- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 2 cups
- Serving size: ¼ cup
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Virtually nonfat, this tasty, oil-free hummus recipe is the healthy antidote to your hummus cravings. You can find a store-bought variation of this no-cook recipe in almost any grocery store, but 95 percent of them are made with added olive oil and tahini (sesame paste), which pushes up the fat content. Your best bet is to take three minutes to whip up a batch of homemade, oil-free hummus on Sunday that will last you through the week. Enjoy it with crudités, on toast, in wraps, bowls, and more.
Check out our full roundup of healthy hummus recipes here!
By Rip Esselstyn,
Last Updated:
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 3 cloves garlic
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons Bragg Liquid Aminos
- ¼ cup water or vegetable broth
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients into a thick paste.
- You can also customize this recipe by adding one or more of the following: 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds; 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and chopped; 1 roasted and chopped red bell pepper; 1 cup Kalamata olives; 1 bunch fresh mint; 1 cup fresh spinach; 1 cup cooked eggplant
Per serving (¼ cup): 106 calories, 18 g carbohydrates, 5.7 g protein, 1.7 g total fat, 0.2 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 49 mg sodium, 4.8 g fiber, 3.1 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Comments (132)
(5 from 54 votes)Excellent
I have a problem digesting chickpeas but I make hummus with black beans and it is delicious. I also don't like the grainy texture so is anyone is interested everything else in the recipe is the same.
Hi I often make my own hummus as i love chick peas i an not I am not a gormet humus chef butI do the best I can without oil . I amgoing to try this recipe just to gage how good it is love hummus and chick peas.
I read once (cannot remember where though) that the secret to light fluffy hummus from canned chick peas was to cook the chickpeas on the stove a little longer so they are softer and a little ‘mushy’. I have never tried it though. I love Sabra supremely spicy hummus. I’m sure there is oil in it. I cannot make hummus to satisfy the spice level I’m looking for so I just buy it. Luckily my cholesterol is 138 and my triglycerides are low. I am 55 and post menopausal so I feel like I can eat a little oil and not suffer. I don’t use it in my cooking so I feel the little bit I get in my hummus is negligible. I am also at a healthy weight so again I feel it’s okay for me and my body. I can do without sugar and oil but I need a little salt and lots of heat for my palate to be satiated. Happy hummus-ing y’all!
Anyone on a fat free program such as Esselstyn protocol will not be able to add avocado or sesame seeds as suggested. It’s still delicious without them!
I looked this recipe up because your magazine called for it. Because Bragg Liquid Aminos has soy and is sky high in sodium, I'd substitute coconut aminos or a vegan soy sauce substitute from my local grocery store. I'd also get no salt added canned chickpeas or 3 cups of home-cooked to reduce the sodium.
One commenter asked why no oil. The answer was because of inflammation. That certainly makes sense. The reason I'm on this site looking for a non-oil hummus recipe is because my husband is being coached by a Mastering Diabetes coach so we're now having to learn how to eat differently. MUCH differently! What we were told is, if I got this right, that everyone needs glucose to function. (Good) But if we eat oil, the oil gets into our cell(s) which keeps the glucose from being able to get into the cell(s). (Bad) That's apparently what causes folks to become insulin resistant. I'm sure it's more complicated than that, but that was enough to convince me that I better figure out how to get oil(s) out of our diet as Mastering Diabetes recommends no oil, salt or sugar and my husband is not interested in having another heart attack. We had thought we struck gold when we found the organic hummus cups at Costco about 6 months ago but after I got a magnifying glass so I could read the ingredients it says it's got salt AND oil. Sigh... Plan B. I sure do appreciate everyone's comments as we need all the help we can get in our attempt to retrain our taste buds!
This hummus recipe is simple and delicious. Light and no bitter aftertaste. Surprising that no oil is involved, it's a keeper!
I just use the Aquafaba for the liquid. Is there anything wrong with that?
Elizabeth, I've been making hummus for years using a recipe based on one from the first Moosewood Cookbook, which does include tahini but no olive or other oil. (Unlike olive oil, it seems to me that tahini is a whole food since it's just ground-up sesame seeds.) Here's my simplified version, if you'd like to try it: about 3 and 3/4 cups cooked, drained chickpeas, 3 medium cloves minced garlic (I use 3 large ones, but I like garlicky food), 1 and 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup lemon juice (I use 1/3 cup, but I like it lemony) and 3/4 cup tahini. Mix all together in a food processor, adding chickpea cooking liquid (aquafaba) to get it to whatever consistency you like. Actually, I never knew that olive oil was a standard ingredient in traditional hummus until I started looking at the ingredients in store-bought products!
