Name: Fast, Frugal Fabulous Hummus (no tahini required)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 15-ounce can chickpeas , drained, reserve the canning liquid; 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 cloves garlic, mashed; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; fine sea salt and ground black pepper to taste; Optional: sumac or paprika

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

V GF GrF HP

Healthy oil-free & tahini-free hummus, made with ease in a matter of minutes! It is super-creamy (thanks to a key ingredient), high in protein, and 100% delicious.

“Dip” describes me as much as my posting today.

It’s one of those days where everything I’ve started has gone kaplooie, from breaking a jar of jam on the kitchen floor (sending shards of glass and gooey blackberry ricocheting to every corner of the kitchen; only an HOUR to clean up) to singeing my ear with my hair straightening wand (why didn’t I stick with the ponytail?), to hiding my keys from myself (finally found in the hamper).

Needless to say, I’m behind schedule. And since there’s still a spinning class to teach this afternoon, a sweet baby to bathe and feed, and a concert to attend tonight, I’ll have to speed through this entry.

Since this recipe takes a mere 5 minutes to prepare, it’s not a problem!

Easy Hummus with No Tahini, No Oil

The recipe is hummus. I know, really? A hummus recipe? But hear me out, this is one you will want to bookmark, I promise. The reason is that it is super-easy, frugal and much lower in fat and calories than regular hummus.

Here’s why:

It contains neither oil nor tahini.

Tahini, roasted sesame seed paste/butter, is a key component of hummus, adding a distinctive nutty flavor and creaminess. It’s also expensive (about $11 for a jar of the organic kind that I like). It can also be a pain to measure (it gets rock hard in the refrigerator). So I’ve left it out.

Taking out the tahini also slashes the total amount of calories in the hummus by about 300-500 calories. In other words, you can pile it on extra-thick!

Creaminess Tip: Use the Chickpea Canning Liquid

To make up for the creaminess lost by not using tahini, save the liquid from the chickpeas and add some to the hummus. This is perfectly legitimate in hummus-making according to several Middle Easter chef sources, as well my friend Jeff. Jeff makes the most delicious hummus and swears that the trick (learned from his Lebanese grandmother) is adding some of the chickpea cooking liquid.

The level and types of seasonings for this hummus are not set in stone—play them up or down and vary them according to your taste.

Happy blending!

Fast, Frugal Fabulous Hummus (no tahini required)

Author: Camilla
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
Yield: 1 and 1/3 cups 1x
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Healthy oil-free & tahini-free hummus, made with ease in a matter of minutes! It is super-creamy (thanks to a key ingredient), high in protein, and 100% delicious.

Scale

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can chickpeas , drained, reserve the canning liquid
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
fine sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Optional: sumac or paprika

Instructions

In a food processor, process the chickpeas (not the liquid!), lemon zest, lemon juice, and cumin until well blended (stop and scrape down bowl as needed).
With motor running, slowly drizzle in canning liquid, a little at a time, until very smooth and creamy (stop and scrape down bowl once or twice). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a small serving bowl and sprinkle with sumac or paprika, if desired.