Hummus might just be the perfect dip. It’s gluten-free, egg-free, vegan, healthy, has barely any common allergens, and most importantly, it’s delicious. Aside from those allergic to sesame, hummus is suitable for anyone regardless of dietary restrictions. It’s no wonder that it has become a popular accompaniment to snacks like chips and sandwich rolls, as well as a regular part of potluck family dinners, parties, and feasts with friends.
Related: what it means to be an allergy-free bakery
What is hummus?
It’s hard to place exactly where hummus originated, with North Africa (particularly Egypt), the Middle East, and countries in the Mediterranean all laying claim to the tasty side dish. However, what isn’t up for debate is the delicious taste and the versatility of hummus.
Hummus is puree containing cooked chickpea, ground sesame seeds (tahini), and citrus juice (commonly lemon). It can also include garlic and olive oil, but the addition of these extra ingredients is dependent on who’s making it.
Different types of hummus
Hummus is a totally customizable recipe depending on your personal taste. Some recipe creators have taken the liberty to veer off the original hummus path and create their own masterpieces.
Some recipes include roasted pepper hummus for those who prefer a degree of hotness in their dip, chocolate hummus for the sweet-toothed ones, Moroccan style hummus which contains a variety of spices, and the ever-popular avocado hummus with some extra healthy fats.
These unique recipes are all fantastic in their own right but can be subjective. For larger crowds of people with different tastes, it’s best to stick to an original hummus recipe. After all, most people already love the original taste of homemade hummus.
What to eat with hummus
Not only is hummus super yummy, but it’s also an incredibly flexible dip when choosing what to pair it with. It can go with lots of different main and side dishes, transforming the taste of whatever you serve it with.
Here are some of the many different ways that you can incorporate hummus into recipes and pair it with your favourite foods and snacks.
1. Sandwiches/wraps
The creamy nature of hummus means that it is an excellent spread for most sandwiches and wraps. You can use hummus in place of butter, cheese spreads, or other highly processed, high sugar sauces like ketchup and barbeque sauce. You can put it on sourdough sandwiches, grilled paninis, and veggie wraps. It pairs very well with vegan shawarmas or Mediterranean-style sandwiches with falafel.
2. Dip for veggies
A common complaint about vegetables, especially from kids, is that they can taste boring on their own (ok, adults often say it too). However, a serving of healthy, delicious hummus as a side dish for vegetables like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and celery can transform a flat experience into one that your little ones start to look forward to.
Because hummus itself is incredibly healthy, it takes nothing away from the nutritional benefits of the vegetables. Hummus is packed with protein, fibre, and minerals like manganese, making hummus and veggies one of the healthiest snacks you can have.
3. Pita bread
Pita bread is the flat, round variant of yeast-leavened bread that is very popular in Middle-eastern and Mediterranean countries. The fact that pita bread has similar origins to hummus hints that they would make a good pairing. And the
Hummus can be used as a topping for pita bread or as part of the filling for a pita bread wrap recipe that can include vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, onions, olives, carrots, and spinach.
4. Chips
Whether you’re munching on pita chips, veggie chips, kale chips, tortilla chips, potato chips, or sweet pretzels, hummus is versatile enough to make a delicious dip to accompany your preferred type of chips. You can pair them with spicy hummus variants, or for pretzels, sweeter variants like chocolate hummus are a great option.
As many varieties of hummus have a strong flavour, avoid using it as a dip for flavoured chips to avoid a clash of tastes. For flavoured chips, choose plain hummus, which you can basically pair with any chip variety.
5. Creamy hummus pasta
Everyone loves alfredo or carbonara pasta, but you can achieve the same delicious creaminess using hummus. Not only is it much healthier than using cheese or milk, but it’s also a great way to make pasta vegan. And we would argue it’s even tastier.
You can make it using the same recipe as other types of cream pasta but substitute hummus as the base/sauce for the dish. Here is a delicious and simple recipe for a creamy hummus pasta that combines hummus with pasta water, garlic, and sundried tomato oil.
6. Mix into mashed potatoes
Here is another common trick among the vegan community: mixing hummus into mash! Mixing hummus into mashed potatoes is a great way to avoid milk, butter, or mayo in your dish. Instead, hummus is a better-tasting alternative that adds zest to your potatoes and makes them even creamier. Once you try adding hummus, you may never want to have mashed potatoes any other way.
7. Falafel
Another delicacy of Middle-Eastern origin that seems almost tailor-made for hummus is falafel. These deep-fried balls of spicy chickpeas are a staple of Middle-Eastern cuisine, and they are made even better when paired with hummus. You can dip the falafel right into the hummus or add them to a bowl with couscous, onions and other veggies and drizzle the hummus over.
In a salad dressing
Often the least healthy part of any fresh salad is the dressing. Salad dressing is often full of sugar, salt and preservatives. Making your own delicious salad dressing with hummus means you know exactly what’s in there, and you avoid any of the bad stuff. Try mixing hummus with lemon and dijon mustard for a full-bodied dressing or for a vinaigrette, combine with rice wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic and black pepper.
8. On pizza
Pineapple on pizza might be debatable, but you can never go wrong with hummus. It goes well with most toppings, especially for a vegan pizza with toppings like mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, and onions. It is an excellent substitute for pizza sauce, and puts a unique spin on the traditional tomato sauce style.
It can be used the same way as any regular sauce by layering it over the pizza dough to form a base before adding the toppings.
9. By itself!
Hummus is so good that it can be enjoyed on its own as a side snack when you’re feeling peckish. You can enjoy it solo by the spoonful (we promise not to judge).
By itself, you can enjoy multiple flavours of hummus at once, tasting style, without tarnishing the taste with other ingredients.
What to eat with hummus
Delicious, healthy, and versatile, hummus should always be a staple in your kitchen! Make it yourself, or pick up some housemade chickpea hummus at your local bakery.