I’ve had nothing but rave reviews when I bring my oil free hummus to a party! It’s so delicious!!!
Sure would be nice to know how much this makes. It's a lot easier to enter it into a food log.
Hi Meredith, This recipe makes about 2 cups of hummus and we have updated the recipe header to reflect this. Thanks for your comment!
I thought this was a very good recipe! I did use a bit of chick pea water and that gave it a good texture. Also, I put more braggs and more cumin in . I added a bit of lemon juice too . When I had some for lunch, I cut up some dill pickles and mixed in with the hummus. Delish with mini peppers and carrots!
Just made this. Easy to make but not my favorite. I miss the tahini.
Try adding a teaspoon of white miso instead of salt
Excellent idea. Love adding white miso to recipes like this and soups for that extra umami flavor. I also have topped with everything bagel seasoning for additional flavor.
I was happy with the texture on this, I've tried other oil-free recipes where the texture was really unappealing, so that was nice, but the raw garlic is very intense and unpleasant. Also, besides the bite of the garlic, the flavor is a bit bland.
I find that you need to leave the hummus to sit for a couple of hours and that unpleasant garlic taste mellows out quite a lot.
Made it today. The texture and consistency is nice. Only downside is the garlic is very overwhelming.
what about using the liquid from the canned chickpeas? Is that ok in place of water? Or is it not healthy?
I wouldn't use it... I like to Rinse them and drain them first
Yes, I use 1/4 cup to half a cup of the liquid from the Chickpeas...called Aquafaba, which makes the Humus much creamier. If you want no salt buy no salt chickpeas or cook up your own and save liquid.
Really yummy! Don't miss the oil and refined salt at all. Made it with the sesame seeds and 1/2 of a jalapeño. Here's another alternative ~ add flesh of a ripe avocado to make avocado hummus ~ devine!
The best recipe because it’s tasty and takes less than 5 minutes from ingredients to storage container (if not using all at once)
avocado is not for oil free hummus, high fat.
I made it for first time and taste as good as any whole foods oil free hummus. So happy and it was sooooooo easy. look forward to adding extra ingredents in future. Thank you David Beauchemin
Where is nutritional info? Can’t find
Hi Suky, We hear your feedback about nutritional info, and this is something that we're discussing adding for the future. Please stay tuned for updates! Thank you, Courtney Editor, Forks Over Knives
When a diet is 80% carbs, if a wee bit is refined, it makes little difference. A person like this eats so much fiber that it mitigates the refined carb.
You can easily input the recipe into Myfitnesspal and it will give you the breakdown.
Can't wait to try this
Wow, am I in the minority, here: This will be the third hummus recipe I have tried in about 25 years--and still haven't found something that satisfied. I absolutely love lemon (and lime) but found this to be too lemony/acidic . . . and honestly, bland. I think a jalepeno would help but wouldn't serve this for others. I just feel like there must be an oil-free recipe out there that makes for amazing hummus--but I have not found it. (I've been a vegan for close to 30 years--and largely oil free for at least 5.
Hello What is the problem with olive oil or tahini? If a person wants to reduce weight, I understand that oil can increase their calories, but besides that, some oils are not bad if we check the literature available at PubMed. On the other side, I frequently see unsweetened plant-based milk and then some kind of syrup, which is contradictory and not health based in studies. I like FOK, but some fundamentals are not very aligned with science. I have zero intention to offend anyone and I am very open-minded to change too
Thiago... Oils have been proven to cause inflammation thus the reason for all the oil free recipes... Olive oil was thought to be ok because of Mediterranean diet but has also been proven to cause inflammation and not have any real nutritional benefits (I used to waste hundreds of dollars on first cut bottles of snake oil). The Mediterranean diet is healthy in spite of the oil, not because of it.
Elizabeth, I haven't tried this yet, but maybe try scaling back on the lemon and then add your jalepeno, maybe a few of your favorite spices and a pinch of himalayan pink salt. One of my favorite hummus is unfortunately made with oil by a store called Wegman's but it was a carmalized onion and OMG, it was good. The sky is the limit with how you can season it.
