17 Amazing Hummus Recipes

"Hummus is the hardest thing to get right," says legendary hummus maker Mike Solomonov. "It has to be rich, creamy, and mildly nutty." To make his hummus luxuriously smooth, he soaks the chickpeas overnight with baking soda to soften them. While many Americans now flavor hummus with everything from pureed red peppers to fresh herbs, Solomonov says among the fanciest garnishes you can find in Israel are whole chickpeas, paprika, and lemon-spiked tahini, used for hummus masabacha.

Soft, sweet and earthy, roasted beets make for a vivid pink dip that's a fun take on hummus. If you are pressed for time, use the preroasted beets available in many supermarket produce sections instead of roasting your own.

Michael Solomonov makes his signature hummus at Zahav with an unusually generous amount of tahini—something that distinguishes the hummus of his native Israel from that of other Middle Eastern countries. He tops the dish with warm chickpeas fried with jalapeño, cumin and crushed Aleppo pepper.

For a new twist on the usual hummus or guacamole, try this delicious mash-up of the two. It's great with crudités, crackers and corn chips, or as a sandwich spread.

This hummus packs a punch of flavor. You can adjust the intensity by adding more or less roasted garlic to suit your taste.

The unexpected topping of sautéed ground beef and pine nuts adds texture and deep flavor to this extra-creamy chickpea spread.

Hummus can do more than cling to a carrot stick. Grace Parisi's sublime version adds nutty flavor to potato salad, eggs and soup.

"Kids like hummus," says the legendary Alice Waters, "and they like to make the little flatbreads and heat them like tortillas; the whole process is irresistible, and the price is practically nonexistent."

Food stylist Susan Spungen makes a trio of deeply delicious hummus: one plain, one beet and one herb. She presents them in big bowls with plenty of colorful, fun garnishes.

Flavored with a shawarma-inspired array of spices — cumin, smoked paprika, coriander — and sautéed with plenty of onions, buttery pine nuts, and sweet-tart currants, hummus is transformed into a fully satisfying snack-meal.

When pureed with chickpeas, marinated artichoke hearts (plus some of their liquid) come together to form a perfectly textured dip. Their vinegary flavor adds brightness and tang to an otherwise classic recipe.

To mimic the creamy texture of chickpeas, the carrots are parboiled and finished on a hot grill. A turn over the fire brands the carrots with a smoky charred flavor that complements their natural sweetness. You can grill the carrots a couple days in advance — a perfect way to make the most of lingering heat after you've fired up something else for dinner. 

The combination of warm portobello mushrooms and poblano peppers is marvelously savory on top of hummus made extra-creamy with tahini and olive oil.

Zucchini and mint make this lemony hummus extra perky and bright. Make sure to use a large, wide sauté pan with lots of surface area to get a nice sear on the zucchini. This brings texture that will make this vegetable topping even more delicious than if you piled it high in a smaller pan.

With familiar flavors of a classic pizza sauce, roasted peak-season tomatoes make all the difference in this hummus. Serve alongside warm pita, or spread it over a flatbread with some toppings for a unique spin on your favorite slice.

Cooking soaked dried chickpeas in baking soda softens them and makes this hummus extra-silky. The curried onion–and–cauliflower topping adds tons of flavor and grunch.

What makes this hummus special is the tangy hit of lemon throughout, and how it pairs beautifully with the golden brown, roasted fennel and the intense flavor of sun-cured black olives.