My love for hummus runs deep. This is truly the perfect hummus recipe, it's smooth and airy and perfectly seasoned. And today we're taking this classic hummus and turning it into an elevated, flavor-packed masterpiece - Loaded Hummus.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Hummus is my love language. Has been for many years. It's my go-to snack and there's a batch prepped and ready in my fridge at all times. The sheer amount of tahini that I keep in my pantry at all times is almost alarming. I am who I am LOL
The creamy hummus is the perfect base for a vibrant medley of toppings—pomegranate seeds, salty feta, roasted chickpeas, and a drizzle of olive oil tie everything together. Loaded Hummus is simple enough for a quick snack but impressive enough to serve as an appetizer for guests.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Canned chickpeas
- Tahini - these are my two favorites: Seed&Mill + Soom
- Cold Water
- Lemon juice
- Garlic
- Kosher salt or more to taste
- Red onion
- Fresh parsley
- Freshly crumbed feta
- Pomegranate seeds
How to Make
- In a food processor, blend the chickpeas by themselves for 1 minute until powdery clumps form.
- Scrape down the sides and blend again until everything is the same consistency.
- Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt and blend until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of water at a time, until you get very smooth, light and creamy mixture.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, garlic or lemon if needed.
- To serve the Loaded Hummus, top it with all the toppings, drizzle with olive oil and serve with freshly baked pita chips.
Tips & Tricks
Peel the Chickpeas: Removing the skins from your chickpeas is key. You can do this by gently rubbing them in a clean dish towel or between your fingers. While time-consuming, this step makes a huge difference in texture.
Use Warm Chickpeas: Blend the chickpeas while they’re still warm (or heat them slightly if using canned ones). Warm chickpeas break down more easily for a smoother consistency.
Add Baking Soda: If cooking your own chickpeas, add a pinch of baking soda to the boiling water. This helps soften the skins and chickpeas, making them easier to blend.
Use Ice Water: Gradually add ice-cold water while blending. This helps create a fluffy, smooth texture.
Blend Thoroughly: Be patient! Blend for a good 2-3 minutes to ensure everything is well incorporated and creamy.
High-Quality Ingredients: Use good tahini, fresh lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor and texture.
FAQ's
You can use canned or dried chickpeas. If using canned, rinse and drain them well. If using dried, soak them overnight and cook until tender for the best flavor and texture.
Peeling is optional but highly recommended for smoother hummus. Removing the skins gives your hummus a silkier texture, though unpeeled chickpeas still work for a quicker version.
To thin your hummus, add ice water, olive oil, or chickpea cooking liquid a little at a time while blending. For thicker hummus, reduce the liquids or blend in more chickpeas.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it should last about 4-5 days. Add a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep it fresh longer.
Bitterness can come from old or low-quality tahini. Try switching to a high-quality tahini brand, and balance the bitterness with extra lemon juice or a small amount of honey.
Similar Recipes
Loaded Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 15- ounce can garbanzo beans drained and peeled
- ½ cup tahini
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice more as needed
- 2-3 small cloves garlic roughly chopped
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- Water as needed
Toppings:
- ½ cup chickpeas dried and roasted until just toasty
- thinly sliced sliced red onion
- fresh parsley
- freshly crumbed feta
- pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend the chickpeas by themselves for 1 minute until powdery clumps form.
- Scrape down the sides and blend again until everything is the same consistency.
- Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt and blend until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of water at a time, until you get very smooth, light and creamy mixture.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, garlic or lemon if needed.
- To serve, top it with all the toppings sprinkled over the top, drizzle with olive oil and serve with freshly baked pita chips.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
I usually use toasted sesame seeds in my hummus rather than tahini as it is more cost effective. Any idea how much to sub? I use 1/8 cup seeds plus a tablespoon or so of EVOO per 1 can garbanzo beans.
This certainly checks all the boxes and looks gorgeous as well!!
How many servings does this recipe make?
4-6!
That bowl of hummus is a work of art!! ❤️
This recipe is gorgeous and so delicious!
I have used st several dinner parties and it is always a hit! Thank you for posting a great appie.
Oh my goodness I just made your hummus and it’s incredible. I added a ripe avocado that I needed to use and some cucumber. Best hummus ever. Blending the garbanzos by themselves makes all the difference. Even better than Ina. Ssshhhhh.
I have made hummus a dozen times with my food processor. I just got my new Vitamix yesterday and had to try this recipe. The pomegranates threw me off a little but together with all the toppings work so well with the tartness of the pomegranates. Best hummus ever. I ate this all by myself and did not want to share. Maybe next time. Thanks Gabby for an amazing hummus recipe.
I made your loaded hummus for a party this week. THANK YOU! I have never really loved Hummus as it is so boring to me. The toppings made it delicious and just a stunning presentation. Making it again tonight for gourmet group. I did serve it with some homemade Parmesan, parsley won ton chips. To die for.
We made your perfect hummus last night. We'll try adding toppings to the leftovers.
yay!!!! so good right?