Every year I travel back home to see my family and friends. I try to make it during the summer time, where I can also enjoy the hot weather, maybe take a few hiking trips in the mountains. But there’s always one thing that I look forward to, no matter the time of the year I’m visiting: FOOD!

One of my favourite foods to have while in Jordan is a classic hummus. It may seem like a basic thing that can be found anywhere in the world, but let me tell you (in 1 word) why I crave hummus all year long. Nostalgia.

Growing up, we always had a large hummus container in the fridge. Not a branded product. Just a huge regular clear container with hummus in it. Oh, and it would be the most beautifully presented hummus ever. Every time. I remember whenever I’d get hungry, I would run to the container, drizzle it with some olive oil, and dig in with bread. Sometimes it would be long crunchy bread sticks – the best!

Sure, I can always find branded hummus at any grocery store – and I do buy those because they are good – but sometimes I just miss the look of the hummus from my childhood. And it’s nice to make it customized to your own personal flavours. So today, I’m sharing the recipe for this Homemade Garlicky Roasted Pepper Hummus with you!

Well it’s more like prepping rather than cooking…

If it wasn’t for the roasted garlic and red peppers, there would be no cooking at all. Even with the garlic and peppers, there’s only about 5 to 7 minutes of cooking involved. After that, it’s just a food processor!

Check out the step-by-step pics below for each part of this recipe.

Roasting Garlic & Red Pepper

Start by slicing the red pepper into small thin pieces. Place them on a sheet pan over tin foil, with 2 sliced garlic cloves. Set the oven to broil – on high. Place the sheet pan on the top rack for 5-7 minutes, until the tops are charred. Remove from the oven and let the pepper cool in a container for 5-10 minutes. Once cooled, peel the skin off the peppers and dice into small pieces. Set the garlic and diced pepper aside until needed to be added to the food processor.

Tahini Base

In a food processor, add the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon and 1 cup of tahini paste. Process on high for 2-3 minutes. Open the lid and scrape the mixture with a spatula from top to bottom. Close it up and blend again for another minute. The mixture should now be somewhat creamy.

Add the slices of roasted garlic cloves to the food processor. Add 1 tsp of cumin and 1/2 tsp of sumac. Close it up with the lid and process on high again for 2 more minutes – it’s okay if there are bits of garlic in the mix, they will continue breaking down as you keep processing. By now, you should have a similar creamy texture as before, but with the blended colours of cumin, sumac, and mini garlic bits.

Hummus Base

Add in half the amount of the cooked chickpeas. If you are using canned, make sure to drain and rinse well before adding to the food processor. Process on high for about 5 minutes, until the majority of the chickpeas are crushed up. Scrape down the sides again, and add the remaining chickpeas. Process again for another 3 minutes. If there are still some bits of chickpeas in the bowl, add 1-2 tbsp of water (room temperature), and blend until the chickpeas are all crushed up. You should now have a stiff mixture.

Once all the chickpeas are crushed up and well blended, add 2 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Process on low for a couple of minutes, until the texture becomes creamy again. Give it a taste to make sure the salt is up to your liking.

Finally, add in the roasted red peppers (reserve a handful for topping the bowl later). Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil for a smoother texture. Process on high one last time for 2 minutes, until the hummus turns darker in colour, and you can see little bits of red pieces in the spread. Once it reaches the consistency in the last picture here, you should be all done. Scoop it out into a bowl and let’s dress it up!

Dress your hummus!

One of my favourite things about hummus (besides its amazing taste of course), is the way it looks. It’s a beautiful simple dish as is, yet you can make it look hearty and fancy. So this part was especially fun for me!

I find it satisfying just scooping out the hummus from the food processor bowl and spreading it into the serving bowl. I drizzled some olive oil and added the remaining red pepper to the top. Using a fork, I slowly sprinkled a little bit of sumac on the sides (I am not an expert at it, so you may find an easier way – please let me know how you do it in the comments section). Finally, I topped off the bowl with some fresh chopped up parsley.

There are so many ways to enjoy hummus. It’s a spread you can use on a veggie sandwich or wrap. Have it as a side to a Mediterranean dish. Use it as a dip for veggies, chips, or even pretzels. Or simply just dig into it with some bread!