I so hear you Elizabeth - one change that worked so much better for me is using cannelli beans. I don't know why it works for me, but I discovered a while ago that I couldn't make a satisfying hummus (even with oil) using chick peas. Someone told me that many recipes actually use chick pea flour, which I haven't tried, especially since I love most recipes now with cannellis. Also, most recipes calling for lemon are too lemony for me, so I start with half or a quarter of the amount called for of rice vinegar. It gives some acidity without overwhelming the other flavors.
I have found that if you take the time ( a LOT of it!!!) to peel the skins off the chickpeas, it makes all the difference. The olive oil is there to mitigate the skins and make a smooth, creamy hummus. If not using oil, you MUST remove the excessively fibrous skin to achieve similar results. Also, try making your own chick peas from dried -- so much creamier. Another trick is to use the aquafaba instead of water. I have done these steps to rave reviews. Good luck in YOUR quest for the perfect hummus! Dave
I always use some of my broth from cooking my beans in lieu of any oil. It’s perfect.
Plant based low fat diet helps with Insulin resistant. Therefore, managing blood glucose and many other issues.
I just made some and I love it!
Had to add an additional 1/2 cup of veggie broth to make a *smooth* paste-like texture. This is by far the best homemade hummus I've tried to date. Cant wait to play with different add-ins
FOK, you've done it again! This is a gem! Besides being way healthier than traditional recipes, it's cheaper than what you can get in the store, too. Especially if you start with dry beans. I'll try the roasted red bell pepper next time. Thanks for sharing this!
So good and so simple! We don't like cumin so left it out. This is the best hummus we have ever made. And oil-free!
Wow! I was very impressed!
These really do taste like hotdogs
Wrong recipe! This was supposed to be for the carrot dogs!
Lol
:) Thanks for the unexpected smile!
Perfect! Vitamix sure helps with this one!
How much is a can? I live in Spain where the chickpeas come in jars. Grams, ounces or cup measurements would be helpful.
The kind I usually buy have 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas in a can. Two cans would be 3 cups. I like to cook big batches of chickpeas and freeze them in 3-cup packages - perfect for hummus or some other recipes that use 'canned' chickpeas. SWilson
15.5 ounces, soup can size. ☺️
Ce este brad liquid aminos?
In the U.S. they are usually 15oz cans
Like soy sauce. Are Mai Putin sodium
Instead of brags you can use coconut aminos to lower sodium or merely use things like home roasted veggies like colored peppers or any other veggie.
I used Tamari as I was out of aminos. Worked great. :)
I made mine with capers, and it was wonderful. I also added a bit more lemon juice, simply because I like more lemony hummus.
Hi, did you add the capers in whole after you made the hummus or blend them in?
Best oil free hummus ever! I added the jalapeno. Yum!
Your response is not nice. I’m completely vegan, but if people want to incorporate vegan foods with an animal based diet, that is their choice. Anything that encourages clean eating should be the mantra. If someone wants to use beef stock in their dish, then of course it isn’t vegan but there’s no need to be judgmental.
That’s not acceptable. Them “choosing” to use animal products is not their right or place to choose whether those animals live or die. End of story.
This recipe is awesome, but I think making your own chickpeas is best. 18 minutes in an instapot after soaking overnight makes for a creamy, oil free hummus.
No doubt i’m cooking up some beans now for the recipe.
What’s macro on this dish? Trying watch sodium intake
I just tried this recipe and it is amazing! I think as long as you have 2 cans of chickpeas, a lemon, and some liquid, then this recipe allows you to create around it per your tastes! I used 4 teaspoons of hatch chilies (no oils ) and minced garlic from a jar, I reduced cumin to 1 teaspoon and I did have the liquid aminos on hand...whirled it around til smooth...thank you so much for this hearty recipe...it is awesome!
Great recipe. I have been doing something similar for years. Tips: I agree, Goya chickpeas, soft and flavorful. Use the liquid from the can, go easy. I buy Braggs on line by the gallon or just seasalt. I prefer less garlic. Never tried cumin, will, but a little fresh basil is good. Try different herbs,, spices..I NEVER use salad dressing, often use this instead. I blend in my food processor, slowly add liquid, let it rip. Delicious.
Delicious just as it is. Yum
I just made it, and added jalapeno peppers for zest. It is wonderful. Never will I buy premade hummus again.
