# Hummus recipes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981 "2009-10-24T18:13:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/1 "2009-10-24T18:13:55Z")
I’ve been eating a ton of hummus lately and have started trying to concoct my own recipes. Today I food processed: garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic, chili powder, onion powder, basil, olive oil, water and a dash of red pepper flakes. It was tasty, but I’d like for it to be spicier. I tried hot sauce and it wasn’t the flavor I was hoping for. The Mediterranean restaurant up the road gives you an oily mixture to add if you want heat, but I don’t know what’s in it. Does anyone have a good hummus recipe they can share? Or know what I can add to it to give it a kick? ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/2 "2009-10-24T18:19:59Z")
Roast jalapeno peppers under the broiler until the soften their skins blacken. Peel off the blackened skin (or not). That would add some heat, I think, but be a bit more mellow from the cooking. I like to use lemon juice rather than water. It’s zingier. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/3 "2009-10-24T19:36:40Z")
drain and blenderize a jar of good quality marinated artichoke hearts and add to the hummus. Nom!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/4 "2009-10-24T19:56:07Z")
I’m subscribing to this thread. I love hummus, but mine is usually a bit grainy and too bland. ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/5 "2009-10-24T20:39:34Z")
I usually just make a basic hummus - chickpeas, alittle of the liquid they were cooked in, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice & salt & pepper. But one time i had a couple of spoonfuls of pesto left over & added that. That was really good. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/6 "2009-10-24T21:47:25Z")
My secret ingredient is hot peppers - usually the pale green rings they sell in glass jars, the pickled italian ones. Gives it a little heat and tang. One other thing I add no one has yet mentioned is cumin… mmmm… ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/7 "2009-10-24T22:14:08Z")
I think hummus is best when it’s simple–you add the spicy when you serve it. Garbanzos, tahini, lemon, garlic, olive oil, salt. Period. Find your own ratio, according to your preferences. More beans means chunky; more tahini means creamy. Lemon, garlic, salt to taste as well. Then you add things like chilis, etc., when you’re eating it. I think it works better like that, than to permeate the hummus with the spicy. Keeping it separate allows the flavors to move around in your mouth as you eat them; permeated uniformly is more bland to me. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/8 "2009-10-24T23:52:31Z")
> [@Dr.Righteous](#): > > My secret ingredient is hot peppers - usually the pale green rings they sell in glass jars, the pickled italian ones. Gives it a little heat and tang. One other thing I add no one has yet mentioned is cumin… mmmm… Oh yes, cumin. Why didn’t I try that before? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/9 "2009-10-25T00:47:44Z")
Chickpeas, olive oil, sesame oil instead of Tahini (because I’m a cheap so in so), onion, garlic, lemon juice sometimes, cumin and curry powder if Mrs. Plant isn’t having any. Blended extensively in Mrs. Plant’s food processor. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/10 "2009-10-25T00:55:52Z")
Mental note: Buy cumin at my next trip to the grocery store. (Is that the main ingredient in chili powder? Cause that’s what I added and it was pretty tasty.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/11 "2009-10-25T01:23:14Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Is that the main ingredient in chili powder? [Cumin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumin) is a seed, and I believe chili powder is just dried and ground chili pepper. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/12 "2009-10-25T13:38:26Z")
Use a pinch of ground cumin for hummus, not seeds. Don’t overdo it or it will overwhelm the taste. Blend chickpeas, lemon, garlic, salt, cumin, adding liquid from the chickpeas until you reach the right consistency. I add roasted sesame seeds for a toasty flavour. Garnish with paprika/cayenne and olive oil. If you want it spicy, serve it with a dab of a red spicy sauce like Moroccan harissa. [www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/harissa\_82929.shtml](http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/harissa_82929.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/13 "2009-10-25T17:34:55Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Mental note: Buy cumin at my next trip to the grocery store. (Is that the main ingredient in chili powder? Cause that’s what I added and it was pretty tasty.) > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > [Cumin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumin) is a seed, and I believe chili powder is just dried and ground chili pepper. Depends on the chili powder. For example, McCormick’s Texas-Style is chili pepper, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and garlic. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/14 "2009-10-25T18:36:03Z")
Try using a good grassy/herbal olive oil (I happen to like [this stuff](http://www.amazon.com/Olio-Verde-Extra-Virgin-Harvest/dp/B000ALLKSU)). If you want heat, spoon some preserved peppers on top of the hummus when you serve it, then sprinkle some aleppo pepper around the perimeter. ---
**Author:** ![vifslan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f4b2a3/32.png) [@vifslan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vifslan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hummus-recipes/514981/15 "2009-10-25T19:11:17Z")
At the moment, my favourite spice mix for hummus is cumin seeds, black pepper and Sichuan pepper. Dry-roast in a frying pan, grind into powder with a little bit of kosher salt, add to hummus.