Bright and fresh Lemon Basil Hummus for all your healthy snacking needs. Smooth, vibrant, and irresistible hummus recipe with Summery notes of basil and lemon.
There are often meals where I’m left scrambling on last-minute ideas on what to make my family that isn’t beige, lacking in nutritional value, and pleases everyone. Those meals difficulties are often resolved by relying on plant-based nutritionally dense foods like hummus.
Not saying, I can serve hummus and pita for dinner once per week, because I can’t (my husband would be found at the BBQ grilling meat instead of eating with me). What I do is switch in hummus and usually naan bread for a quick and delicious lunch my kids and I love. This Lemon Basil Hummus recipe is a new family favourite.
It’s packed with protein, iron, fibre and other essential vitamins and minerals, and I feel like a pretty good mom feeding my growing twins hummus.
One of my twins is fairly picky, but hummus is her jam (and since I had a small control group where both were treated the same and served the same foods, I know it’s nothing to do with how I fed them). Adding lemon and basil to her hummus has been a small stroke of luck. She’s asking for it at every meal and I’ve been topping her up with this hummus when she hasn’t eaten enough iron for my liking.
I shouldn’t forget how dreamy hummus is. Toasted naan or pita, some cold crisp veggies, and a cold glass of white wine will turn any bad day into a good one. I spent the first trimester of both my pregnancy eating hummus when I couldn’t even think about eating meat.
Since I have a hard time absorbing iron (on supplements frequently so I don’t become anemic with all the activity I do) recipes and dishes like hummus let me enjoy an iron filled dish without getting meat sweats from it.
If you don’t have time or are like me and constantly forgetting to prep the night before use 2 x 14 oz. cans of chickpeas in lieu of the soaking and cooking method. The overall method and preparation of any hummus is pretty swift and easy. Since I’ve added fresh basil and lemon, there’s no cooking involved beyond prepping the chickpeas.
I like my hummus pretty smooth so I ended up adding close 1 1/2 cups of ice water. Get friendly with your food processor, I have a feeling you’ll be seeing lots of each other soon.
How do you make hummus from scratch? It’s seriously way easier than you think. You toss chickpeas, tahini, and few other choice ingredients into a food processor and let it do its magic.
I love adjusting my hummus so in this one, I’ve focused on bright flavours my kids adore like lemon and basil.
Substitutions:
You can skip the lemon or the basil if desired, but I encourage you to try this recipe as is first. It’s bright and tasty without being too overpowering.
The tahini is a go-to for me in a hummus recipe. I don’t love it in most other circumstances, but in a hummus I still like it for it’s added flavour boost.
Let’s get real: there are lots of hummus recipes out there. If this ain’t it, I’m totally okay with you finding one that works for you!
This hummus recipe will last 3-5 days in an airtight container in your refrigerator. You can freeze hummus, although I always prefer it fresh and would recommend a little mix in the food processor once defrosted in the fridge overnight as the consistency may change.
We serve this hummus with fresh veggies, warmed or grilled pita bread, nut crackers, as well as on flatbread with a salad on top like this recipe here.
Another family favourite dip is this Tzatziki recipe and theseApple Chips and Dip.
Lemon Basil Hummus for a fresh and vibrant take on a classic hummus recipe
- 2 cups dried chickpeas OR 2 x 14 oz. canned chickpeas
- lots of cold water omit if using canned chickpeas
- 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste/butter found in the nut butter section of the grocery store)
- 1 medium lemon, juiced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup ice water possibly more depending upon how smooth you'd like the consistency to be
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Place dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with 2" of water. Allow to sit for at least 8 hours or overnight.
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Drain chickpeas and place in a large pot with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1.5-2 hours. Drain and allow to cool slightly.
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Place chickpeas, tahini, garlic clover, lemon juice, olive oil, basil leaves, and sea salt in a food processor. Pulse until a mixture is roughly chopped.
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With the processor running on low, slowly add ice water until a smooth paste forms, or hummus has reached a consistently desired, adding more ice water by 2 tbsp at a time if needed.
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Suggested Garnishes: chopped basil leaves, lemon zest, flaky sea salt, ground pepper, paprika, olive oil drizzle, minced chives, minced parsley, etc.
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Serve immediately or keep in fridge in an airtight container.
Enjoy! xo
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