Cilantro Jalapeño Hummus

I just finished making the jalapeno hummus and I can’t stop eating it. So Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

— Patricia

This recipe is a family favorite that I make ALL of the time. Creamy and rich, Cilantro Jalapeño Hummus is satisfying and healthy. We often enjoy it as a guilt-free dip for vegetables, pita wedges, or pita chips. You can even use it as a spread on sandwiches as a tasty alternative to mayonnaise. Homemade hummus is surprisingly easy to make, with only six ingredients (not counting water and salt).

And why snack on hummus? Besides the fact that it’s so delicious, it’s super good for you. Hummus is packed with vitamins and minerals. Healthline informs us that adding hummus to your diet has impressive health benefits, including fighting inflammation, controlling blood sugar, aiding digestion and weight loss and reducing heart disease.

Isn’t it great that you can eat a healthy snack full of protein without feeling guilty about it? That’s especially true if you choose veggies over pita triangles for dipping.

And this hummus recipe made with fresh cilantro and just enough jalapeños for a subtle kick of heat is really just so flavorful!

Ingredients needed

If you’ve only had store-bought hummus and never made your own, you’re really missing out. To be completely honest, homemade hummus is way more flavorful than what you’ll find at the store and when you make your own, you can control the ingredients. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Jalapeños. Use 2 to 3 jalapeños with the seeds and ribs removed, or for spicier hummus, leave the seeds. I personally like to use 3 jalapeño peppers with the seeds removed for just a kick of heat.
• Cilantro. Adds fresh flavor to the dip. If you’re someone that thinks cilantro tastes like soap, simply swap it for parsley.
• Canned chickpeas. Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are full of plant protein and fiber. They are economical and flavorful. Some recipes call for removing the skins, but I’ve found that the food processor pretty much takes care of any coarseness. If you feel strongly about it, check out this method by Cooks Illustrated.
• Tahini. This smooth sesame seed paste adds creaminess and flavor. You can usually find it in the peanut butter aisle or the Middle Eastern section at the grocery store. Another option is to make your own using sesame seeds.
• Lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for a nice tart flavor.
• Garlic. Add 3 fresh garlic cloves to the mixture for classic flavor. If you don’t care for garlic, go ahead and leave it out or use less.
• Salt and pepper. All the seasoning you need for classic hummus.
• Water. Use plain tap water or reserve some of the liquid from the canned chickpeas (called aquafaba) and use that instead of water for the perfect consistency and texture.
• Extras. This recipe doesn’t actually call for any olive oil, but if I’m serving this as a dip, I like to drizzle a small amount over the top for extra smoothness. I also like to garnish the hummus with a sprinkle of paprika and freshly cracked pepper for presentation.

How to make this recipe

For really smooth hummus, you’ll need a food processor… a blender would probably work just fine too. You can whip this hummus recipe up in just five minutes. Five minutes! Isn’t that kind of crazy? You’re just a few minutes away from all that deliciousness and healthy snacking. Here’s the simple method:

1. Blend ingredients. First, add all of the hummus recipe ingredients to a food processor, except for the water. Then, pulse to combine until the mixture is smooth, creamy and lump free.
2. Check consistency. Next, add a little bit of water as needed to thin out the hummus. Add water until you have reached your desired consistency. I usually add about 1/4 cup reserved liquid from the canned chickpeas. Process again until it’s just right. Also, taste the hummus – you might want to add more salt.
3. Serve and enjoy. Finally, transfer your homemade hummus to a bowl and serve immediately with warm pita bread, pita chips and your favorite veggies for dipping! You can top the hummus with just a bit of olive oil, cracked pepper and salt. Now dig in! This is hummus heaven!

Tips

Here’s a few tips and tricks so your jalapeño hummus is perfect:

• Peeling chickpeas. When it comes to making homemade hummus, there is often a debate as to whether or not you should peel the chickpeas. I never do and nobody has ever complained about the texture of my homemade hummus, but I do have a fairly high-powered food processor and I puree it for several minutes, which gets it pretty darn smooth. However, if you have the time and you’re intent on achieving the absolute silkiest hummus texture possible, you may certainly peel your chickpeas before blending them. Simply pinch each chickpea and the skin should pop and slip right off. Discard the skins and proceed with the recipe as directed for amazingly smooth hummus.
• Tahini. Any time I open a new jar of tahini, it’s generally extremely separated and impossible to stir back together with a spoon. So I scrape the entire jar into my food processor before beginning the recipe, puree until the tahini is smooth and incorporated, and then transfer all of it back into the tahini jar. At that point, I proceed with my recipe (without cleaning out the food processor), measuring the correct amount of tahini from the jar back into the food processor.
• How many jalapeños? I typically make this hummus with three jalapeños, with most of the seeds and membranes scraped out (but not all). It has some heat, but it’s not so hot that my kids can’t eat it. For jalapeño flavored hummus with minimal heat, add one or two whole jalapeños with ALL seeds and membranes scraped out, since that’s where most of the heat comes from. And for spicier hummus, you can obviously add an extra jalapeño. Just remember that it’s always easier to add heat than to take it away, so taste as you go to get the heat level just right.

Serving suggestions

This dip is perfect with almost everything. Here’s what I recommend:

• Healthy snack. To be honest, I probably reach for a hummus and veggie snack a few times a week. I love to pair this healthy dip with carrots, broccoli, cucumber slices and red peppers, just to name a few. And don’t forget the bread! You can never go wrong serving hummus alongside fresh naan, pita bread, crackers, tortilla chips or pita chips.
• As a spread. Hummus is so much more than just a vegetarian dip or appetizer. I love to add it to my gyros, naan sandwiches, chicken shawarma and more. The creamy texture makes it such a great addition to so many recipes, and the flavor is easy to customize!

Customize this recipe

This jalapeno hummus recipe is great as-is, but here are some options for changing things up:

• One of the best aspects of homemade hummus is that you can make it exactly how you like. There’s no need to add garlic if you don’t want garlic breath the rest of the day. Or maybe you love garlic so much that you want to add all three cloves! Try roasting the garlic before adding it to the hummus for even more flavor.
• Hummus can be made without tahini. You can simply omit it or substitute it with sunflower seed butter or a nut butter, such as cashew or almond butter. Another alternative is Greek yogurt. The flavor of your hummus will be affected, but not in a bad way.
• No lemons? Use lime juice instead.
• Add more seasoning if you’d like. Ground cumin is commonly added to hummus. Start with a half tsp cumin, unless you really love cumin. Experiment with other spices, if you like. Add a dash of cayenne to give it a little heat.

Storing leftovers

Cilantro hummus is a great make-ahead dip. It keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days. You can even freeze hummus! It makes a healthy lunchbox treat. Simply put hummus into individual size storage containers and freeze. It will keep for up to six months in the freezer. It may separate slightly when thawed, but just give it a little stir and it will be fine. If you freeze a larger sized container, for best results, thaw it overnight in your fridge.