Want a beautiful and delicious hummus platter idea? Meet your new favorite hummus from canned garbanzo beans: creamy basil hummus. In 15 minutes, you can make homemade hummus with herbs, tahini and chickpeas. Let’s make it!
Why it’s the best basil hummus out there
- It’s a healthy snack.
- Quick and easy. Make homemade hummus in 15 minutes.
- Great for WFH lunch or a make ahead lunch for work.
- Lasts about 3 days in the fridge.
- Uses fresh herbs and roasted garlic.
- Learn my shortcut for hummus made with store bought canned chickpeas.
- Use as a dip for an appetizer hummus platter for parties.
Ingredients for hummus and toast
Here’s what you need to make this basil hummus recipe and serve it with my hummus platter ideas including grilled bread.
Basil hummus
- Chickpeas (1 can)
- Garlic and olive oil (I’ll show you how to roast it)
- Walnuts
- Tahini
- Lemon, juice and zest
- Fresh basil leaves
- Salt and pepper
Hummus garnish
- Olive oil and any leftover chickpeas, basil leaves, lemon wedges
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Hummus toasts
- Bread
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Olive oil
Vegetables for serving
- Celery
- Carrots
How to make hummus with fresh basil
Step 1. Prepare canned chickpeas for hummus. Drain and rinse the chickpeas from the can in cold water. If desired, pull off thin white skin on as many beans as possible. The hummus will be creamier without white skins from chickpeas.
Step 2. Roast garlic for hummus. (This step of roasting garlic for hummus isn’t required but in my opinion, tastes better than using raw garlic which can be bitter.)
Heat a small skillet on the stove to medium heat. Add garlic and olive oil and stir regularly for about 3 minutes while garlic roasts in the pan. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl before garlic starts to brown. Garlic will be translucent and fragrant. Reserve the garlic oil pan for the next step.
Step 3. Toast walnuts. To the same pan the garlic roasted in, add the walnuts. Turn heat to medium and stir walnuts regularly as they toast for about 2 minutes, before they burn. Turn off heat and set aside.
Step 4. Blend chickpeas. Set aside 1 tbsp of fresh chickpeas to garnish the hummus platter with later. Add drained chickpeas and garlic olive oil to a food processor and process for 2 minutes, pausing every 30 seconds to scrape down the sides to move the hummus back to the center of the food processor.
Step 5. Blend all basil hummus ingredients. Add walnuts, tahini and lemon juice and zest then process for 30 seconds, scraping down the hummus, then process for another 30 seconds. Add to the food processor: basil leaves, water, salt and pepper.
Blend 1-2 minutes more, scraping down the hummus from the sides every 30 seconds, until smooth. Taste test and check the consistency. If basil hummus is too thick, add ½ tbsp more at a time and process again until it’s your desired consistency.
Step 6. Plate and garnish hummus. Transfer to a large serving bowl and use a spoon to carve wells into hummus. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with extra chickpeas and sesame seeds, and top with lemon wedges and basil leaves.
How to make hummus toasts
- Set a burner on the stove to medium or medium high heat. If using a large double grill pan, turn on two burners. Add grill pan or cast iron skillet or frying pan to burner(s).
- Either brush the olive oil directly on the pan, then add toasts, or brush bread with olive oil on both sides then add toasts to the pan. Mix together garlic powder and salt and sprinkle on top of olive-oil coated toasts.
- Every 1-2 minutes, flip toasts until they turn golden brown on both sides. Some will be done faster than others, so move them to a cooling plate. Continue flipping toasts until done grilling.
How to assemble hummus platter for serving
Add the bowl of hummus to the center of a large serving platter. Add celery and carrot sticks and finish plating with grilled bread. Serve with a large spoon and enjoy.
More hummus platter ideas
- Add a drizzle of olive oil or pomegranate molasses
- Add fruit: sprinkle with pomegranate seeds or diced cantaloupe
- Top with protein: toasted pine nuts, ½ cup grilled chicken, feta cheese
- Add crunch: toast or grill bread or pita chips or roti (one of my Trader Joe’s must haves)
- Add more dips like this easy basil spinach pesto, bean dip (see my tips for freezing refried beans), or onion dip.
FAQs for making basil hummus
Those white coatings you see are just the skin or inner husk of the chickpea. While you can eat chickpeas with the skin on, your hummus will be creamier if you take the time to remove them. In my photos, the skin has been removed.
