A classic hummus is naturally vegan. Hummus is always based on a creamy smooth blend of chickpeas and tahini (toasted sesame seed paste). Garlic, salt and other ingredients are classic additions, but this is a highly flexible recipe with many substitutions and additions possible.
There is plenty of fat from the sesame seeds, you really don’t need any olive oil.
Yields8 ServingsPrep Time5 minsCook Time40 minsTotal Time45 mins
1cupdry chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
½cupwhite sesame seed
2tbspcumin seed
2tbspgarlic
2tbspfermented bean paste (or substitute with a pinch of table salt)
½cupmushrooms
1shallot
2limes (or lemons
coriander leaves and/or roots as desired
Overnight Preparation
1
Soak the chickpeas overnight in 3 cups of water
Preparation
2
Chop the garlic, mushrooms and shallot
Cooking
3
Heat the sesame seeds in a non-stick pan on medium heat, taking care not to brown them
4
When the sesame starts releasing oil, turn heat off and move the seeds to a bowl to cool
5
Use the hot pan to toast the cumin for a minute, move to a bowl to cool
6
Place the garlic in the pan and add a small amount of water to saute on high heat
7
Add the bean paste, mushrooms, chickpeas, and the chickpea water (aquafaba) to the pan, and boil until the mushrooms are cooked.
8
Leave the pan to cool for 30 minutes or near room temperature
Blending
9
Blend the sesame and cumin to a fine powder
10
Add the chopped shallot, lime juice, coriander and the cooled mixture from the pan and blend
11
Add water as necessary to make a creamy paste
12
Chill and serve
Nutrition Facts
8 servings
Serving size
1/2 cup
Amount per serving
Calories160.98
% Daily Value *
Total Fat7.8g10%
Saturated Fat 1.06g6%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol0mg
Sodium175.09mg8%
Total Carbohydrate18.68g7%
Dietary Fiber 5.61g21%
Total Sugars 3.24g
Protein7.24g
Vitamin A1.7mcg1%
Vitamin C11.5mg13%
Calcium6.8mg1%
Iron23.2mg129%
Potassium288.41mg7%
Vitamin D0.4mcg2%
Vitamin E2.2mg15%
Vitamin K5.0mcg5%
Thiamin10.4mg867%
Riboflavin4.7mg362%
Niacin6.3mg40%
Vitamin B68.9mg524%
Folate22.1mcg6%
Vitamin B120mg0%
Pantothenic Acid3.0mg60%
Phosphorus17.0mg2%
Magnesium17.3mg5%
Zinc10.8mg99%
Selenium8.3mcg16%
Copper17.8mg1978%
Manganese37.9mg1648%
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Ingredients
1cupdry chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
½cupwhite sesame seed
2tbspcumin seed
2tbspgarlic
2tbspfermented bean paste (or substitute with a pinch of table salt)
½cupmushrooms
1shallot
2limes (or lemons
coriander leaves and/or roots as desired
Directions
Overnight Preparation
1
Soak the chickpeas overnight in 3 cups of water
Preparation
2
Chop the garlic, mushrooms and shallot
Cooking
3
Heat the sesame seeds in a non-stick pan on medium heat, taking care not to brown them
4
When the sesame starts releasing oil, turn heat off and move the seeds to a bowl to cool
5
Use the hot pan to toast the cumin for a minute, move to a bowl to cool
6
Place the garlic in the pan and add a small amount of water to saute on high heat
7
Add the bean paste, mushrooms, chickpeas, and the chickpea water (aquafaba) to the pan, and boil until the mushrooms are cooked.
8
Leave the pan to cool for 30 minutes or near room temperature
Blending
9
Blend the sesame and cumin to a fine powder
10
Add the chopped shallot, lime juice, coriander and the cooled mixture from the pan and blend
The nutritional information presented here is based on a 1/8th portion of the total recipe.
The volume and weight of the portions will vary quite a lot depending on how much water you add (both to soak the chickpeas, and additional water during blending).
Hummus Cooking Tips
The sesame will taste bitter if heated too long. If the seeds start turning brown remove from heat immediately. Ideally you can remove it from the heat just before any major color change. It is ready as soon as you see the oil releasing (watch closely under good light).
Do a good job of cleaning pips from the limes. If the seeds go in the blender this will also make your hummus bitter
You can substitute lemons for the lime. If you have juicy fragrant lemons at lower cost than hard dry limes, then I would use that every time. Limes are just very common where I live.
The water from the soaked chickpeas is known as aquafaba. It is very useful in vegan cooking so you may want to save some in a jar. Aquafaba has similar binding properties to egg white, and is also used as a base for vegan mayonnaise.
The chickpeas do not need to be softened by the cooking. It is just a good idea to bring them and the aquafaba to a boil to kill any surface bacteria.
Remember that there is no further cooking after you blend everything. Cook everything you don’t want to eat raw. If you prefer to cook the shallots, then put them in the pan too.
Allow plenty of time for the cooked ingredients to cool. Pouring a piping hot mixture into a blender is not advisable.
Remember to check if the volume of chickpeas is suitable for your blender. Make sure you leave space for everything (including a good amount of water). It is far better to make a smaller batch rather than risk filling a blender to the brim and making a mess.
You really can adjust this recipe any way you want. Have fun and experiment.
Vegan Hummus with Mushroom Serving Suggestion
Since you are having fun in the kitchen, try my bread recipe. After all, this is a pretty awesome way to eat fresh hummus.
I also love to use hummus in salads. With a generous dressing of hummus, even the most pedestrian garden salad can spring to life.
