Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Recipe

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus in a bowl with olive oil drizzled on top.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Recipe

Quick to whip up from canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for the creamiest Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. PRO TIP: Simmering the chickpeas with a bit of baking soda breaks down the skin and softens the chickpeas (they'll be mushy). You're going to love how creamy this is! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and easily gluten free.

There is some overlap in cooking/prep/hands off time in this recipe. It comes together in about 30 minutes.

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Recipe yields about 1 2/3 C (400g).

Course Apetizer, Component, Dip, Spread

Cuisine Middle Eastern, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword Red Pepper Hummus, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings , 3 Tbs each

Calories 127kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

1 (215g) Red Bell Pepper
1 15 oz (439g) Can of Chickpeas drained, brine reserved. (about 2 C cooked chickpeas)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 C (60g) Tahini unsalted
1 1/4 tsp Smoky Paprika
1/2 tsp Cumin ground
1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt to taste
2 Plump Cloves of Garlic cut into chunks, or about 1 1/2 tsp minced (take this up to 3 cloves for extra garlicky).
1 Lemon zested
1 Tbs + 1 tsp Lemon Juice
2-4 Tbs Chickpea Brine reserved from the can of chickpeas
Olive Oil for Drizzling

Instructions

Roast the Bell Pepper (three ways):

A. Oven Roasted Pepper: Preheat oven to broil. Place the peppers on a sheet pan on the top oven rack and char the pepper for about 15 minutes using tongs to rotate the pepper every 4-5 minutes so that all sides, tops and bottoms are blackened.
B. Stove Top Open Flame Roasted Pepper: Place the peppers on the grate over a medium open flame, using tongs to turn the peppers as they char (tops and bottom too), getting them good and blackened. This takes about 15 minutes.
C. Grill Roasted Pepper: Heat grill to highest heat setting. Place the pepper directly on the grill grate, using tongs to rotate the peppers as they char, getting each side, top and bottom blackened. This takes about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the pepper from the oven/stovetop/grill, placing the pepper in a bowl. Cover for 10-15 minutes to steam (this will help the skin slip off with ease). Or to keep more dishes clean, steam the pepper right in the blender pitcher.
Under running water, when the pepper is cool enough to handle, slip off the skin, remove the stem and seeds. Pat the pepper as dry as possible using paper or tea towel. Slice the pepper in large chunks and transfer to a in a high speed blender, (I use VitaMix* see note). You should have about 3/4 C (110g) chopped pepper.
Make ahead tip: Red bell pepper can be batch roasted, peeled, seeded, patted dry and stored in the freezer for several weeks. Thaw before using in this recipe.

For the Chickpeas:

Drain the can of chickpeas, reserving the bean brine (aka aquafaba). Transfer chickpeas to a small sauce pot, cover with about two inches of water and add the baking soda. Stir.
Bring to a boil, turn the heat to medium to medium low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. The chickpeas are done when they're falling apart and are easily smashed between pinched fingers. Rinse and drain throughly. Transfer to the blender with the bell pepper.

Finishing the Hummus:

To the blender with the chickpeas and bell pepper, add the tahini, paprika, cumin, salt, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Use the tamper to get things going starting on a slower speed then increasing as the mixture loosens. Stop to scrape the pitcher down periodically.
Drizzle in the chickpea brine a few tablespoons at a time (I usually use about 2-3 Tbs) to loosen the hummus. Taste the hummus for seasoning adjustment - I usually use 3/4 tsp fine sea salt. Blend until perfectly smooth and until desired consistency, using tamper and stopping to scrape down the container periodically.
Scrape hummus into a lidded container and refrigerate at least an hour prior to sharing so the flavors can marry.
Allow to come to room temperature if possible before sharing, drizzling with a bit of olive oil to taste. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika, or chopped parsley.
Store in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to two weeks. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Notes

*Making this red pepper hummus recipe in a high speed blender (I use VitaMix) pulverizes the roasted bell pepper making the hummus ultra smooth. This hummus recipe can be made in a food processor, however it's not quite as creamy due to the bell pepper not completely breaking down.

Recipe inspired by Ottolenghi's method in his book Plenty (Hummus with Ful).

Nutrition