Easy Everyday Garlic Hummus

I know, I know — there’s already 1 million hummus recipes on the internet, but I really think you’ll LOVE this easy everyday garlic hummus. I make it almost every day….okay maybe once a week. But it’s so good I could easily make it daily. It’s way better than store bought, super creamy and flavourful. Plus, there’s a secret ingredient that gives it a salty kick.

What’s In Hummus

Hummus is a Middle-Eastern style dip made primarily from cooked and blended chickpeas.

Alongside chickpeas, the staple ingredients in hummus are typically:

• Olive oil
• Tahini – pureed sesame seeds
• Lemon juice

You can customize the flavours in hummus any way you want. You’ve probably seen various store-bought hummus that come in flavours like caramelized onion or roasted red pepper. You can easily tweak this recipe by adding any additional flavours you want!

I love adding fresh dill and chopped dill pickles to this hummus recipe. Especially if it’s fresh, organic dill from my garden. There’s really nothing better.

What’s Needed For Everyday Easy Garlic Hummus

Dried & Cooked or Canned Chickpeas

For this hummus recipe, you can either use dried chickpeas that have been pressure cooked or boiled, or use canned chickpeas.

I’ve made this hummus both ways. And while using canned chickpeas is much quicker, I do find using freshly cooked chickpeas makes the hummus extra creamy. It’s worth the extra work!

Fresh Lemon Juice

Please don’t take a shortcut here and try to use a container of lemon juice. Hummus needs fresh lemon juice! It adds a hint of acidity and gives it a really bright, fresh flavour.

Tahini

If you’re not familiar with tahini, it’s essentially finely blended sesame seeds. In many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures it’s often served as a condiment alongside dishes.

Tahini is kinda one of those flavours you either love or hate (I personally love). But it’s a staple in hummus because it adds smoothness and texture. Plus, it’s also super healthy for you!

My go-to tahini brand is Nuts To You Nut Butter.

Don’t worry though — my easy, everyday garlic hummus only calls for a little bit of tahini. So if you’re not a big fan, you likely won’t be able to taste it anyway.

Olive Oil

Invest in a good quality olive oil and you’ll never look back. Promise.

This easy hummus recipe calls for olive oil during blending as well as to garnish on top.

Garlic Cloves

The 4 garlic cloves are what makes this hummus super flavourful. Don’t be shy with the garlic. And please use fresh!

If you don’t have fresh garlic cloves, replace with 4 tbsp of garlic powder.

Cumin

Cumin adds earthy, warming flavour to hummus. I simply use a powdered, store bought cumin.

Feel free to add more than specified in the recipe if you want more of a kick.

Salt

I love using a coarse salt in my hummus. I find when you blend a table salt with the other ingredients, it can get a bit hidden. But a coarse salt is able to hold its flavour better.

Try a Pink Himalayan Sea Salt or my personal fav, Maldon Salt.

Be sure to add some additional salt on top for garnish too.

Pickle Juice

Pickle juice is the secret ingredient in my easy everyday garlic hummus recipe. Don’t skip out on it. It adds just the right amount of saltiness with a little extra acidity too.

If you don’t have pickles in the fridge (I mean, who doesn’t…but if you don’t), you can also sub for olive or sauerkraut brine instead.

Smoked Paprika

The smoked paprika is simply needed as garnish. But if you really like the woody flavour it adds, you could definitely add an extra tsp or so to the blender.

How To Cook Dried Chickpeas In An Instant Pot

I’ve found the easiest way to cook dried chickpeas in an Instant Pot is to pressure cook them for longer than the directions specify.

Everything I read says to cook dried chickpeas from 12-15 minutes. But that’s just not long enough for hummus. You want your chickpeas to be nice and soft so they make the texture of your hummus nice and creamy.

For perfect hummus, I pressure cook my dried and rinsed chickpeas for 19-21 minutes. 

However, if you soak your dried chickpeas overnight prior to pressure cooking, you can cut down the cooking time in the Instant Pot to 15 minutes.

The Best Secret To Smooth Hummus

Friends, you probably already know this but…a good quality, high powered blender is the SECRET to super creamy hummus.

I know, I know — you probably don’t want to invest in a Vitamix. But I promise you it’s worth it. Like so worth it.

Alternatively, you can use a food processor or other high powered blender for your hummus. But you won’t get that super, creamy texture without it.

My Secret Ingredient To Better Than Store Bought Hummus

My secret ingredient for my easy everyday garlic hummus is…pickle juice!

It might seem kinda random, but it adds such a nice salty, acidic flavour to the hummus. As mentioned above, you can definitely sub the pickle juice for another brine, like sauerkraut or olive juice.

If you decide to skip the pickle juice altogether (though I advise against it!), just add a few extra tbsps of water to thin out the hummus.

You can also really up the pickle flavour by adding fresh dill to your hummus. Simply mix in the chopped dill with a spatula after the hummus has been blended (or else it will turn the mixture green). Top with chopped pickles to level up.

Is Hummus Vegan

YES! Hummus is 100% plant-based and made from whole food ingredients.

All the ingredients in my easy hummus recipe are vegan, good for the planet and good for your soul.

Chickpeas are a staple in vegetarian/vegan diets. They’re packed with protein and fibre. Tahini is also a go-to ingredient for tons of plant-based dressings and dips.

More Easy, Plant-Based Recipes

Here’s a few of my recent recipes from the blog.

• Golden Fried Tofu Steaks
• Vegan Borscht Soup
• Garlic Scapes Glazed with Miso & Sesame
• Bircher Muesli Bowl with Pomegranate Seeds

Easy Everyday Garlic Hummus

• Author: Maggie
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25-30 minutes, if cooking dried chickpeas in Instant Pot
• Total Time: 14 minute
• Yield: 6-8 1x

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Description

Better than store bought hummus, this easy recipe is packed with flavour and super smooth.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

2 cups of cooked chickpeas or 1 15oz can with the aquafaba (if pressure cooking add 1/4 cup of liquid from cooking as well)

1 fresh large lemon

1/4 cup of tahini

4 small cloves of garlic

2 1/2 tbsp of olive oil

1 heaping tsp of cumin

2 tsp of salt

4 tbsp of pickle juice

Smoked paprika for garnish

Extra olive oil

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. If using canned chickpeas, pour into blender with aquafaba (the liquid in the can). If using dried chickpeas, add 2 cups to a strainer and rinse under cold water. Then add to Instant Pot and cover with 4-6 cups of water. Put Instant Pot on pressure cook and adjust time to 19 minutes. Release pressure valve when Instant Pot signals. Chickpeas should be tender and able to be easily mashed. If they aren’t, simply pressure cook for another 2-3 minutes. Then, add 2 cups of cooked chickpeas to blender with 1/4 cup of liquid from Instant Pot.

2. Add remaining ingredients to blender — lemon juice, tahini, garlic, olive oil, cumin, salt and pickle juice.

3. Blend on high speed for 30-45 seconds. Then, check consistency with a spoon. There should be no chunks and the texture should be buttery. If needed, blend for another 30-45 seconds. You can also add 1-2 tsp of additional olive oil, water or pickle juice if the consistency is too sick.

4. Transfer blended hummus to a serving bowl. Garnish with smoked paprika and another drizzle of olive oil.

5. Enjoy with pita chips, crackers or veggies. Or, thin out your hummus a bit more with water and make it into a salad dressing.

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