Easy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- PREP 25min
- COOK 10min
- TOTAL 35min
When we first figured out how to make hummus, we were shocked at how easy (and fast) it is. You can make creamy smooth hummus at home with just a few simple tricks. Plus, since it is so easy, we love adding sweet roasted red peppers. We have given instructions for roasting the peppers in the recipe below. Still, you can substitute them with jarred roasted peppers.
You Will Need
2 red bell peppers or substitute 3/4 cup chopped jarred roasted peppers
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 ½ cups (250g) cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 large lemon
1/4 cup (60ml) tahini, see homemade tahini recipe
1 small garlic clove, minced or finely grated
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45ml) water or aquafaba, see notes
Salt to taste
Directions
Roast Peppers
Move an oven rack so that it is about 5 inches from the broiler. Turn the oven broiler on.
Remove the core of the peppers, then cut them into large, flat pieces.
Arrange pepper pieces, skin-side up, on a baking sheet. Broil for 5 to 10 minutes until the pepper skin has charred.
Add peppers to a resealable plastic bag, seal it, and then wait 10 to 15 minutes until cool enough to handle. (Or, add the peppers to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.)
Gently peel away the charred pepper skin and discard. Reserve 1 to 2 pieces of the peeled roasted pepper pieces to use as a garnish, then roughly chop the rest.
Make Hummus
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making the hummus smooth and creamy.
Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, cayenne, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and then process for another 30 seconds or until well blended.
Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the remaining chickpeas and process them until thick and relatively smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the roughly chopped roasted peppers, saving 1 to 2 pieces for use as a garnish. Process until smooth.
The hummus will likely be too thick and still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water or aquafaba with the food processor turned on until you reach the perfect consistency. Taste and adjust as needed.
Finely chop the reserved peppers. Spoon hummus into a bowl, make a small well in the middle and add the chopped peppers.
Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week. Freeze, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, for up to one month.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- How to cook dried chickpeas: Use canned or home-cooked chickpeas for this recipe. To see how we cook dried chickpeas, see our simple tutorial here. We have included three methods, including in the slow cooker.
- Aquafaba is the starchy liquid in a can of beans (or the bean cooking liquid). You can use this instead of water in the last step of the recipe. Before using, taste it to see how salty it is. If it is salty, hold some of the salt in the ingredient list back, and then season to taste after adding the aquafaba. See our deep dive into aquafaba here.
- Blender: A food processor is best for making hummus, but a high-powered blender will work. Be sure to scrape the sides down a few extra times as you make it.
- Tahini & lemon juice are not creaming: Depending on your food processor, the blade might not come into contact with the tahini and lemon juice. You need to increase the amount of liquid in the food processor, so add the olive oil. If they still do not cream, add a tablespoon of cold water.
- Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.