Oil-Free Hummus Recipe

Our household has embarked on a whole-food, plant-based diet. That means no animal products (meat, poultry, fish, dairy or eggs) and nothing refined like vegetable oils.

Giving up oil is definitely harder than giving up animal products. I was so used to sautéing veggies in olive oil and coating just about everything with olive oil before roasting it in the oven. It takes getting used to, but at four weeks into this lifestyle, we are beginning to get the hang of it.

Hummus is something I've been making about once a week. My daughter loves it and eats it with a spoon. It's the perfect dip for veggies; my favorite is crispy cucumber chips. It's packed with protein and keeps your belly happy.

Olive oil is a key ingredient in most hummus recipes. Not this one! I think you'll agree after trying it that there is really no difference in taste or texture. Well, it's less oily, that's for sure. This is a recipe I adapted from the South Beach Diet Cookbook.

What you'll need:

I use dry chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, as they are more economical. You can also use canned chickpeas, in which case you'll need 1 can for this recipe. If using dry beans, you'll need about 1/4 lb. Follow the directions on the bag for soaking and cooking the chickpeas.

This is what they will look like after they've been cooked:

This is 1/2 pound dry vs. 1/2 pound cooked:

Other ingredients you'll need:

Combine everything in a food processor and blend:

Don't forget to reserve some of the liquid from the can of chickpeas or the pot you cooked them in:

Add the reserved liquid to the food processor at a drizzle while the processor is on. I probably use about 1/4 of liquid to achieve a nice creamy consistency. You can also use plain water if you forget to reserve the liquid.

Chill for an hour or two and sprinkle with a bit of paprika before serving with your favorite veggies or whole wheat pita bread.


Here's the recipe card:

Enjoy!