Oil-Free Hummus

Hummus is great to keep on hand for a quick snack with crackers or vegetable sticks, or to use as a sandwich spread. Traditional recipes, though, call for up to six tablespoons of oil! I use silken tofu as an oil substitute in this recipe, and the hummus is just as creamy and lovely as it would be with oil. It is really easy to make too! Here are the ingredients you will need:

Drain the chickpeas and reserve 1/4 cup of the aquafaba (bean liquid). Also save a few tablespoons of the chickpeas if you want to use them as a garnish later. Open the silken tofu and drain off the water. You don’t need to save any of the tofu water.

Add half of the Tofu to a blender or food processor:

Then, add the two drained cans of garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, Magickal Seasoning Blend, sugar, cumin, and lemon zest. If you haven’t made a batch of Magickal Seasoning Blend yet, I really encourage you to do so. It is so much easier to use this blend than it is to measure or weigh all the separate spices. It also really does make any savory dish taste great, so click the link for the recipe!

Blend for a few minutes, then scrape down the sides:

Add the rest of the tofu and blend again until smooth. You will need to stop and scrape the sides once or twice, and you can add a little of the reserved aquafaba if your hummus is too thick. I didn’t need to add any to this batch.

Serve the hummus with pita bread, crackers, chips, or veggie sticks, or use it as a sandwich spread. Here I just added hummus to a dish, sprinkled it with paprika, and put the dish on a plate with some crackers – so easy!

For a little fancier presentation, reserve a few chickpeas and serve the hummus in a bowl with a colorful rim. Sprinkle with the chickpeas, paprika and/or cayenne, and lemon zest. Add a sprig of parsley for additional color. I love the added texture and flavor of the combination of whole chickpeas, cayenne, paprika, and lemon zest. It really makes the hummus extra special!

Enjoy!