This quick and easy lemon garlic hummus recipe is absolutely delicious. The blend of spices and garbanzo beans creates a rich flavor. It’s delicious as a dip with pita chips or veggies, or as a side dish!
Hummus is not something that I grew up eating as a kid. My parents were never into Mediterranean or Middle Eastern food, so I’d never tried it. I had it for the first time in college when my husband took me on a date to his favorite little Greek spot. It came with a side of warm pita bread and I was immediately hooked.
After we got married, fresh out of college and on a tight budget, we realized that it was way more cost-effective to make our hummus at home instead of buying it at the store. We worked on the hummus recipe for a while, tweaking, until we had a version that we enjoyed that was simple to make. We found that we preferred hummus that was heavy on the lemon and garlic side.
Lemon garlic hummus is still very popular in our house, especially when the weather is warm. I like to whip up a quick batch of homemade hummus for lunch during the week. I will eat it by itself with veggies or pretzels usually. It also goes great as a side with my Mediterranean Sheet Pan meal, along with a little tzatziki sauce.
Homemade Lemon Garlic Hummus Recipe
Ingredients
- Garbanzo beans
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Garlic (fresh or jarred)
- Parsley
- Cumin
- Paprika
How to Make Hummus at Home
Drain and rinse one 15.5 oz can of garbanzo beans. Garbanzo beans are also called chickpeas. Don’t dump out all of the bean juice though! You will add a bit of it to the hummus to help create a creamy consistency. We eat garbanzo beans fairly regularly, so we always have a can in the pantry.
The Difference Between Garbanzo Beans and Chickpeas
There is no difference between garbanzo beans and chickpeas. It’s simply a matter of language. Chickpeas are the common English name, while garbanzo is the Spanish name. So the name may differ depending on the brand of bean you purchase. For example, Goya Foods calls them garbanzo beans because they sell many of their products in Spanish-speaking countries. Whereas the local grocery store brand calls them chickpeas.
Next, add about 2 tablespoons of bean juice, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon of parsley, a sprinkle of paprika plus salt and pepper to a small food processor.
The lemon juice brightens the flavor of the hummus. Using more lemon when preparing hummus in the summer lightens the flavor. Lighter flavors are preferable during the warm summer months. Fresh garlic adds a more robust flavor to the hummus as well. This strong flavor really makes lemon garlic hummus stand out. Even if it’s mixed into another dish!
Pulse the food processor a few times until everything is chopped and then blend until smooth. I have the Ninja Express Chop, which is perfect for making dips and sauces.
You may need to add more olive oil as you blend to be sure the hummus is creamy and smooth. I prefer to use fresh parsley in my hummus recipe, but you can certainly use dried parsley instead. Top the lemon garlic hummus with a bit more parsley and a dusting more of paprika, then serve as either a dip or a side dish.
Looking for more recipes for dips? Check out my recipes for Buffalo Chicken Dip, Layered Greek Dip or Texas Caviar!
Quick and Easy Hummus Recipe
Ingredients
- 15.5 oz garbanzo beans aka chick peas
- 2 tbsp juice from the garbanzo beans
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp fresh garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp fresh parsley minced
- 1/8 tsp ground cumin
- sprinkle paprika
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain and rinse one 15.5 oz can of garbanzo beans (aka chick peas). Set aside about 2 tbsp of the juice from the bean can.
- Add the garbanzo beans (aka chick peas), bean juice, olive oil, lemon juice, fresh garlic, ground cumin, a sprinkle of paprika plus salt and pepper to a small food processor. I have the Ninja Express Chop.
- Pulse the food processor a few times until everything is chopped.
- Blend until smooth. Add more olive oil as needed to ensure a creamy consistency.
- Serve with pita chips, veggies or with your favorite Mediterranean dish.
- Enjoy!
