Last week I posted about How to Make Tahini. I couldn’t believe how easy that was and how much we have used it already. Today, I will show you how to make a homemade roasted red pepper hummus. I made some for our Super Bowl party and it went over like gangbusters! I love hummus and I’m not really sure why we haven’t posted more of these recipes, but there will be 2 more coming up – so stand by.
Now, given all the “bad” food that is normally offered at Super Bowl parties, this was our contribution to providing a yummy and healthy snack! It served really well with pitas, vegetables and even tortilla chips. I offered all of them and allowed folks to pick their own.
How to Make Homemade Hummus
For those new to eating hummus – or just new to making it, don’t be intimidated. The basic ingredients are pureed chickpeas or garbanzo beans, olive oil and garlic. From there, the additions are up to you. Normally, lemon and tahini are added and, bam(!), you’ve got yourself an incredibly healthy and delicious snack. I really prefer adding some extra garlic and roasted red peppers. That flavor combination is heavenly!
How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
We started out our hummus recipe by draining one can of chickpeas and adding them to our high speed blender. You can use a food processor as well, but the power of the Vitamix gets the job done very quickly.
Add half of a jar of roasted red peppers with olive oil, two peeled, fresh garlic cloves, and two tablespoons of homemade tahini.
Turn on the Vitamix to combine all of the ingredients. You want a nice, smooth, creamy texture. It won’t take very long.
This is the best time for a taste test. I always seem to add more garlic, but that is a personal preference.
Pour the hummus into a bowl and drizzle a little bit of the extra oil from the jar of roasted red peppers on top. This adds extra flavor and looks nice.
Serve this with your favorite cut-up vegetables, crackers, pitas, or toasted bread.
Note: You can leave out the tahini if you don’t have any. I think it adds a good earthy flavor to the hummus. For this particular recipe, the majority of the flavor is coming from the roasted red peppers and garlic, so you may not notice the absence of tahini – unless you are a REAL foodie!
Can I make Hummus without the Tahini?
Technically, you can. While traditional hummus recipes are made using tahini, you can substitute any other nut butter in the hummus recipe. I have even left it out of hummus altogether and the recipe turned out fine. Sometimes you just don’t have it on hand and yet want the homemade version so feel free to break the rules and go for it!
What does the word Hummus mean?
Fun fact! Hummus in Arabic for chickpeas! Hummus is extremely popular in the middle east and you’ll find it with many meals and snacks.
Is Hummus Vegan?
Yes! Hummus is one of the most popular vegan foods out there. It is an incredibly healthy choice since it is packed full of protein and healthy fats.
Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with Tahini
Incredibly tasty appetizer ready in just a couple minutes. Serve with toasted rolls, crackers or vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 can chick peas
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 jar roasted red peppers
- 2 tbs tahini
Instructions
Drain the entire can of chick peas.
Add chick peas, garlic, roasted red peppers and tahini to a blender and mix it thoroughly. It will not take long
Drizzle a little bit of the roasted red pepper oil on top of the hummus.
Serve. (It's really that easy!)
Recipe Notes
I used the ½ of jar of Roasted Red Peppers, and added some of the oil in it as well. It brought in additional flavor.
We used our Vitamix but any sturdy blender or food processor will work.
Add or delete garlic for you prefer. We love the extra garlic.
If you do not have tahini, use another nut or seed butter as a substitute.
