Low Sodium Hummus
My wife introduced me to hummus. Up until that point, my Midwestern sensibilities thought it was thoroughly appropriate to just have some “dip” for your veggies. “Dip” usually translated into a cream heavy, thick dressing of some kind that had an overwhelming dill flavoring to it. Store bought hummus can be high in sodium, so we need a low sodium hummus.
So basically my world was flipped when my wife served up veggies with this spread called hummus. It was sharp, garlic-ey, tasting spread that had strong notes of lemon and cumin. It rocked my taste buds and easily became a go to for snacking with veggies or crackers. It was something easy for entertaining. Plus it can be made extremely low sodium! So here is my recipe for Low Sodium Hummus.
What is hummus?
Low Sodium Hummus is easier to whip up than you might think. It’s roots are Middle Eastern, and recipes can be traced back to ancient Egypt (thanks Wikipedia). There are only a few ingredients: chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), garlic, lemon juice, cumin, tahini, and olive oil. Tahini is basically pureed sesame seeds in sesame oil that makes a butter (similar to peanut butter).
Hummus can also have many other ingredients added, that can change up the flavor profile and that creates almost a new snack spread each time. I like to add things like roasted red peppers, smoked chipotle peppers, sundried tomatoes, and capers to change it up. You can also add spice blends to kick your hummus up a notch. Following the base recipe, I have four more versions where we have changed up the profile using Dak’s Salt Free Spice Blends.
Recipe for low sodium hummus
Low Sodium Hummus
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Tahini and some of the oil sesame seed paste
- 2 cups Chickpeas - cooked completely or the lowest sodium possible canned . Reserve some of the liquid Garbanzo Beans, if starting from dry, rinsed well
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Cumin
- 4 Cloves of garlic less if you aren't a garlic fan
- Juice of 1 and a half lemon more to taste if desired
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper (black white, or pink peppercorns)
Instructions
- Put everything (except the chickpea water yet) in a food processor
- Add the water while pureeing to ensure a smooth spread
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as you go
- I serve it up drizzled with a bit more oil and a sprinkle more of cumin on top
- It should save up to a week in the fridge in a sealed container
Notes
Nutrition
Make Flavored Low Sodium Hummus
Now that you have the base, you can mix it up with either added ingredients like sundried tomatoes or roasted red peppers like I mentioned before, or you can add spice blends and mix them in. I like to make a few flavors for parties. Here are a few suggestions:
Spicy Buffalo Hummus
Dak’s Salt Free Butt Kickin Buffalo will take your hummus and make it perfect for a sporting event or tailgating party. Add 1 tsp per cup of hummus and mix thoroughly with a spoon. To help people keep it cool, provide veggies like endive, cucumber, and celery to counter the heat.
Greek Style Hummus
Dak’s Salt Free Super Greek Seasoning is a perfect way place your hummus squarely in the Mediterranean flavor profile. I make this hummus when I grill lamb and want to have a summery side dish. I also add a bit more lemon juice. Use 1 tsp of seasoning per cup of hummus and mix it in thoroughly with a spoon.
Asian Spiced Hummus
Dak’s Salt Free Asian Zing spice blend will change the hummus to match more asian dishes. I like it as a side to Beef and Broccoli. You can also use more Asian vegetables such as Shishito peppers, radishes, and cabbage.
Cajun Style Hummus
Dak’s Cajun Voodoo Salt Free Spice Blend is what I add to my hummus when I want to use it as a side for any BBQ dishes I am doing. It kicks the heat up a bit, and like the Buffalo above, I would pair it with celery, cucumber, and endive to cool off the palette. It is a great side dish for my BBQ Pulled Pork. Now if summer corn was only in season, we’d be all set!
Hopefully this gets you as excited about Low Sodium Hummus as I am. It makes for a great low sodium snack and lets us keep on the low sodium track. This will also help destroy any myths remaining that low sodium food has to be bland. Links above to Dak’s Salt Free Spices are affiliate links. Your purchases from Dak’s may help to support the production of this blog. Dak’s is a great low sodium ally and produces great tasting spice blends.
I love to use hummus as a “pizza sauce”. I spread it on a lo-so tortilla or wrap (like Tumaro) then top it with NSA black beans, chopped onion and sprinkle with cheese. Since it’s pretty lo-so to that point, I can afford to use shredded cheddar if i want, just watching the amount. I bake it at 350 right on the oven rack…I start checking it around 8 minutes so it doesn’t burn. Sometimes I’ll add summer NSA corn. It’s SO good and filling! It’s been off my list since store brand are pretty high in sodium. Thanks for the recipes!!!! I see a non-traditional pizza in my near future!