If you like traditional hummus half as much as I do, you will fall madly in love with this Italian twist on the old chickpea spread. I make many versions, flavored with all kinds of fresh herbs and spices, but Hummus with Rosemary & Lemon has become my signature dip. Basically, I make it as an appetizer or party favorite every chance I get. I love it. My friends and family love it. I feel confident you’ll love it too! 🙌
NO TAHINI IN THIS HUMMUS
Before sharing the details of this recipe, I need to warn you: there is no tahini in my hummus. If you are a purist of the traditional Middle-Eastern Hummus Bi Tahini, feel free to vent your indignation in the comments below. I feel your passion, food lover. I’m Italian and sometimes get frustrated when I see a traditional dish from my Motherland featuring ingredients that have no business being there. (See my mini-rant about adding cream to Carbonara in this post ). Personally, I enjoy a well-seasoned chickpea/tahini hummus very much, but I’m a huge fan of bold fresh flavors. Tahini is very rich and buttery, and it adds a lot of creaminess to hummus, but I find the flavor subtle, definitely not bold. That is why years ago I started experimenting with alternative ingredients in my kitchen and came up with an array of herb-flavored hummus variations. All of them delicious, but this particular combination with rosemary and lemon remains my favorite one.
BLENDER OR FOOD PROCESSOR?
Tools are so important in the kitchen. I understand that we all have to use what we have handy, but it’s undeniable that the outcome of a recipe can improve when the process is smooth and thorough. I have passed on this recipe to some friends, and most of them did not enjoy their result as much as they’d hoped to. Each time, the culprit ended up being the wrong tool for the job; namely, a “lazy blender”. Of c0urse, not everybody can afford a Vitamix, but I know for sure that an old food processor will do a much better job than any blender when it comes to making hummus. It will give it a silky and creamy texture even without adding tahini.
I’ve had this old Cuisinart food processor for 23 years! It still makes the best hummus without complaining.
YOUR SHOPPING LIST
Before the list, one special note. Decide beforehand if you want to use canned or dry chickpeas. If you decide on dry chickpeas, soak them overnight before cooking them in your Instant Pot or on the stovetop. I understand that soaking them overnight may involve too much planning ahead. What I usually do is put them in a pot, cover them with water, add half a teaspoon of baking soda and bring it to a boil. I turn off the stove and leave them covered for 1-2 hours until the chickpeas have absorbed the water and are getting softer. After that, I return them to the stove and simmer for 1 hour or so, until they’re tender. If you are using canned chickpeas, make sure to rinse them really well.
- Chickpeas (dry or canned)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fresh Rosemary
- Lemon
- Cumin
- Himalayan Salt
- Black Pepper
- Pine Nuts for garnish (optional)
- Paprika for garnish (optional)
HOW TO MAKE HUMMUS WITH ROSEMARY & LEMON
And now the fun part. There’s really no chopping involved, so the technique is mostly dumping & whirring. One step I strongly urge you not to leave out is peeling the zest of the lemon to incorporate it in the recipe. It adds an additional note of flavor. So rich and zesty!
Now, add the rosemary needles to your food processor along with the lemon zest, lemon juice, chickpeas, salt and cumin. Start blending and let the machine go for a couple of minutes.
Turn off the food processor. Scrape the sides with a spatula to make sure everything is within blades’ reach, so it all gets evenly chopped and smoothly blended. Start the machine again and through the hole at the top trickle in the extra virgin olive oil. Adding the olive oil this way will distribute it evenly throughout the dip. You might need to add some liquid if it’s a bit dry. For that purpose, I suggest to reserve some of the cooking liquid or add lemon juice. If it’s already too lemony and you don’t have the cooking liquid, add a tablespoon or two of iced water. Some people swear it’ll make it airy and fluffy. I personally always add lemon juice because for my palate it can never be too citrusy. But that’s just me.
AND… ACTION!
As I always say, if one picture is worth a thousand words, one video is worth a thousand pictures. Watch how easy it is to make my favorite no-tahini hummus from scratch.
Hummus With Rosemary & Lemon
Ingredients
- 30 oz chickpeas canned or dry and then cooked (drain and rinse well if using canned chickpeas)
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp rosemary needles adjust to taste (I use at least 3-4 for my bold palate)
- 2 lemons zest and juice of
- 1/2 tsp cumin adjust to taste
- 1/3 tsp Himalayan salt adjust to taste
- 1/3 tsp black pepper ground
- 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted, optional
- 1/4 tsp paprika garnish
Instructions
- Add the rosemary needles to your food processor along with the lemon zest, lemon juice, chickpeas, salt and cumin. Start blending and let the machine go for a couple of minutes.
- Turn it off. With a spatula, scrape the sides of the food processor to make sure everything is within blades’ reach, so it all gets evenly chopped and smoothly blended.
- Start the machine again and through the hole at the top trickle in the extra virgin olive oil. Adding the olive oil this way will distribute it evenly through the dip.
- You shouldn't need to, but add some liquid if it’s a bit dry. For that purpose, I suggest to reserve some of the cooking liquid or add lemon juice. If it’s already too lemony and you don’t have the cooking liquid, add a tablespoon or two of iced water.
- Turn off the food processor and serve the hummus in a bowl. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary, toasted pine nuts and a dusting of paprika.
Nutrition
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