Traditional hummus is, of course, a wonderful dip, but if you want to go beyond the basic, try this lemon dill version. Simple to make and so delicious, you’ll be left wondering why store brands don’t offer this flavor.
The combination of dill and lemon can make almost anything taste brighter and better. It works with rice, potatoes, sauces, chicken, and even aioli. So many possibilities.
As for hummus, sure, you can find decent options at the store, but if you’re willing to put in just a little effort at home, you’ll get way better value and taste. Plus, you can play around with flavors you like and adjust the consistency however you prefer.
During the 5 years I lived in the Middle East, I got to enjoy a lot of top-tier hummus. Didn’t quite realize how much I’d taken that quality for granted until I tried hummus here in Canada. Like, it’s not even a contest. Even if you take store-bought hummus there as the benchmark.
That kind of difference, first and foremost, comes from using chickpeas cooked from scratch. Then there’s the quality and origin of the ingredients. I’m no expert on those last two domains, but a Lebanese colleague once mentioned that she buys the smallest-looking variety of chickpeas at the store. The age of the chickpeas matters too, but more on that in the notes section below.
That all said, it’s not lost on me that life gets busy, and most people won’t mind a little compromise in taste if it saves them time. Which is why I created and tested this recipe using canned chickpeas.
For those who want to go full-on authentic, get that premium outcome, I’ve also provided extra instructions.
Pre-cooking notes & tips
- Canned chickpeas are great for convenience, but if you want the most authentic taste and texture, cooking them at home is the way to go. They also end up costing a lot less.
- If cooking at home, soak dried chickpeas overnight. For every half cup of dried chickpeas, use 2 cups water and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Drain and rinse after soaking. Cook with 1.5 cups fresh water in the Instant Pot on high pressure for 40 minutes. Let pressure release naturally. Discard the cooking liquid.
- When you don’t have time to soak, pressure-cook chickpeas for 60 minutes with 3 cups of water per half cup of dried chickpeas. Let the pressure release naturally. If they don’t come out very soft, cook for another 10 minutes. The texture won’t be as good as you’d get with the soaked ones, but still way better than canned.
- For reference, 1 cup of uncooked chickpeas will give you roughly 3 cups of cooked ones.
- Don’t use chickpeas that are too old. They won’t cook evenly, and may not soften at all. When buying, check the “packed on” date on the bag. Ideally, it should be within the past year. If there’s a best-before date instead, go for a bag with at least a year of shelf life left.
- I’m going to get a lot of flak for saying this, but if you’re on a tight budget, you’re not limited to olive oil. Store-bought hummus is commonly made with neutral oils like sunflower or canola, and you can use them too. Are they the best choice? No. Will they change the texture of your hummus? No. The amount of oil in my recipe isn’t much. That said, I wouldn’t use them as a finishing oil on top.
- The green chili gives the hummus a well-rounded flavor profile, rather than heat. You can leave it out. Or swap it with cayenne or paprika.
- I never use aquafaba (the liquid in the chickpea cans) for adjusting the consistency of hummus. The salt quantity can be unpredictable across brands, I don’t like guesswork, so I stick with water.
- You can use lime juice instead of lemon, but reduce the quantity since it tends to be tangier. Bottled juices are no bueno, always use fresh.
- Generally speaking, I make hummus in a food processor, but for small batches I sometimes use my high-speed blender with a large jar. It comes out just fine.
- You’ll see in the instructions that I microwave canned chickpeas before blending. This helps soften them further and gives the hummus a smoother texture. If you have time, simmering them in water works even better. Cook until they mash easily with almost no resistance when you press them between your fingers.
- Your hummus may get a bitter note if the tahini is old or low quality. Taste before you add it in.
Serving ideas
There are so many things I enjoy this hummus with.
Warmed up flatbreads like pita, naan, tortillas, as long as they are not heavily seasoned or flavored. Tortilla chips, crackers, bagel crisps, kettle chips, gimme any crispy snack that can be used as a scooping utensil.
For healthy snacking, I go with veggie pairings like carrot, cucumber, and celery sticks.
As a spread, I put it in sandwiches and wraps, and slather it on toast.
Oh and don’t forget the toppings. Sumac, toasted pine nuts, paprika, za’atar, harissa, a drizzle of good-quality extra virgin olive oil, and cooked chickpeas are all great options. I’ve also had success experimenting with things like chili crisp, pickled jalapeños, chaat masala, and crispy onions. YumZA!
If there are other ways you enjoy hummus, I’d love to know. Share in the comments below.
And that's a wrap
This recipe is a keeper, and I hope you give it a try. If you do, I'd love to hear how it turned out. Share your review and rating down below.
Happy cooking ~ Nelo
Lemon Dill Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas - See Note A for home-cooked chickpeas
- 3 tablespoons tahini - stir well
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill - finely chopped, plus a little extra for topping
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- 1 small Thai green chili - optional but recommended (Note B)
- 2 cloves garlic - peeled
- ½ teaspoon salt - regular white/table salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Drain the canned chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), place in a microwave safe bowl with 1.5 cups water and microwave for 2 intervals of 2 minutes each (4 minutes total). Stir after the first round to ensure even heating. Then let them sit in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain the water, set aside.
- In a food processor, combine tahini, dill, lemon juice, green chili, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil plus 6 tablespoons water. Process for 1 to 2 minutes, scrape the sides. Then blend again for a minute or until the mixture looks smooth-ish.
- Now add chickpeas to the blender (reserve some for topping) and process until pureed. Can take up to 2 or 3 minutes.
- If needed, add more water, but no more than 1 tablespoon at a time. Since hummus tends to thicken over time, aim to make it very slightly thinner than your preferred serving consistency.
- Transfer the hummus to a deep plate. Drizzle some olive oil and top with reserved chickpeas. Enjoy with pita bread, chips or vegetable sticks.
Sadaf says
love this recipe
Nelo says
Thank you, Sadaf 🙂