Harissa Hummus

This homemade hummus recipe is so easy to make and even better to eat! You’ll never buy store bought hummus again, once you’ve made it yourself. Perfect for a party or just to enjoy as a snack. 

Harissa Hummus is an easy, packed full of flavor, homemade hummus recipe. Pair with vegetables or chips for a dip, or even as a spread on flatbreads or sandwiches! #spicyhummus #homemadehummusrecipe www.savoryexperiments.com


 

Is it hommos, hummus or houmos? Depends on where you come from! Let’s get the basic and most often asked questions out of the way…

What is hummus? The literal translation is “chickpeas.” Hummus ingredients typically include a blend of  varying amounts of tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. It is typically viewed as a Middle Eastern recipe. 

After that, the sky’s the limit. It can be served plain, with pine nuts, jalapenos or chiles, just to name a few. Roasted garlic, mint leaves, roasted red pepper and even beets are also common hummus flavors. 

Harissa Hummus is an easy, packed full of flavor, homemade hummus recipe. Pair with vegetables or chips for a dip, or even as a spread on flatbreads or sandwiches! #spicyhummus #homemadehummusrecipe www.savoryexperiments.com

The next most common question is what is harissa?

Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili pepper paste, the main ingredients of which are roasted red peppers, Baklouti pepper, serrano peppers, and other hot chili peppers, spices and herbs such as garlic paste, coriander seed, saffron, rose, or caraway, as well as some vegetable or olive oil to carry the oil-soluble flavors. 

Harissa Sauce or Harissa Paste is spicy chile sauce blended with spices. Add to marinades, hummus, salad dressings and more for some heat! #harissa #hotsauce www.savoryexperiments.com

Historically harissa hailed from the Middle East and was made with Maghrebi hot chili peppers. Since these chiles aren’t available worldwide, but the condiment was so tasty, other cultures started making their own adaptations of harissa sauce using different local peppers. 

The original harissa recipe uses roasted red peppers, garlic, serrano peppers, coriander, caraway seed and olive oil for preservation. Some even added rose petals. Fancy! 

PRO TIP: Taste test your canned chickpeas. Different brands have different tastes and textures. You want one that has a buttery and creamy texture and taste for homemade hummus. It should squish easily between your fingers and not feeling gritty or grainy. 

This Harissa Hummus recipe, is a clear-your-sinuses kind of spicy hummus. Don’t be intimidated by that, that’s a good thing! Spicy foods have been linked to increased metabolism and other natural health benefits. There is a lot of goodness hiding out in this hummus dip. 

If you really can’t handle the heat, lessen the amount of harissa sauce or just remove it altogether. If you know me I’m always trying to find ways to add some heat to my recipes! 

Harissa Hummus is an easy, packed full of flavor, homemade hummus recipe. Pair with vegetables or chips for a dip, or even as a spread on flatbreads or sandwiches! #spicyhummus #homemadehummusrecipe www.savoryexperiments.com

Garnish your hummus with a good quality olive oil (see my notes below on the importance of good olive oil) and sesame seeds. I like black sesame seeds for the contrast, but you can use regular or omit them if someone has a sesame allergy. 

PRO TIP: Rinse canned chickpeas well and several times with cold water to reduce sodium. 

Serve with vegetables, our favorite pita bread recipe, pita chips or tortilla chips! It also tastes great on sandwiches and salads or to make a chicken hummus bowl.

stack of homemade pita bread

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Overhead of hummus
Harissa Hummus is an easy, packed full of flavor, homemade hummus recipe. Pair with vegetables or chips for a dip, or even as a spread on flatbreads or sandwiches! #spicyhummus #homemadehummusrecipe www.savoryexperiments.com

Harissa Hummus Recipe

5 from 3 votes
Harissa Hummus is an easy, packed full of flavor, homemade hummus recipe. Pair with vegetables or chips for a dip, or even as a spread on flatbreads or sandwiches!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Refrigeration: 1 hour
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place chickpeas and baking soda into a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a low boil. Stir occasionally and cook for 15-20 minutes or until beans are super squishy. Remove, drain and cool.
  • In large food processor, combine drained chickpeas, garlic, kosher salt, tahini, lemon juice and water.  Blend until super smooth.
  • Place in serving dish, making a dent in the center. Spoon in harissa. More extra virgin olive oil can be added at this time if desired. you can also swirl it around to evenly distribute the flavor. 
  • If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 373 kcal, Carbohydrates: 32 g, Protein: 13 g, Fat: 23 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Sodium: 607 mg, Potassium: 464 mg, Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 5 g, Vitamin A: 200 IU, Vitamin C: 9 mg, Calcium: 91 mg, Iron: 3.8 mg
Author: Chef Jessica Anne
Calories: 373
Course: Appetizer, Sauce
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: homemade hummus, spicy hummus recipe
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
 
Harissa Hummus is an easy, packed full of flavor, homemade hummus recipe. Pair with vegetables or chips for a dip, or even as a spread on flatbreads or sandwiches! #spicyhummus #homemadehummusrecipe www.savoryexperiments.com
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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