I made the hummus with the eggplant it was very good
“Eden” Brand chickpeas use a very clean way of cooking. ( all their products are clean) Very high quality & a great trustworthy company with no hidden ingredients
This is the best hummus I’ve ever made. Thank you so much! I’ve been trying to eliminate oils and decrease sodium in my diet. I did use low sodium tamari because I didn’t have Bragg’s liquid aminos. The first time I made this, I used chick peas. The second time, I used cannelini beans because I ran out of the other. This is an awesome recipe. I’m so sorry that I had to comment with an ingredient NOT in the recipe (tamarini). I am traveling and used what I had available. Thank you again. 5+ stars!!
Trying to switch over
Just curious, I don't see any nutritional info. Unless I missed it, the absence of nutritional information makes it harder to evaluate the healthiness of each FOK recipe. Comments?
The FOK lifestyle does not require (or expect) calorie counting. If you eat a balanced diet of whole, plant foods, to satisfaction, you will naturally consume a reasonable number of healthy calories. This is one of the great advantages of the lifestyle...its simplicity.
I agree, there should be nutritional info. I am older and calories do count when you need to lose or maintain weight. Also I have a type one diabetic granddaughter and she loves this kind of food but if I don't have the carbohydrate count I cannot give her these recipes without calculating it myself and that is a royal pain.
I completely understand why people want nutrition information. Sometimes as someone with an eating disorder it's nice not to see it. Just a different perspective
Google a site where you can put in the recipe and ingredients. It will give you the nutritional info.
You can look up nutritional information online.
I like to add the juice of two lemons or limes, more garlic, and two tablespoons of Trader Joe's hot pepper sauce -- although any hot sauce will do.
I don't get it...you use tahini, or nut butter pretty much in every recipe to give creaminess..but the only recipe who is basically mix bean+ seed butter since the dawn of time, its a big no-no?
I'm confused by this too. What's the deal?
It's not a big no-no in general, there are other hummus recipes here using nuts/seed butters, this is just an option for people who have to watch their fats... like me. Obesity is the biggest driver of disease, and fats are very calorically dense and contribute to obesity. T2 diabetes/insulin resistance is not caused by carbs or sugar... high glucose is just a symptom... the cause is intramyocellular lipids (too much FAT clogging muscle cells) so keeping fats low has actually reversed it. There are no hummus police telling you what to eat, it is just an option.
I found the two hummus recipe attempts I made to be creamy and more tasty (without using any tahini). I don’t think I’ll ever make hummus with oil or tahini ever again. This was a wonderful recipe and I think it can be adapted easily with other flavors/veggies/herbs.
I agree. I really wish the nutritional info would be included.
Who would have thought that I would enjoy an oil free version of one of my favorite foods? This was delicious. I didn’t have liquid aminos in the house nor soy sauce so I added a pinch of salt instead. I added some red peeper flakes and black pepper too. Very good. This will be an easy staple in my kitchen.
Can this be frozen to use later, how long will it keep in the fridge?
The coconut aminos made this super salty and gave it a weird taste. Had to toss it. Start with 1/4-1/2 amount and taste before upping the amount.
I think Goya beans are the best!
What is Bragg liquid aminos. Ty
It’s basically soy sauce but better for you and lower sodium content! At least that’s how I view it.
I am ready to start eating vegan. I already eat roasted or steamed vegetables every day. Sometimes I have cod fish baked or salmon baked with only salt and pepper. No oil in anything. I use spray cooking pol with no calories. I have lost 32 pounds. But I would like to add vegan recipes to my vegetables. I hardly ever eat bread unless it is naan or other breads without a lot of calories. I am enjoying my veggies very much and hope to enjoy the vegan foods.
Hello, Annie, please watch the documentary "Seaspiracy." You'll be giving up eating all fish after watching that.
Hi Annie, Eat what is best for you. If you feel a flexitarian diet is best with emphasis on vegan eating, you’ll be fine. There’s a lot of judgement in a few of these responses. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good.
I make my chick peas in the pressure cooker - use the water in the hummus and left over water for broth in veggie soup. Thanks for this great recipe, it tastes so wonderful.
I think that using higher quality improves the texture and taste quite a bit. At first I was using generic beans and found them to be hard and I did not care for them at all. Now I use Goya beans and like them much better. Hope this helps.
You realize that adding chicken or beef broth defeats the purpose of this recipe right? And canned chickpeas are already cooked.
The recipe calls for canned chickpeas. Those are already cooked.
