Toasted Sesame Hummus

Name: Toasted Sesame Hummus
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 18 min
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1/4 cup tahini; 1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 1/2 to 2 lemons); 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium clove garlic; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided, more to taste; 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas; 2 to 4 tablespoons water, as needed; 1 teaspoon raw sesame seeds (I used a mix of white and black); Flaky sea salt, for garnish (optional); Suggested accompaniments: Toasted pita bread, carrot or bell pepper or celery sticks, crackers, etc.

37 Comments

Jump to Recipe

A few weeks ago, I tasted some intriguing hummus at one of my favorite vegetarian restaurants, Eden Alley. Hummus always has some sesame flavor thanks to the tahini component (tahini is ground sesame paste, like peanut butter made with sesame seeds).

This hummus, however, had a more pronounced sesame flavor. I loved it. A few bites in, I realized their trick—they drizzled toasted sesame oil on top. Clever, right? I generally associate tahini with Mediterranean cuisine and toasted sesame oil with Southeast Asian cuisine, but they’re both made from sesame seeds. They go great together.

I looked across the table and declared, “I’m going to make hummus with toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds and share it on the blog soon.” Boom! Here we are. You’ll start out by making ultra creamy hummus from scratch, with a little toasted sesame oil blended throughout. Freshly toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil take it to the next level.

Toasted sesame oil is very strongly flavored, so be sure to follow my suggested measurements rather than pouring straight from the bottle. You could cheat and drizzle sesame oil and sprinkle sesame seeds over store-bought hummus (no judgment here).

I brought this hummus over to my friend’s housewarming party last night and it was a hit. As always, please let me know how you like it!

Toasted Sesame Hummus

save

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Yield: 1 ¾ cups 1x
Category: Appetizer
Method: Food processor
Cuisine: Mediterranean

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.7 from 11 reviews

This creamy hummus recipe includes toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds for incredible sesame flavor! It’s easy to make and so delicious. Recipe yields about 1 ¾ cup hummus.

Scale

Ingredients

¼ cup tahini
¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 ½ to 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium clove garlic
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided, more to taste
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
2 to 4 tablespoons water, as needed
1 teaspoon raw sesame seeds (I used a mix of white and black)
Flaky sea salt, for garnish (optional)
Suggested accompaniments: Toasted pita bread, carrot or bell pepper or celery sticks, crackers, etc.

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

In a food processor or high-powered blender (i.e., Vitamix or Blendtec), combine the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and ½ teaspoon of the sesame oil. Process for about 1 ½ minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides and bottom as necessary, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl, then add the remaining chickpeas and process until the hummus is thick and smooth, 1 to 2 more minutes.
While running the food processor, drizzle in 2 to 4 tablespoons of water, until it reaches your desired consistency and level of creaminess. Taste and season with additional salt (I added ¼ teaspoon) and toasted sesame oil, if you want more pronounced sesame flavor (about ½ teaspoon). Set aside.
Toast the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, shimmying the skillet frequently, until they’re starting to turn golden, about 2 to 4 minutes. Pour them into a bowl to prevent them from burning.
Scrape the hummus into a small serving bowl. Lightly drizzle 1 teaspoon sesame oil over the top. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds and a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt (if using). Serve with accompaniments of your choice. Leftover hummus keeps well, chilled, for 4 to 5 days.

Notes

Recipe adapted from my green goddess hummus recipe, available online and in my cookbook.

Change it up: If you omit the sesame oil and sesame seeds, you’ll have an ultra-creamy basic hummus recipe.

If you love this recipe: Check out these hummus recipes!

▸ Nutrition Information

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

Comments