Hummus With Sesame Oil

By
Saad Fayed
Saad Fayed
A restaurateur and food writer, Saad Fayed has published hundreds of recipes and articles about Middle Eastern cuisine.
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Updated on 08/31/22
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 4 servings

A staple in Middle Eastern cuisine, hummus is a delicious spread made from chickpeas and tahini, plus a few additional ingredients that include garlic and cumin. Although many versions of hummus have reached millions of Western tables thanks to the mass-produced tubs that are ubiquitous in all grocery stores, there's nothing like homemade hummus with pita bread, crackers, or crudités. Our sesame oil recipe is an easy and smart change-up to the traditional tahini recipe that you can use if you run out of tahini or prefer the sesame oil taste. Some people find tahini to have bitter undertones, so using sesame oil is a good alternative for giving hummus a silky texture and subtle sesame flavor.

There are now as many versions of hummus as there are cooks, each adding or subtracting ingredients to personalize it to their own taste. Bean-based hummus, no-oil and no-tahini hummus, and nut-butter-based hummus are only a few of the variations, all equally fantastic. Hummus makes a delicious alternative to dairy-based chip dips if you need a vegan alternative when entertaining—and it's packed with nutrition and fiber. A can of drained chickpeas has 350 calories, almost 18 grams of protein, and 16 of fiber.

Because this is a super quick recipe, have all the ingredients measured and the chickpeas ready before processing them with the rest of the ingredients. Drain, rinse, and towel-dry the beans as much as possible. A food processor works well, but any high-speed blender will also yield fluffy hummus.

Hummus with sesame oil

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Ingredients

  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and dried

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil

  • 2 tablespoons warm water, or as needed

For Serving:

  • 4 large pita bread, warm and quartered

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for hummus with sesame oil recipe gathered

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  2. In a food processor, add all of the ingredients, making sure to include the water last. Blend at high speed until you have a thick paste.

    Blending all of the ingredients into a thick paste

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  3. Keep processing until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.

    Blend until you have a smooth paste

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  4. If the paste is too thick, add an extra spoonful of water and process again until you've achieved a smooth consistency.

    Adding more water for a smooth consistency

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  5. Drizzle additional olive oil on top right before eating. Serve warm or at room temperature with pita bread for scooping the hummus.

    Hummus served warm with pita

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  6. Enjoy!

Other Ways of Serving a Hummus Appetizer

Serve your hummus in a variety of ways by switching up the final touches. Always offer warm pita bread, pita chips, and fresh vegetables, but choose among these additional toppings:

  • Spicy: Add a sprinkle or two of red pepper flakes and a dash of smoked paprika on top of the final olive oil drizzle.
  • Cumin: Add a sprinkle of cumin and a touch of sea salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Top the hummus with chopped parsley.
  • Pepper: Using the main recipe, add to the blender 1/2 cup of roasted peppers in oil. Skip the water and blend all of the ingredients. The hummus will turn a pretty reddish color. Serve with pepper flakes and olive oil on top.
  • Green: Use the main recipe, but add a handful of fresh basil leaves, a handful of cilantro leaves, a handful of parsley, and an additional teaspoon of onion powder. Blend well and top with olive oil, sea salt, and freshly chopped basil.
  • Garlic: Use roasted garlic in the recipe but add 4 cloves of it. Blend well and serve, topping the hummus with a touch of sea salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
408 Calories
19g Fat
49g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 408
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 25%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 745mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 2mg 8%
Calcium 87mg 7%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 172mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Chickpeas, Canned and Drained. FoodData Central. United States Department of Agriculture.