This Harissa Hummus recipe kicks your usual hummus up a notch with the addition of harissa paste. Spicy and creamy, and delicious with pretzels, pita chips, and veggies.
Making hummus from scratch is easier than you think. We’ve tested several recipe techniques, and think this is the easiest method that still gets you great results. And, we love that you can control the flavors yourself as with this Harissa Hummus or our Roasted Garlic Hummus.
Jump to:
Why Make This Recipe
- So Easy: Combine ingredients in a food processor and blend. Then just season, and you’re done!
- Healthy Snack: No added sugar, low in calories, and high in protein.
- Make-Ahead: Lasts in the fridge for several days, so you can make a batch in advance, then eat for your afternoon snack for the next few days.
🥗 Ingredients
- Chickpeas: We use canned chickpeas in this recipe for ease-of-use. Low-sodium preferred so you can control the salt content. You can also soak dried chickpeas and then cook until tender.
- Tahini: There are many brands of sesame seed paste. We love Soom brand tahini but there are lots of options. Some brands are thicker than others, so you may need more or less water to get the consistency you want for your hummus.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice will give you the best flavor in this homemade hummus.
- Harissa Paste: Harissa paste is made from hot chile peppers, often blended with garlic, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, and olive oil. It originates from Tunisia, in North Africa. Today you can find many packaged harissa pastes online like this Spicy Mina Harissa Paste, or you can make your own with this Harissa Substitute recipe.
- Olive Oil: The olive oil flavor is not strong in this recipe, so no need to use a fancy olive oil.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Drain and rinse 1 can of chickpeas. Add chickpeas, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, ¼ cup tahini, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, ¼ cup harissa paste, 1 teaspoon tomato paste, and 3 tablespoons olive oil to a food processor.
Process until smooth. Then add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until you have the consistency you want.
Then blend in 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt.
Taste, and add additional salt and/or lemon juice as desired.
Garnish with a spoonful of harissa on top.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Harissa Hummus
The spice level on this hummus is totally up to you. You’ll find that different harissa pastes really vary in spice levels, so you can control how much you add. If your harissa paste is mild, and you want to kick up the spice even more, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Hummus is best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to a week.
You can freeze hummus for up to two months, but you might find that the texture degrades a bit when you thaw it. You can always put it back into the food processor and blend for 20 seconds or so, adding a splash or two of water if you need it.
Yes you can. You can add extra liquid, like more ice water or olive oil, and process well. You can also save the extra liquid (aquafaba) from your can of chickpeas and use that to add to your hummus. Go slowly because it is a lot easier to fix a thick hummus than try to thicken a too-runny hummus.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
Harissa paste and tahini can both vary in terms of how runny they are depending on which brand you use. You may find you need more or less water at the end of the recipe depending on the rest of your ingredients. If you think your tahini and harissa are both pretty runny, you might want to reduce the lemon juice a bit as well, just to make sure your hummus is sufficiently thick.
Stir tahini well before using because it has a tendency to separate.
If you want a super smooth hummus, peel the chickpeas before putting them in the food processor. We’ve tried this, and agree that it makes the most velvety, creamy hummus around. However, most of the time we don’t have the patience to do it! 😂
If you don’t have a food processor, you can also make this hummus with harissa paste in a blender, particularly a high-speed blender like a Vitamix.
Got extra harissa paste? Here are some ideas for other dishes that use harissa:
- put it on your scrambled or fried eggs
- blend with sour cream into a dip
- use it as a marinade or rub with meat
- mix it with mayonnaise and spread on a burger
- incorporate into a salad dressing like this Sumac Dressing
- toss with vegetables before roasting
- try making this Homemade Harissa Aioli
As for your harissa hummus itself, of course it is delicious as a dip for crudité, pita chips, pretzels, and crackers. (If you’re gluten-free, stick with the crunchy vegetables.) You can also use it as a sandwich spread or put it into a wrap. It’s delicious with falafel and can be used in a grain bowl as well. Try it with our Vegan Buddha Bowl or our Baked Tofu Buddha Bowl.
Want to try another hummus version packed with flavor? Try this Creamy White Bean Hummus next.
Other Mediterranean Recipes
We love recipes from all over the Mediterranean region. If you do too, you might want to check out some of these favorites:
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to us.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to our newsletter. We’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Vanilla Bean Cuisine.
Harissa Hummus
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can low-sodium chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice plus more to taste
- ¼ cup harissa paste plus more to garnish
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons ice water
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Process chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, harissa, tomato paste, and olive oil until smooth.
- Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you have the consistency you want.
- Then blend in salt.
- Taste, and add additional salt and/or lemon juice as desired.
- Garnish with a spoonful of harissa on top.
Notes
Hummus is best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to a week. Expert Tips:
Harissa paste and tahini can both vary in terms of how runny they are depending on which brand you use. You may find you need more or less water at the end of the recipe depending on the rest of your ingredients. If you think your tahini and harissa are both pretty runny, you might want to reduce the lemon juice a bit as well, just to make sure your hummus is sufficiently thick. Stir tahini well before using because it has a tendency to separate. If you want a super smooth hummus, peel the chickpeas before putting them in the food processor. We’ve tried this, and agree that it makes the most velvety, creamy hummus around. If you don’t have a food processor, you can also make this hummus with harissa paste in a blender, particularly a high-speed blender like a Vitamix.
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this recipe, tag us @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because we’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
Mimi Rippee says
Love this! I buy the same harissa paste. So good.
Chef Molly says
Yes, it's delicious. Lots of other good ones out there too!