Homemade oil-free hummus that is fluffy, smooth, flavorful, and delicious. The recipe is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make. This creamy hummus with tahini is ready in less than 25 minutes and therefore perfect as a quick side dish and meal prep.
Oil-Free Hummus
I love eating hummus, especially when it’s creamy and fluffy. Therefore, I created this hummus recipe which contains only wholesome ingredients and zero oil.
You might love this hummus because it is:
- A quick and hearty side dish
- Creamy, fluffy, and flavorful
- Easy to make with healthy wholesome ingredients
What Is Hummus?
As per Wikipedia, Hummus is a Levantine dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas or other beans, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and garlic. It is popular in the Middle East and Mediterranean, as well as in Middle Eastern cuisine around the globe. It can also be found in most grocery stores in North America and Europe.
“Hummus” comes from the Arabic word meaning “chickpeas”, and the full name of the prepared spread in Arabic is ḥummuṣ bi ṭaḥīna which means “chickpeas with tahini“.
How To Make The Best Hummus?
Apparently, the best hummus in the world is made by an Israeli chef named Michael Solomonov. His hummus is light, fluffy, and super creamy. Now, what’s his secret? The secret to creamy hummus is overcooked chickpeas which are actually falling apart.
Solomonov cooks the chickpeas from dry, and he adds baking soda which makes them cook faster. I also prefer making the hummus from scratch (and often cook the chickpeas in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker), however, if you are in a hurry, you can of course, also use canned chickpeas.
Just make sure to boil the canned chickpeas in water with some baking soda until they are overcooked/a bit mushy (which takes about 15 minutes)!
It’s also important to blend the garlic, lemon juice, spices, half of the plant-based milk, and tahini first. Blend until completely creamy and smooth. Only then start adding the overcooked chickpeas.
Keep blending and add the remaining amount of plant-based milk. You can also add water (preferably ice-cold water), however, I had a better result with plant-based milk. In the above photo, you can see the hummus before adding the remaining milk.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more salt to taste and more lemon juice, if desired.
Should I remove the outer skins from the chickpeas?
I tried both versions and yes, removing the outer skins from the chickpeas definitely makes the hummus creamier and more luxurious! It will turn out less grainy and fluffier. It is time-consuming though and takes an additional 10 minutes or so to remove the skins from the chickpeas.
Oil-Free Hummus Ingredients
I am not the biggest fan of processed foods and since oil is highly processed I often avoid it. This homemade oil-free hummus contains only simple ingredients which are as follows:
- One 15 oz can of chickpeas
- Lemon juice
- Tahini
- Plant-based milk (or water)
- Fresh garlic
- Ground cumin
- Paprika
- Sea salt to taste
- Fresh herbs to garnish
- Baking soda
Find the exact measurements below in the recipe card!
Health Benefits Of Chickpeas
I found a great site that describes the health benefits of chickpeas (garbanzo beans).
1) Diabetes
Chickpeas are particularly high in fiber. Studies have shown that people with type 1 diabetes who consume high-fiber diets have lower blood glucose levels. For people with type 2 diabetes, higher fiber intake may improve blood sugar, lipid, and insulin levels.
2) Bone health
The iron, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K in chickpeas all contribute to building and maintaining bone structure and strength.
3) Blood pressure
Maintaining a low-sodium (low-salt) intake is essential for maintaining a low blood pressure, however increasing potassium intake may be just as important because of its vasodilation effects.
4) Heart health
The high fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B-6 content all support heart health. Chickpeas contain significant amounts of fiber, which helps lower the total amount of cholesterol in the blood, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease.
To learn more about the health benefits of chickpeas, visit this site.
This Oil-Free Hummus Is:
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free
- Hearty
- Low-fat
- Healthy
- Creamy
- Fluffy
- Light
- Comforting
- A great side dish
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
Maybe you want to make my delicious vegan lasagna roll-ups that are filled with this homemade oil-free hummus?! Here you can see a photo of it:
Should you give this creamy hummus a try, please leave a comment and rating below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes! 🙂
Are you interested in more savory oil-free dishes? If yes, definitely also check out the following vegan recipes:
- Mexican Avocado Salad
- Vegan Potato Salad
- Chickpea Eggplant Curry
- Vegetable Curry With Pineapple
- Gluten Free Buns (Bread Rolls)
- Vegan Hungarian Goulash
- Easy Vegan Pasta Salad
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
- Healthy Vegan Mac And Cheese
- Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Vegan Chickpea Tacos
- Spinach Pasta Sauce
Oil-Free Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas
- 1/4 cup (60 g) tahini
- 4 tbsp (40 ml) lemon juice (or more to taste)
- 1/3 tsp salt or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 4 tbsp (40 ml) plant-based milk (or more for a creamier hummus)
- 2-3 small cloves of garlic
- 1/3 tsp baking soda
- Paprika for serving
- Fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Rinse and drain canned chickpeas, then place in a medium saucepan and add 1/3 tsp baking soda. Cover chickpeas by at least 2 inches (ca. 5 cm) of water and bring to a boil over high heat. See recipe notes if you want to cook the chickpeas from dry.
- Boil the chickpeas for about 15 minutes. Once they look overcooked and slightly mushy, they are ready! Drain the chickpeas in a strainer, rinse with plenty of cool water and set aside.
- Process the lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin, half of the plant-based milk, and tahini in a food processor until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pause the food processor to scrape down the sides of the processor.
- Add the mushy chickpeas to the food processor and blend for about 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the processor as needed.
- Now add the remaining plant-based milk and blend for a further 1-2 minutes, or until very smooth, creamy and fluffy.
- Taste the hummus and add more salt to taste and more lemon juice, if desired.
