Best Hummus Flavors are based on three unique combinations of ingredients blended with chickpeas. The three Hummus flavors are made with squash and shishito chilis, sundried tomato and roasted garlic, and brown chickpea with watermelon seeds. These hummus varieties will be a crowd-pleaser that can be made ahead of time and served with pita bread.
Chickpeas have an origin going back to ancient Mesopotamia. Both Socrates and Plato talked about its nutritional value. In fact, one of the earliest recorded recipes for hummus dates to the 13th century. Not bad for healthy food!
Varieties of chickpeas:
Many people assume that chickpeas are pale and sand-colored. Would it surprise you to know that chickpeas, like hair color, can range from the common blonde to red, green, brown, and black and that there are three varieties of chickpeas?
The pale, sand-colored chickpea or the garbanzo bean common in most US supermarkets is called the kabuli and is grown in Southern Europe, Northern Africa, South America, and India. The second type, called the desi, is more prevalent in India, Ethiopia, Mexico, and Iran . The third variety is the called ceci neri or black chickpeas, and is exclusively grown in Southern Italy in Apulia. While the Kabuli is paler, bigger and smoother, the desi chickpea is dark brown, with a thick, rough, seed coat, while the ceci neri is even smaller and more fibrous.
The traditional hummus is a concoction of olive oil, ground chickpeas, ground sesame (tahini), garlic, and lemon. Historically, eaten as an accompanying dip all over the Middle East, hummus has become a worldwide party phenomenon, for being exotic, healthy, and more importantly simple.
But it has an additional quality that I find appealing – it is a perfect innovative platform. It is one of the few dishes that I have come across that lends itself nicely to a variety of interpretations. In fact, on one of our cruise trips to Alaska, I recall enjoying a wide array of hummus. The chef had a dedicated section for hummus and warmed pita, and I went nuts trying and savoring the varieties. Anchored near the Mendenhall glacier, surrounded by pristine crisp, clean air, and a deep blue sky, the warmed pita and hummus made a vivid counterpoint that has imprinted my memory.
My inspiration for these original, flavorful, and mouth-watering hummus flavors came from that trip. Since that day, I have tried many variations of hummus using both conventional and eccentric ingredients. Of the several dozen versions I have tried, I wanted to showcase three that offer a diverse rendition of this humble awe-inspiring dish.
Best Hummus Flavors:
- Squash-Shishito Chili Hummus:
The shishito chilis are native to East Asia. The fact they are not as hot as the other types of chilis makes them a flavorful addition to the hummus. The lack of heat accomplishes two conflicting tasks. While the chili adds a subtle spiciness, it does not overwhelm the natural chickpea flavor and olive oil blend. The complexity to this hummus comes out of the roasted squash. While we tend to think of squash as a plain, watery vegetable, each variety of squash has a distinct flavor. The acorn squash that I used has a sweet, nutty flavor and roasting it mildly just accentuated its profile. Adding to the buttery profile of this hummus was the addition of cashew nuts. This has now become a global dish, borrowing ingredients from different parts of the world. Squash and cashew nuts have their origins in the Americas, while shishito is from Asia, and the chickpea is from the Middle East. For a dip, garnishes serve more than a decorative purpose. They add an aftertaste to the medley and in this case, I garnished the dip with pomegranate seeds and dill.
- Sundried Tomato with Roasted Garlic Hummus:
I think that this a truly Californian dish. Tomato has an intense tartness and sweetness that does amazing things to whatever dish you add it to. But I was genuinely surprised when I added them to a traditional hummus. Unlike the squash-shishito version, there was nothing subtle about the tomatoes. They added a boldness to the dish that could have overwhelmed it. It is the opposite story with the roasted garlic. Garlic is a staple in hummus, but the roasted garlic out of Gilroy is yet another story. Allicin is the compound that gives garlic its flavor and taste. But when garlic is roasted, the allicin compound is degraded and garlic loses its potency. However, this is supplemented by the sweetness of the caramelization. The net effect is that roasted garlic is milder and sweeter. I roasted white sesame seeds to add an additional depth to this already bold dish. I garnished this dip with thyme and olives to complete the California effect.
- Brown Chickpea with Watermelon Seed Hummus:
One of my more unusual creations that my friends and family enjoy perennially is this variety. While desi chenna (chickpea) is not so common, the addition of watermelon seeds added a surprisingly nutty aftertaste. Like all nuts and seeds, watermelon seeds are carbohydrate friendly, protein and mineral rich, and packed with healthy fats and amino acids. What is now coming to light is that watermelon seeds, as compared to almonds, have 4 grams more protein and 2 grams less carbohydrates per ounce. But more than that, from a flavor perspective, watermelon seeds have that same light, earthy taste as sesame. This makes it an ideal substitute for people who are allergic to sesame seeds. This hummus with a hint of lemon that is layered with the flavor of watermelon seeds makes this dip a cozy and incredibly velvety. Paprika and curly parsley seemed like the best garnish to bring the zing to this healthy dip.
