Lebanese Hummus Beiruti (Easy, Creamy, Homemade Recipe)

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you are thinking about hummus? Creamy. Smooth. Moreish. We have good news! This Lebanese Hummus (a.k.a. Hummus Beiruti) is all of these things and more. Made with light tahini and garlic and topped with olive oil and zingy sumac, this homemade Middle Eastern hummus recipe never fails to wow us!

Jump to:

• What is Hummus?
• Equipment Needed
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• Step-By-Step Method
• Reader Review
• Tips & Tricks For The Best Hummus
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• Storage and Leftovers
• Other Middle Eastern Recipes
• Lebanese Hummus Beiruti

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost for you! Thank you!

What is Hummus?

If you haven't had hummus yet, well... you absolutely should! It is only the best thing that chickpeas can offer. 

Essentially, hummus is a smooth dip or a spread (depending on how you use it) that originates in the Middle East. Made with pureed chickpeas, tahini and garlic, it can further be flavoured with a range of things.

You have probably seen varieties of this creamy dip in the shops including roasted pepper, caramelised red onion or lime and coriander-flavoured hummus.  

Today we are sharing an easy recipe for Lebanese Hummus, that is often known as Beiruti Hummus (or Hummus Beiruti), flavoured with sumac and fresh lemon juice, and garnished with parsley.

Whilst authentic hummus recipe would be made with dried chickpeas, we opted for a quick and easy version, using a can of chickpeas. Trust me, it will still be a lot better than store-bought hummus. 

Equipment Needed

You will only need two things: a good food processor (or even a very powerful blender/ smoothie maker) to make this recipe and a sharp knife! Everything else can be done by hand, but if you have herb scissors and a lemon juicer in your kitchen tool drawer, they will come in handy too!

Ingredients and Substitutes

You will need 7 simple ingredients for this easy hummus recipe:

• chickpeas: we use canned/tinned chickpeas in this recipe. They are also known as garbanzo beans. Simply drain, rinse and dry chickpeas before using them in this recipe. 
• lemon: we use juice squeezed from half a lemon, which is about 20ml, so if you have some bottled lemon juice, you can you that instead. 
• light tahini: we believe that the choice of this sesame paste is one of the most important parts of making the best hummus. Whilst whole tahini has a stronger flavour, we much prefer to use light tahini in hummus recipes for its creaminess.  

• garlic cloves: 2 larger ones or 3 smaller ones are perfect for this recipe. reduce the amount if you don't like things garlicky though. 
• extra virgin olive oil. 
• sumac: we haven't yet found a perfect substitute for sumac, but if you wish you can use paprika, zaatar or ground cumin to sprinkle on top of the hummus.  
• parsley: to garnish.

Something A Little Extra? Scatter some sesame seeds or toasted pine nuts on top of your smooth hummus for an added texture. Or make a spicy hummus by adding a tablespoon of harissa or some cayenne pepper into the mix!

Step-By-Step Method

1. Drain a canned chickpeas in a colander. Run a generous amount of water through the chickpeas to rinse them and then leave them in the colander to drain for a minute. 

2. Place the chickpeas, tahini paste, lemon juice and fresh garlic in your food processor and blitz for approx. 2 minutes.

3. Add an ice cube or 2 tablespoon of very cold water and blitz again for approx a minute, or until you have a completely smooth texture.

4. Taste and add a little more lemon juice if needed. Add a little water to arrive at the right consistency. Season with salt and blitz just enough to combine.

5. Scoop the Lebanese hummus into a serving bowl/ plate, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and sumac on top. Garnish with some whole chickpeas and fresh parsley. Hummus is best served at room temperature. 

Tips & Tricks For The Best Hummus

If this is your first time making hummus, here are some great tips:

• Light Tahini works best. It is creamy, not bitter and creates a wonderfully smooth Middle Eastern hummus. Make sure to use good quality tahini.  
• Use Ice Cubes for the best results. Adding ice cubes instead of water will give your hummus an extra creamy texture and the smoothest hummus - just like freshly made ice cream! 
• Blitz your chickpeas for a while. It may seem like your hummus is smooth enough after blitzing the ingredients for 30 seconds or so. But trust me when I tell you to keep going for the full 2 minutes. Smooth and creamy is what you need your chickpeas to be!
• Ok, this last one is somewhat of a funny one. Peel your chickpeas! After draining and rinsing your chickpeas, remove the outer shells (see photo below). It's a monotonous job, but satisfying at the same time. The outer shells can make the hummus grainier, so peeling them off will ensure the smoothest result. For the purposes of transparency, I have to admit to only having peeled chickpeas for hummus once. It DOES make a difference - it's smoother, it's definitely better, but... Is life too short to peel chickpeas? I don't know... Food for thought? 

Serving Suggestions

There are many different ways of eating hummus. Here are some of our favourites:

• Serve this healthy dip with pita bread or sourdough focaccia with za'atar (our favourite!) for a wonderful appetizer!
• Creamy hummus with pita chips, tortilla chips, sourdough crackers or carrot sticks makes a quick and healthy snack!
• Spread Hummus Beiruti on flatbreads before stuffing them with falafel and fresh vegetables - we love it with Beetroot Falafel!

Recipe FAQs

Storage and Leftovers

Store this Middle Eastern Dip with sumac in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days for later use. We recommend garnishing the hummus with parsley just before serving though, as the parsley will wilt and lose its appeal if stored for longer than a couple of hours.

You can also freeze hummus for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Simply make sure not to fill the container to the brim, as hummus tends to expand a bit when freezing. 

Other Middle Eastern Recipes

• Zhoug Cauliflower Steak with Herby Mash and Courgette Ribbons
• Beetroot Falafel
• Beet and Feta Dip
• Aubergine, Halloumi and Lentil Salad With Tahini Dressing
• Dukkah Salmon with Mint Yoghurt Sauce
• Middle Eastern Falafel (Vegan)