- Serve in a bowl and top with more lemon juice (I also added a bit of the chickpea cooking water), a dash of paprika (use smoked paprika for a variation), and fresh herbs.
- Store leftover hummus covered in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days.
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- Recipe adapted from Michael Solomonov, via The New York Times.
- If you don't want to use canned chickpeas you can cook them from dry. Here is how:
- In a medium bowl, cover 3/4 cup (150 grams) dried chickpeas by at least 2 inches (ca. 5 cm) of cold water.
- Add 1/2 tsp baking soda and let soak at room temperature overnight. Drain and rinse.
- In a medium pot, cover soaked chickpeas by about 4 inches (ca. 10 cm) of water.
- Add 1/2 tsp baking soda and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until chickpeas are soft, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain and rinse under running water.
- You might also enjoy this Vegan Ricotta Cheese.
- Recipe serves 6. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Equipment
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!
Ela, thank you for this delicious hummus recipe! I have made vegan hummus before, they do come out
like your recipe, it’s perfect! I am looking forward to try some of your other recipes! Millie
That’s awesome, Millie! I am so glad you like it. 🙂
Tasteful, delicious, and easy to do it . I did it and use on top of your falafel recipe with lettuce and Vuola !; It was an amazing Lunch, My Family and I enjoyed it very much ! Thanks Ella.
That’s wonderful! Thanks for your lovely feedback! 🙂
Was really excited to make this but mine turned out really soupy rather than fluffy. I only used half the plant milk. What do you think I did wrong?
Did you maybe use a Vitamix or any other high-speed blender? I used a food processor and the hummus turned out fluffy. However, in a high-speed blender, the hummus won’t turn out as fluffy. I hope this helps! 🙂
Can you clarify the nutrition facts? Says serves 6 120 calories. What’s a serving?
One serving is about 1/4 cup (65 grams).
How does the baking soda effect the sodium amounts? Sodium wasn’t listed in the nutritional info.
Probably not at all, since you drain and rinse the chickpeas after cooking.
This recipe looks great! What kind of plant based milk do you use? Thanks
I often use coconut milk, but any milk is fine. 🙂
I have made this recipe 3 times and it is awesomely delicious and really low calorie. Cooking the chickpeas to the falling apart stage is the best idea ever and makes this so fluffy and a beautiful creamy texture. Just magnificent and delicious. Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipes with common ingredients I can actually find in the store.
My pleasure! I am so glad you love this recipe, Joan. Thanks for your lovely feedback. 🙂
It is amazing, but it’s from Arab cuisine not israreli. ????
Thanks so much for catching that, Aisha! I fixed it. 🙂
I have been to Israel in 2016. Hummus is a big part of Israeli cuisine. There is
a lot of similarities between Arab and Israeli cuisine though.
It’s such a wonderful dish. 🙂
Super Yummish!! I have made many versions over time but I love this one. Thank you for not adding the olive oil:) or any extra processed oil. Tahini doesn’t count lol.
I am glad you loved the recipe, Karin. 🙂
Thank you, it’s very nice recipe.
I am glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
This is one the best recipes I have read. Eagerly waiting to try it out. Can you also share recipe for tahini?
Hello dear! Most of the time I use store-bought tahini. To make your own tahini you need to process toasted sesame seeds in a food processor (scraping down the sided of the processor quite often) until you get a paste. It helps to use a little oil to speed it the process, also the tahini will be creamier with oil.
Hello I am interested to understand why you consider oil a processed food but not tahini.
Thanks
Because oil is refined, it doesn’t contain any fiber anymore, whereas tahini is still a whole food. 🙂
Don’t get me wrong, I still consume some oil but many people are not allowed to consume oil due to health reasons.
Tahini is just toasted ground sesame seeds. It’s a whole food. Oil is just one part of a food that is processed out.
My understanding is that tahini is made from sesame seeds and oil which means your recipe is not oil free but still delicious
Hey! The recipe is oil-free because no oil in addition (like olive oil) was added. Sesame seeds contain oil, sure, but it’s still a whole food and not processed/refined like oil. There is a difference between oil-free and fat-free. 🙂
It is a perfect recipe ???? thanks
I love hummus but I could never make it at home as good as it is in store, and then I remembered your page and that you probably have a good recipe and I was right ????
Yay! I am so happy you liked the homemade hummus recipe. 🙂
Honestly the best hummus ever! I’ve loved eating hummus for so long but never made it until today and… it was delicious! Thank you Ela for this amazing recipe!
You are very welcome, Teresa! I am so glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
You are the Best Ela, I’m so blessed with all your recipes, they are all so yummy!
Thank you sooo much for sharing!
Aww, you are very welcome, Gilda. 🙂 Thanks so much for your sweet comment. ❤️
I am SO obsessed with this recipe. It’s so much better than store-bought hummus that’s super processed. We literally eat this with everything- falafel, veggies, crackers, it’s so good!
Yay, sounds amazing, Chrissy. I am so glad you love the recipe. 🙂
Hummus is just a delicious dip! I love to serve it with falafel! It’s so yummy! ??
Absolutely! Falafel and hummus is a great combo! 🙂
Das Hummis ist super lecker und da es ohne Öl ist auch nicht so Kalorienreich wie die normalen Rezepte. Man kann es einfach nachkochen und schnell nachkochen.
Vielen Dank liebe Ela für dieses und auch sie anderen tollen Rezepte.
Freut mich sehr liebe Kaya! Ich danke dir sehr für dein super Feedback. 🙂
Do you suggest soaking the chickpeas first so they are sprouted? I have some issues digesting store bought hummus and always thought sprouted would be better. I imagine you could add in that step here if you want?
That is a good idea! I never sprouted chickpeas though (but I love sprouting lentils). Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