I love the ease and taste of this hummus.
Very versatile! I added a little garlic vinaigrette which made it a little runny, so I added a whole white potato. I needed something to crunch so I used some of my pickled zucchini slices. Used it to make a delicious summer pasta salad.
Use stock to cook chickpeas and add some liquid aminos directly to cooking liquid. Then use some of the stock (now aqua faba) to blender. Sub roasted garlic for a richer less “bighty” garlic flavor. Also, if you want extra smooth hummus, Yotam Ottolenghi trick of adding baking soda to the cooking liquid and then removing the chickpea skins (which come off easily after cooking with baking soda) is an extra step but very worth while for those who like hummus extra smooth. (But be mindful of the saltiness if you use both baking soda and liquid aminos)
Ottolenghi neglects to mention or does not know that the old French trick of adding baking soda to blanching/boiling water to retain the green color of vegetables such as green beans or to loosen chickpea skins--such as here--also almost completely destroys B-complex vitamins and degrades several other nutrients. Don't ever add baking soda to blanching or cooking water.
This is a really good base recipe. I like to add lemon juice in place of broth and Mrs. Dash Chipotle plus 1/2 tsp onion powder. There is no "right" way to go ... yum to any variation!!
I made this in my Vitamix, tried it first in my food processor, but it wasn't smooth enough. Came out great in the Vitamix. I added 1 T. tahini, left out the Bragg's aminos and used salt to taste, plus added about 1 T of green olive juice. We all loved it.
It's very nice, but dry and to be very honest, I added x2 those of tahini. Think is still a while food fat, so unless you want to lose weight it's not an iss ue. I'm afraid as nice as it is, I wanted it to taste a bit more authentic.
I'm sorry....what? Your post is a bit confusing
OMG, who would have thought that oil free hummus could be soooooooooo good! As per other comments I used aquafaba in place of water, boiled the chickpeas for 10 minutes and added some baby spinach before blending all together. This recipe is a keeper!!!!
I use aquafaba, bean juice from the can in place of broth. Turns out great!
I followed this suggestion, and boiled the chickpeas (in water) for 10 minutes per another suggestion. Tossed in a handful of fresh spinach and some sun-dried tomatoes...turned out great!
How do you get it really smooth rather than grainy without a powerful blender I don't have?
I like to boil my canned chickpeas for about 10 minutes before blending. This helps make them super soft to create the smooth texture. Hope this helps!
You can use chickpea flour, just add some water (or broth, or aquafaba), let it soak for about 10 minutes, cook it for 5 minutes and there you go.
Delicious and Quick! I forgot to add the cumin and did water instead of the broth and it is so good! I think next time ill add sun dried tomatoes
for hummus, I will stick with the Israeli recipe I have. this recipe worked fab for a sandwich spread.
Care to share that recipe?
My kiddos loved this hummus dip which blew my mind! So good and an easy, quick dip.
I boiled the chickpeas & saved some aquafaba juice. I added roasted red pepper, sundried rehydrated tomatoes, salt & water to thin it out. I added 2 tbsps tahini and juice from an olive jar.
This is a great make-ahead recipe and goes really well with almost any veggie stick.
I used to think it was too much trouble to make your own hummus, but after trying this recipe my partner and I make and devour this at least two times a week.
Love the Bragg's add...
Yum! So delicious yet simple and easy to make.
Good proportions, the base recipe is very nice. I add a bit more water for consistency, and have added an assortment of herbs or just basil, very tasty either way.
Makes Veges soooo awesome!
Yum!
I can't get Bragg liquid aminos anywhere in the UK and can't find an oil free broth either
No idea what liquid aminos are...! I'm also in the UK, so guess that recipe is not for us. Anyone know what we can use instead?
I looked it up. Marigold do a Liquid Amino, and also I found: 5 liquid aminos substitutes Tamari. Tamari is a dark flavorsome sauce that is made from fermented soybeans. ...(I'd use this) Soy sauce. Soy sauce is a dark brown (almost black) liquid that adds a lot of savory umami flavor to food. ... Coconut aminos. ... Fish sauce. ... Anchovies.
Here's a recipe for a vegetable bouillon (broth) powder https://shaneandsimple.com/vegetable-bouillon-powder/. I will never buy broth from the store again, ever.
I buy mine on Amazon. Not sure if UK Amazon has different stuff.
I got mine at Holland & Barrett healthfood store
Sounds great