Smoked Paprika Hummus with Roasted Red Peppers

The roasted red peppers give the hummus a slightly sweet flavor and smokiness from the char they develop while roasting.  Smoked paprika adds a deeper smoky flavor and we throw in a bit of cayenne pepper for a little kick.

If you need a classic homemade hummus recipe, try hummus without oil or a garlic-free hummus version.  For more chickpea-based dips try buffalo chickpea dip or vegan curry chickpea salad.

Ingredient notes

The oil-free hummus recipe uses simple ingredients, but please see the recipe card below for the exact ingredients and measurements.

Garlic cloves - Fresh garlic adds the best flavor, but it can be a bit harsh.  If you’d like to mellow the flavor, slice or dice the garlic and let it sit in the lemon juice for about 15 minutes.  Then add the lemon juice and garlic to the blender along with the rest of the ingredients. If you prefer more garlic, add more.

Chickpeas - I use canned, but 1 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas will work if you’d like to start with the dried variety.  If you are using canned chickpeas, the drained chickpea liquid (aquafaba) can be used to make granola without oil.

Roasted red peppers - For convenience, use jarred sliced roasted red peppers or homemade roasted red peppers. If you roast them yourself you'll need about 2 medium size peppers.

Fresh lemon juice - Adds a nice bright flavor to complement the tahini.

Tahini - This is a creamy paste made from sesame seeds that has a slightly nutty and bitter taste.  Use a good quality pourable tahini in this recipe.  Stir it before measuring, sometimes there will be oil separation and the contents at the bottom of the container will be drier than the rest. 

The tahini can always be reduced to 2 tablespoons if you need a lighter version of the oil-free hummus.  For more tahini-based recipes try lemon tahini pasta, creamy soba tahini noodles, smoky tahini dressing, or lemon herb tahini sauce. 

Salt - Enhances the flavor of the paprika hummus, but add it to taste.

Ground cumin - This goes well with smoked paprika, but it can be left out.

Smoked paprika - Adds more smoky flavor to the paprika hummus.  Don't substitute for regular paprika or you'll miss out on the added smoky flavor.

Ground cayenne pepper - Add just a pinch for a little bit of heat, add more to make it spicier.  

Tips

• The recipe is very adaptable.  Prefer more lemon, add more.  Don’t like cumin, skip it.  
• Add ground cayenne pepper to taste, it can also just be left out.
• Add salt to taste, the amount needed will depend on how salty the chickpeas are and your own personal preferences.
• If you prefer a thinner hummus, add ice-cold water a tablespoon at a time while the blender or food processor is running.
• My homemade roasted red bell peppers weren’t as acidic as jarred ones, so I added 5 tablespoons of lemon juice if I roasted the peppers myself.
• Personal preference, but I prefer the hummus once it has been chilled and the flavors meld together.  The smokiness from the paprika does mellow, you can always add more.

How to get a smoother hummus

If you prefer a smoother consistency here are some tips.  

• If cooking dry chickpeas from scratch, cook them for a little longer than you normally would with a ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.  This makes the chickpeas softer.
• You can even boil a drained can of chickpeas if you don’t want to cook them from scratch.  Add the drained chickpeas to a pot, cover them with 1-2 inches of water, add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, and boil for about 15 minutes.  This softens canned chickpeas so they create a smoother consistency.  
• Remove the skins of cooked chickpeas before pureeing, pinch each bean and the skin should slide off.  Repeat with the rest of the beans, and discard the skins. 
• Another tip is to use a high-speed blender if yours is more powerful than your food processor.  You’ll most likely have to stop frequently to push down the hummus, but it creates a smoother consistency.  This is by far my preferred method to get creamy hummus, it cuts out a lot of time and extra dishes.

How to make paprika hummus

Start the creamy smoked paprika hummus by adding a peeled clove of garlic to a high-speed blender or a food processor and blitz until it’s chopped finely. 

Then add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, roasted red peppers, lemon juice, tahini, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper to the blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.  Stop to scrape down the sides as needed.

If you prefer a thinner hummus, while the blender or food processor is running add a tablespoon of ice-cold water at a time to thin it out. Taste and season if needed, more salt, smoked paprika, cumin, or lemon juice.

I think the hummus tastes best once chilled, but it does thicken up and the smokiness will mellow out.  After it’s chilled you can always add more smoked paprika.

Serving suggestions

There are all sorts of ways to serve this smoky paprika hummus recipe, but here are a few suggestions for this versatile dip.

• For optional garnishes add fresh herbs, try chopped parsley or cilantro.  Leftover diced red peppers or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper.
• Serve it with fresh veggies, like carrots, cucumber slices, or sliced bell peppers.
• Try it with toasted pita bread or crackers.
• Spread it on your favorite toasted bread with toppings for vegan toast.
• Thin it out with water or lemon juice and use it as a salad dressing.
• Add it to a bowl with couscous, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, falafel (or chickpeas), and greens for a Mediterranean-inspired bowl.  Add a little balsamic vinegar if you need a little more dressing for the bowl.
• Use the roasted red pepper hummus with paprika on a hummus cucumber sandwich or use it to make a veggie wrap.
• Similar to using it as a salad dressing, thin it out with water or lemon juice and use it as a pasta sauce.

Storage

Store leftover paprika hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.  Or freeze for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before consuming.

Related recipes

For more homemade dips for snack ideas try vegan guacamole or vegan pico de Gallo.

I hope you enjoyed the recipe for easy hummus with paprika!  If you like it, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.