An Easy Kale and Garlic Hummus Recipe (2024)

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By Andrew

4.45 from 9 votes

Jan 15, 2013, Updated Sep 07, 2017

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An Easy Kale and Garlic Hummus Recipe (2)

About once a month, the Food Bloggers Los Angeles group gets together for a potluck meal and some chit-chat about the business of blogging. It’s a pretty close-knit group (though we’re always happy to have new members!), and one that I appreciate tremendously. Even if not all the bloggers in the room are health-focused, everyone is excited about cooking real food from scratch, which I think is the most important thing. Also, they really are damn good cooks.

Last weekend, our monthly meeting was affectionately titled Kale-a-palooza.We were asked to bring a kale-based dish for the potluck, and were then treated to a kale demonstration from the folks at San Miguel Produce. They farm 1,200 acres of land near Oxnard, CA – growing mostly dark leafy greens, like kale. They got us liquored up with Kale Margaritas, made us a massaged-kale salad, and then gave us bags of fresh kale to take home. As you can imagine, I was a happy boy.

Fun Kale Facts Sidebar #1:We learned that all of the potassium in kale is found in the stem – so don’t toss those ribs!

An Easy Kale and Garlic Hummus Recipe (3)

Fun Kale Facts Sidebar #2:Because of the recent spike in popularity of Kale (yay!), San Miguel has started growing much more of it, and much less of other crops. I asked Jan Berk, their Vice President, how they deal with soil health and crop rotation. Her answer pleasantly surprised me: They swap land with other farmers. Gotta love such a simple, cooperative solution!

For my part in the potluck, I brought a bowl of kale and garlic hummus. Nothing too fancy, but hey, that’s my style. I made it the same morning, though ideally I wish I had made it the night before; it’s better once it has a chance to sit overnight in the fridge. The flavors become better friends with a little bit of time… perfect on our “mini” whole wheat bagels the next morning for breakfast.

An Easy Kale and Garlic Hummus Recipe (4)

An Easy Kale and Garlic Hummus Recipe (5)

4.45 from 9 votes

Kale and Garlic Hummus

By: Andrew Wilder

I’m pretty loose with the ingredient quantities below, because I like making my hummus “to taste” depending on my mood, the weather, and whatever music happens to be playing at the moment. Since it’s easy to add more of the secondary ingredients (like lemon juice or olive oil), start with a smaller amount of those and add more until you like how it tastes. Remember, it’s easy to add, but really, really hard to subtract!

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

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Ingredients

  • 2-3 cups fresh kale
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, chickpeas, drained and rinsed or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans
  • 1/4 cup tahini, sesame seed paste
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus a little for drizzling
  • 2-4 cloves fresh garlic, coarsely chopped (or use roasted garlic for a deeper, but less spicy, flavor)
  • 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1-2 tablespoons water, optional
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • plain or smoked ground paprika, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

  • Chop the kale into large pieces, and steam them in a double-boiler or steam basket until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

  • In a food processor with a multipurpose "S" blade, add the beans and kale first, then the remaining ingredients except the optional water (add that later if you want the hummus to be a bit creamier). For the tahini, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice, be sure to start with the lower amount and add more later.

  • Process the ingredients for about 20-30 seconds, until the mixture starts becoming smooth. Scrape any beans stuck to the side, so it will mix evenly.

  • Taste and add more of any of the ingredients to your liking. Process until you reach the desired consistency.

  • Before serving, drizzle a little olive oil on top, then sprinkle with some paprika. Enjoy your kale and garlic hummus with whole wheat pita, on your crackers or bagel, or with veggie sticks!

Notes

1. I made this in our food processor, but it'll also work with a regular blender or an immersion blender - it just won't come out quite as smooth.

2. Because I was in a hurry, I used canned beans, drained and well-rinsed – of course you could use dried beans and prepare them the night before. In a pinch, you could also adapt this to use garbanzo bean flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 12mg, Potassium: 155mg, Vitamin A: 2230IU, Vitamin C: 29.5mg, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 0.8mg

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

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An Easy Kale and Garlic Hummus Recipe (6)

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Hi! My name is Andrew Wilder, and I think healthy eating doesn’t have to suck. With just three simple eating rules, we'll kickstart your journey into the delicious and vibrant world of unprocessed food.