And so much more of course! Let me know how you like to enjoy your hummus in the comments section below!

This recipe was a special one to me. During a time where I know I won’t be able to go back home and have a classic hummus dish at my favourite falafel shop (yes, that is where I find my favourite hummus), I decided to bring myself a taste of home. Mind you, this recipe by no means is anywhere near the real hummus from back home, but it certainly hit the spot for me. I just needed a little taste of fresh homemade hummus.

If you have any questions about this recipe, or gave it a try, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Remember to rate the recipe with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This will help us sustain Plant Based Arab.

Snap a photo of your dish, and tag us on Instagram @PlantBasedArab, so we can see and share your remake!

Homemade Garlicky Roasted Pepper Hummus

Recipe by Waseem HijaziCourse: Breakfast, Lunch, Sides

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Ingredients

• Roasting

• 1 Red Bell Pepper

• 2 Garlic Cloves – See notes (1)

• Tahini Base

• 1 Freshly-squeezed Lemon

• 1 Cup Tahini Paste

• 1 Tsp Cumin

• 1/2 tsp sumac

• 1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper – Optional – See Notes (2)

• Hummus Base

• 1 Can Chickpeas – Drained & Rinsed – See Notes (3)

• 2 Tsp Salt – Adjust to taste

• 1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil

• 1-2 Tbsp Water – If needed – See notes (4)

• The Rest

• Sumac – To sprinkle the sides of the bowl at the end

• Parsley – To garnish

Directions

• Roasting
• Slice the red pepper into small thin pieces and place them on a sheet pan over tin foil.
• Slice the garlic cloves into a few slices and add them to the sheet pan.
• Set the oven to broil – on high. Place the sheet pan on the top rack. Roast for 5-7 minutes – until the top of the garlic and pepper pieces are charred.
• Once done, remove the garlic and pepper from the pan. Set the garlic pieces aside for now. Place the pepper pieces in a closed container and let them cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Once cooled, peel the skin off the pepper pieces and dice them up. Set aside until needed to be added to the food processor.
• Tahini Base
• In a food process with the blending blades, add the freshly-squeezed lemon juice, and the tahini paste. Process on high for 2-3 minutes.
• Stop, open the lid, and scrape down the sides using a spatula. Close it up and process again for another minute – until the mixture becomes creamy.
• Add the roasted garlic slices, cumin, and sumac into the processor. Blend on high again for 2 more minutes. The garlic pieces should be mostly blended, with little visible bits in the mixture.
• Hummus Base
• Add half of the chickpeas to the bowl. Process on high for about 5 minutes – until almost all chickpeas are crushed up.
• Add the remaining chickpeas and process for another 3 minutes. Adding 1 tbsp of water at a time to help blending – if needed – See notes (4)
• Once all chickpeas are crushed up, add the salt and olive oil. Process on low for 2 minute. The mixture should be creamy again. Give it a taste and adjust the salt.
• Add the diced roasted peppers to the processor (reserving a handful for topping the bowl later). Blend on high for 2-3 minutes – until the hummus turns darker in colour, and you can see little bits of red pieces. Or until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Scoop out into a serving bowl and drizzle with some olive oil. Sprinkle the sides with sumac, and top off with the reserved roasted red pepper pieces. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve however you decide!
  
  Enjoy your demeal!

Notes

• (1) Reduce to only 1 clove if you want a less powerful kick.
• (2) Optional – I used cayenne pepper to make the hummus a little more spicy. It went well with the roasted garlic and pepper. You can omit completely, or substitute with paprika for a less spicy kick.
• (3) You can use home cooked chickpeas – substitute for about 1 1/2 cups. Tip: if canned, do not waste the liquid (aquafaba). Store it in a freezer-safe bag and freeze to use later for a vegan dessert! Look it up!
• (4) You will only need the water if you find the chickpeas are not breaking down enough – depending on your food processor. If you need the water, try not to use more than the 1-2 tbsp (adding one at a time). You do not want to make the hummus too runny. There will be olive oil to add that will loosen up the mix in the following steps.