I am writing this post because WE LOVE HUMMUS! We are almost too ashamed to confess that we haven’t eaten any hummus before starting to eat plant-based. I know… What have we been missing all along? If you don’t know hummus either. Here is a quick intro to What is hummus made of? Is hummus gluten-free or vegan? What to eat with hummus?
What is hummus?
It is a spread or dip made of cooked and mashed chickpeas. Well, hummus means chickpeas in Arabic, so that is plain and simple. Hummus comes from the Middle East, but it has widespread across the Globe becoming one of the most popular condiments. And not a new trendy invention at all. The earliest record of hummus was found in a cookbook written in Cairo in the 13th century.
What is hummus made of?
The main ingredients are
- cooked and mashed chickpeas aka garbanzo beans aka grams,
- tahini, which is toasted sesame seeds blended into a paste
- fresh garlic,
- fresh lemon juice,
- extra virgin olive oil, and
- salt
The above are only the basic ingredients. Hummus is so versatile and there are so many flavors you can make like Curry Hummus, Pesto Hummus, Spinach Hummus, Beetroot Hummus, Guacamole Hummus, Chipotle Hummus… even Chocolate Hummus. Yeap! The possibilities are endless. That is why the question: “Is hummus gluten-free?” might not be a plain yes.
Is hummus gluten-free?
Yes, the classic hummus recipe is gluten-free. The basic ingredients (chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil) are all gluten-free. If you buy classic hummus without any additional flavoring or you make one at home you are on the safe side.
And no, you need to pay attention to flavored store-bought hummus as there might be additional ingredients that contain or may contain gluten. You especially need to pay attention to spices, extracts, and other unusual ingredients.
Gluten-free hummus brands
As per their website, all hummus made by these brands should be gluten-free. However, always check the label!
There are some artisan brands you can watch out for if you prefer small, local companies using organic ingredients like
Let us know in the comments if you know more gluten-free hummus brands.
Is hummus vegan?
As we share only plant-based/vegan recipes, I would like to mention here that…
Yes, the classic hummus recipe is vegan as chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil are all plant-based ingredients.
However, you need to pay attention to flavored store-bought hummus as there might be additional ingredients that contain or may contain animal products like cheese or milk.
Our favorite Gluten-free Hummus recipe
The safest way to enjoy hummus is to make it at home. It will only take 5 minutes!!!
When we first started making homemade hummus, we used extra virgin olive oil. It was delicious, I can’t say it wasn’t. However, later we found an awesome and probably not so surprising ingredient that works perfectly to make silky smooth hummus without oil.
It was AQUAFABA aka chickpea water from the can.
Here is our recipe to make fluffy, oil-free hummus in 5 minutes.
What to eat with hummus?
We collected 25 healthy, delicious, vegan and gluten-free recipes to use hummus in creative ways. Visit our What to eat with hummus guide here.
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