As I said, these are three variations of hummus that offer vastly different profiles of what hummus can be. As a crowd pleaser, it is healthy and versatile. Whether it is warm or cold, served as a dressing or a dip, on pizza, pasta, or pita, the extent of this dish is only limited by your taste and imagination.
Three best hummus flavors from scratch
How to make my three Best Hummus Flavors:
- Squash-Shishito Chili Hummus:
- Pre-soak the chickpeas overnight. Pressure cook until overcooked by submerging the chickpeas completely under water.
- Check the chickpeas by rubbing them on a board. The chickpea must be soft and smooth and not grainy.
- Bake the shishito chili and garlic with olive oil, squash, and salt at 3750 F for 10 minutes.
- Pulverize in a food processor with 3 tablespoons of the boiled chickpea water.
- Roast and grind the cashews separately.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the chickpeas and grind to a smooth paste. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, olive oil, and/or dill.
2. Sundried Tomato and Roasted Garlic Hummus:
- Bake the garlic for 10 minutes at 3750F. Pulverize the sundried tomato and garlic with salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and boiled chickpea water in a food processor.
- Roast and powder the sesame seeds.
- Grind the chickpeas with the boiled chickpea water, salt, sesame powder, sundried tomato, roasted garlic, cumin, and olive oil. Garnish with olive, olive oil, and/or thyme sprig.
3. Brown Chickpea with Watermelon Seed Hummus:
- Pre-soak and cook the brown chickpeas. Rub a few chickpeas to ensure that they are smooth, overcooked, and not grainy.
- Roast watermelon seeds until golden brown.
- Cool and grind the seeds.
- Grind all the ingredients together with the brown chickpeas until smooth. Garnish with curly parsley, olive oil, and/or paprika powder.
1. Overcook the chickpeas to yield a smooth but not grainy texture to the hummus.
2. Use boiled chickpea water for extra flavor.
3. Roasting the garlic or the squash enhances the flavor.
4. If you cannot find watermelon seeds, use pumpkin seeds.
If you would like to explore other Middle Eastern dishes, then try my Tabbouleh With Amaranth and Fish Shawarma!
How to store these three Hummus that are the best in flavors:
Hummus can be refrigerated for a week in airtight containers or frozen for three months. This makes it a perfect condiment or appetizer for large gatherings that can be made ahead of time.
Best Hummus Flavors
Equipment
- Stovetop, by hand
Ingredients
For the Squash and Shishito Chili Hummus:
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 shishito chili
- ½ cup yellow squash peeled, chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup chickpeas pre-soaked, cooked
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup roasted cashews powdered
- ¼ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds optional, for garnish
For the Sundried Tomato and Roasted Garlic Hummus:
- ¾ cup chickpeas pre-soaked, cooked
- 8 tbsp chickpea water boiled
- ½ cup sesame seeds white, hulled, roasted
- ¼ cup sundried tomato
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp cumin powder
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 olive optional for garnish
For the Brown Chickpea with Watermelon Seed Hummus:
- ¾ cup brown chickpea pre-soaked, cooked
- 3 tbsp chickpea water cooked
- ¼ cup watermelon seeds
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 clove garlic roasted
- ¼ tsp cumin powder
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 sprig curly parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
How to make the Squash and Shishito Chili Hummus:
- Pre-soak the chickpeas overnight. Pressure cook until overcooked by submerging the chickpeas completely under water.
- Check the chickpeas by rubbing them on a board. The chickpea must be soft and smooth and not grainy.
- Bake the shishito chili and garlic with olive oil, squash, and salt at 3750 F for 10 minutes.
- Pulverize in a food processor with 3 tbsp of the boiled chickpea water.
- Roast and grind the cashews separately.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the chickpeas and grind to a smooth paste. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, olive oil, and/or dill.
How to make the Sundried Tomato and Roasted Garlic Hummus:
- Bake the garlic for 10 minutes at 3750F. Pulverize the sundried tomato and garlic with salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and boiled chickpea water in a food processor.
- Roast and powder the sesame seeds.
- Grind the chickpeas with the boiled chickpea water, salt, sesame powder, sundried tomato, roasted garlic, cumin, and olive oil. Garnish with olive, olive oil, and/or thyme sprig.
How to make the Brown Chickpea with Watermelon Seed Hummus:
- Pre-soak and cook the brown chickpeas. Rub a few chickpeas to ensure that they are smooth, overcooked, and not grainy.
- Roast watermelon seeds until golden brown.
- Cool and grind the seeds.
- Grind all the ingredients together with the brown chickpeas until smooth. Garnish with curly parsley, olive oil, and/or paprika powder.
Notes
- You could use canned chickpeas instead of the dried ones.
- Brown chickpeas are available at Asian stores.
- Any summer squash can be used.
Nutrition
these are ingenious flavors!
tastes soooo good!
The sundried tomato and garlic flavor is my favorite!
really tasty!!