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An Easy Kale and Garlic Hummus Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest thing to eat with hummus? ›

Hummus pairs perfectly with fresh veggies and crispy salads. This crunchy cucumber and tomato salad is a refreshing side dish with a bowl of hummus, but it also works beautifully as a topping for a loaded and colorful hummus.

Why does my homemade hummus taste bad? ›

Another cause might be that your lemon is a bit old, causing it to taste more bitter than sour. Lastly, if you've added too much garlic or just happened to used a particularly strong clove, it'll leave the hummus with a very pungent, raw taste.

How do you balance too much garlic in hummus? ›

This is another trick from Solomonov—if you mince the garlic in the food processor or blender with the lemon juice and let that mixture rest for a few minutes, the garlic will lose its harsh, raw bite and mellow out. I tried it before and after, and he's right!

Can you add garlic to store bought hummus? ›

You can roast a whole head of garlic and drop a few whole-roasted garlic cloves over the top of the finished hummus, or even sauté rinsed canned chickpeas in olive oil, seasonings, and parsley to place over the top for a more jazzy display.

Can I eat hummus while trying to lose weight? ›

Other studies have also linked a higher intake of legumes like chickpeas to a lower body weight and improved satiety ( 29 , 30 ). Hummus is also rich in fiber, which could help promote weight loss.

Can I eat hummus if I want to lose weight? ›

So, what is the No. 1 snack for weight loss? The answer is hummus. In a 2020 study in The Journal of Nutrition, people who ate an afternoon snack of hummus and pretzels reported less hunger than when they munched on a granola bar (both were 240 calories).

Is it okay to eat hummus every day? ›

While hummus is a very healthy snack option, it should not be consumed in large quantities.

Why do I feel bad after eating hummus? ›

Moore claimed that overdoing it with this dip could lead to gastrointestinal issues, arguing that because hummus is made from chickpeas—a legume that takes a while to break down—eating hummus could cause gastrointestinal inflammation for some individuals.

Is cumin necessary in hummus? ›

In this hummus recipe, adapted from "How to Cook Everything," tahini is essential, as are garlic and lemon. But this dip is also flexible: cumin and pimentón are optional, as are herbs or blends like za'atar. Hummus can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.

How to make hummus more fancy? ›

Use a Fun Mix-In. Give your plain hummus a burst of color and flavor by adding things like mashed avocados, pesto or even canned pumpkin puree. The mashed avocado and pesto will give the hummus a vibrant green color, giving your snack spread an eye-appealing look.

What to dip in garlic hummus? ›

What to Serve with Garlic Hummus. Serve garlic hummus with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités. Add garlic hummus to a veggie sandwich, to meal-prep lunch bowls or top it with slow-roasted vegetables.

Why is my homemade hummus so bland? ›

Tahin and garbanzo beans are typically quite bland and since they make up most of the the bulk of the ingredients, without salt, your hummus will be pretty tasteless. I do a few things that elevate my hummus. I sauté my garlic in good olive oil with ground cumin before adding it.

What thickens hummus? ›

If , for some reason, you ended up using more liquid than you should have or if you still want a thicker consistency, you can add a bit more tahini. And if you chill the hummus for an hour or so before adding any garnish, that should help as well.

Can you add anything to hummus? ›

An extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top of any hummus is always a good idea, along with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. You can leave it at that, or you can sprinkle spices and fresh herbs on top for an even bigger impact.

Why does my homemade hummus taste bland? ›

Tahin and garbanzo beans are typically quite bland and since they make up most of the the bulk of the ingredients, without salt, your hummus will be pretty tasteless. I do a few things that elevate my hummus. I sauté my garlic in good olive oil with ground cumin before adding it.

What do you sip in hummus? ›

Fresh Veggies To Dip In Hummus
  1. Carrots (carrot sticks, rainbow carrots, baby carrots)
  2. Snow Peas.
  3. Sugar Snap Peas.
  4. Thin Sliced Celery– I've found the thinner the better!
  5. Bell Pepper Slices (we prefer red bell peppers the best but yellow or orange are great too. ...
  6. Cherry Or Grape Tomatoes.
Jan 10, 2020

What crackers go best with hummus? ›

One of the best crackers for hummus are shredded wheat crackers, like Triscuits, which provide a textured crunch that goes well with smooth hummus. Rice crackers are light, crisp and make a great combo dipped in hummus. You can also try out other chips for hummus because, well, everyone loves chips.

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