw you like Tajin on your hummus. Instead of adding the salt in the recipe, we put Tajin in to blend with the hummus. OMG! It is so good that way Chuck! You should give it a try. Not too much. We were tempted to do a lot, but a little goes a long ways. You can always sprinkle it on top.
Barb P.
Delicious on celery sticks for lunch!
Ken
This is a very good recipe. I will be making it again.
SA
This recipe is perfect, I made it today. I was worried it would be a little too much but went with it and I am glad I did. I finally found my go-to recipe. Thank you for sharing it!!
Susan
I find if I use chickpeas still warm from cooking then it comes out a lot smoother. Also, I love you add the insides of roasted eggplant, for a super silky delicious hummus. And while your roasting the eggplant, roast some garlic, and either replace the raw or jarred garlic, or use both for a really full taste.
debbie
Excellent hummus! My new go to recipe.
Sonya
Thanks for recipe idea. Sounds perfect! I like to simmer my canned chicken Peas until easily mashed by a fork, seems to blend up perfectly with no tiny lumps.
Susan
Excellent flavor! I use a trick taught to me by my Turkish friends: Rub the chickpeas to get the skins off and you will get much fluffier hummus. It really does change it up
Brad
Quite surprised by this recipe. I've been looking to cut back on seed oils, and hummus is a (probably too) big portion of my diet, so I figured that was a good place to start. Found your recipe and gave it a shot. Had to scale for 540 mL cans of chick peas (of course!) so here are the same ratios for any Canadian readers... they're a little wonk from the 1.21x scaling:
2x 540 mL cans of chick peas (save the juice!)
7 tbsp + 3/4 tsp of the chick pea juice (aka aquafaba)
4 tbsp + 2.5 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp + 1/2 heaping tsp minced garlic
1.25 tsp ground cumin
1.25 tsp garlic powder
1.25 tsp onion powder
Optional Tajin to taste
Just under 1 tsp salt if no Tajin, to taste otherwise.
I'll be looking at vegan recipes with a new perspective from here on... sorry about the prejudice!
Elyse Ross
Ohhh amazing!
Shelby H.
I am so happy I found this recipe. I followed it exactly and the hummus turned out delicious! I was shocked how good it was without tahini or oil. Easy, inexpensive, and healthier without the oil. Thanks so much!
Jane
If you want to make it really smooth, but don't want to peel the skins, put the beans in a pot of water to cover with about 1/2 tsp. of baking soda. Let them simmer a good 20-30 minutes. They will look very mushy and will be falling apart, but that's ok. Drain them in a fine mesh colander and then proceed with recipe.
MIchael Taustine
Glorious hummus!
Lacey Pie
Made exactly as described and I quite like it! Strong garlic and onion "bite" which makes it unique. Loved that it was tahini and oil free! Thank you!
Ken
I really like it as is. My wife, on the other hand, is overpowered by my breath.and the smell of the hummus! I may cut.the raw garlic in half next time and see if it is better for her.
Myrl
Perfect hummus! To make it smoother, take the time to peel the skins off of the garbanzo beans. It's tedious, but worth it.
Jeffery
I have tried to take the time to peel the skins off the beans, but it took sooooo long. Have you developed a faster way? I just felt that for me, the time vs texture/flavor was not significant enough. I do agree, it is smoother!
Susan Giusti
After you drain the beans, put them in a pot with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, cover with a few inches of water, and boil for about 20 minutes. Drain them in a very tight strainer and most of the skins will stick to the strainer. Super easy!
Dani
So good!! Thanks!!
M.A.
Chuck, thanks so much for another excellent recipe! This is the best fat free version I e ever made and it’s my new go-to!!