
I will still buy store bought hummus. Sometimes you just need some ready to go foods to make life easier. I’ll usually grab the Oasis brand of hummus since there are not any preservatives like citric acid and it has good ingredients. However, when you have the time or are having a party, try making this basil lemon garlic hummus. It is so delicious and always a crowd pleaser! My friends are always happy campers when I bring a veggie platter with this hummus to parties.
Ingredients for Basil Lemon Garlic Hummus:
- 1 BPA free can of chickpeas OR 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas that you make beforehand
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 large lemon – an additional 1/2 lemon prior to serving if it sits in the fridge awhile
- 1/2 cup of basil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2-3 tbsp. olive oil – more to drizzle on top
- 1/4-1/2 tsp cumin – if you don’t know if you prefer the cumin taste in hummus just start with 1/4 tsp – cumin adds a different depth of flavor
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt – add more to taste
- 3 tbsp. of super COLD water
How to Make:
- Rinse your chickpeas (if using canned) in a strainer. Discard any strange looking ones. Set aside.
- Add 1/4 cup tahini and the juice of 1 large lemon to your food processor. Stir the tahini prior to adding it to the food processor so it’s not as thick. If you have small lemons- use two. Turn the food processor on and run about 30 seconds. Turn off, scrape down the sides, and run the food processor again for about 30 seconds. You are trying to get the tahini and lemon mixture creamy prior to adding in the other ingredients.
- Add in 2 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp. of olive olive, 1/4-1/2 tsp cumin if using, and 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt to the mixture. Turn the food processor on for about 30 seconds to get everything well blended.
- Pulse in the basil.
- Add half of your rinsed chickpeas to the food processor. Pulse a few times to break them down a bit and then turn the food processor to full on. Run about 30 seconds or so until they are mostly broke down. Add the other half of your chickpeas. Pulse again and then run the food processor about a minute. Your mixture still might be a little thick at this point. Scrape down the sides and turn it on again for about 30 seconds while adding in a few tablespoons of water to the top while the food processor is on. This will get it creamier.
- Taste the deliciousness and see if you want to add in a little more lemon, sea salt or olive oil. I do think the flavor comes out more when it sits in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight. If I make it ahead of time, I leave the mixture in the food processor container, cover the top so no air is getting in and stick it in the fridge. When I pull it back out of the fridge, I let the container sit at room temp for a bit and then stick it back on the food processor. This gets it whipped up again. I add in a little squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil & pinch of salt right before serving.
- Top with a drizzle of olive oil , a sprig of basil for garnish, Himalayan salt or even cracked pepper.
Tidbits:
- You could substitute basil with cilantro to change it up.
- If you don’t have basil on hand, you can just make a Lemon Garlic Hummus and it will still be delish. I would not do more than 1/4 tsp of cumin with this mixture since more cumin will overpower that lighter lemon garlic flavor.
- If you are not a fan of garlic, use one clove instead of two.
- I usually double this recipe since I like to make big batches of things to get more meals out of what I make. I know many don’t always want a huge batch though, so I wrote the recipe as is. It’s still plenty of hummus. It is also harder to process when it’s a double batch, but it still works. Just add the chickpeas to the processor in 4 increments instead of 2 if doubling. Everything shown in my process pictures is a double batch.
- You can use this homemade hummus as a dip for raw veggies, a scoop on top of salads or even as a spread for a veggie sandwich!









I hope you enjoy it! xx Riane
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Basil Lemon Garlic Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 BPA free can of chickpeas OR 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas that you make beforehand
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 large lemon – an additional 1/2 lemon prior to serving if it sits in the fridge awhile
- 1/2 cup of basil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2-3 tbsp. olive oil – more to drizzle on top
- 1/4-1/2 tsp cumin – if you don’t know if you prefer the cumin taste in hummus just start with 1/4 tsp – cumin adds a different depth of flavor
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt – add more to taste
- 3 tbsp. of water
Instructions
- Rinse your chickpeas (if using canned) in a strainer. Discard any strange looking ones. Set aside.
- Add 1/4 cup tahini and the juice of 1 large lemon to your food processor. Stir the tahini prior to adding it to the food processor so it’s not as thick. If you have small lemons- use two. Turn the food processor on and run about 30 seconds. Turn off, scrape down the sides, and run the food processor again for about 30 seconds. You are trying to get the tahini and lemon mixture creamy prior to adding in the other ingredients.
- Add in 2 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp. of olive olive, 1/4-1/2 tsp cumin if using, and 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt to the mixture. Turn the food processor on for about 30 seconds to get everything well blended.
- Pulse in the basil.
- Add half of your rinsed chickpeas to the food processor. Pulse a few times to break them down a bit and then turn the food processor to full on. Run about 30 seconds or so until they are mostly broke down. Add the other half of your chickpeas. Pulse again and then run the food processor about a minute. Your mixture still might be a little thick at this point. Scrape down the sides and turn it on again for about 30 seconds while adding in a few tablespoons of water to the top while the food processor is on. This will get it creamier.
- Taste the deliciousness and see if you want to add in a little more lemon, sea salt or olive oil. I do think the flavor comes out more when it sits in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight. If I make it ahead of time, I leave the mixture in the food processor container, cover the top so no air is getting in and stick it in the fridge. When I pull it back out of the fridge, I let the container sit at room temp for a bit and then stick it back on the food processor. This gets it whipped up again. I add in a little squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil & pinch of salt right before serving.
- Top with a drizzle of olive oil , a sprig of basil for garnish, Himalayan salt or even cracked pepper.
Notes
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