Unfortunately, yes—chickpeas are a legume and full of fiber, so if you eat up a whole batch of this basil hummus on your own you may end up feeling as if it was too much of a good thing. To minimize indigestion and bloating, pair it with a grain such as couscous, homemade chips, or pita bread!
Green onions, chives, rosemary, smoked paprika and fresh dill all taste delicious with hummus. Shop the hummus aisle and brands like sabra hummus flavors for inspiration.
Hummus can be left out for up to 4 hours. Refrigerate hummus white not enjoying it, if it will be left out longer.
Serve hummus with pita chips, salads, pan grilled bread, a vegetable platter, or on top of a make-ahead lunch, like this farro salad with roasted vegetables. It’s also delicious as a side to steak and chicken recipes.
More Steak Dinner Ideas from Sip Bite Go
Pro tip: One of my go-to tricks for perfectly cooked food every time is using the right BBQ meat thermometers.
Are you a foodie, too?
Hey home chefs, I can’t wait to hear how much you enjoy this garlic basil hummus recipe. I lick the bowl everytime I make it.
Another healthy lunch I love is this vegetable stir fry with cauliflower rice and kale. Super quick, super good, and full of nutrients, this stir fry recipe is one of my new favorite ways to incorporate kale into our diet and take advantage of all the goodness in this superfood.
See sneak peaks of upcoming recipes @sipbitego and for more deliciousness, subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel.
Creamy Basil Hummus Recipe | Sip Bite Go
Video
Ingredients
Basil hummus
- 15 oz can of chickpeas
- 5 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp walnuts full sized, or chopped
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ lemon juice and zest
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 2 tbsp water
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
Hummus garnish
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp chickpeas take from can
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- ½ lemon wedges
- 1 sprig basil leaves
Hummus toasts
- ½ loaf bread sliced and cut into toasts
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Vegetables for serving
- 2 medium celery sticks
- 2 medium carrots sticks
Instructions
Make basil hummus
- Prepare canned chickpeas for hummus. Drain and rinse the chickpeas from the can in cold water. If desired, pull off thin white skin on as many beans as possible. The hummus will be creamier without white skins from chickpeas.
- Roast garlic for hummus. (This step of roasting garlic for hummus isn’t required but in my opinion, tastes better than using raw garlic which can be bitter.) Heat a small skillet on the stove to medium heat. Slowly add garlic and olive oil and stir regularly for about 3 minutes while garlic roasts in the pan. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl before garlic starts to brown. Garlic will be translucent and fragrant. Reserve the garlic oil pan for the next step.
- Toast walnuts. To the same pan the garlic roasted in, add the walnuts. Turn heat to medium and stir walnuts regularly as they toast for about 2 minutes, before they burn. Turn off heat and set aside.
- Blend chickpeas. Set aside 1 tbsp of fresh chickpeas to garnish the hummus platter with later. Add drained chickpeas and garlic olive oil to bowl of a food processor and process for 2 minutes, pausing every 30 seconds to scrape down the hummus from the side of the food processor.
- Blend all basil hummus ingredients. Add walnuts, tahini and lemon juice and zest then process for 30 seconds, scraping down the hummus, then process for another 30 seconds. Add to the food processor: basil leaves, water, salt and pepper. Blend 1-2 minutes more, scraping down the hummus from the sides every 30 seconds, until smooth. Taste test and check the consistency. If basil hummus is too thick, add ½ tbsp more water at a time and process again until it’s your desired consistency.
- Plate and garnish hummus. Transfer to a large serving bowl and use a spoon to carve wells into hummus. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with extra chickpeas and sesame seeds, and top with lemon wedges and basil leaves.
Make toasts
- Set a burner on the stove to medium or medium high heat. If using a large double grill pan, turn on two burners. Add grill pan or cast iron skillet or frying pan to burner(s).
- Either brush the olive oil directly on the pan, then add toasts, or brush bread with olive oil on both sides then add toasts to the pan. Mix together garlic powder and salt and sprinkle on top of olive-oil coated toasts.
- Every 1-2 minutes, flip toasts until they turn golden brown on both sides. Some will be done faster than others, so move them to a cooling plate. Continue flipping toasts until done grilling.
Assemble hummus platter
- Add the bowl of hummus to the center of a large serving platter. Add celery and carrot sticks and finish plating with grilled bread. Serve with a large spoon and enjoy.
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