Which ingredients are hiding in your hummus? (2024)

FAQs

What are the main ingredients in hummus? ›

Hummus, that creamy dip that hails from the Middle East, has a reputation as a clean, healthy food. It deserves it. All the main ingredients are super foods in their own right. It's got chickpeas, sesame paste (tahini), garlic, and olive oil in most traditional versions.

When you're shopping for hummus in the store, watch out for artificial preservatives like sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate.

The main ingredients in hummus include garbanzo beans (often called canned chickpeas or dried chickpeas), creamy tahini, zesty lemon juice, aromatic garlic cloves, and a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.

You bet! In fact, tahini is one of hummus' main ingredients, along with chickpeas and olive oil. That's why our favorite dip can be so rich and delicious—in hummus, tahini adds smoothness to the texture, as well as a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

Even a small amount of sesame protein can set off a reaction. Some of the highest-risk foods for people with sesame allergy include foods that commonly contain sesame seeds or sesame oil. These include foods like hummus and sesame bagels, and also: crackers, chips, and other snack foods.

Hummus is a healthy, versatile snack. It is packed with nutrients and offers protection from various diseases.

While opened and homemade hummus can last up to seven days, it does not mean it will. You will definitely notice that the hummus is spoiled when you see mold growing on it. The less obvious may be that the hummus offers an unpleasant, off-odor and sour smell. This hummus may also taste sour if you decide to try it.

Hummus is a truly nutritious snack that is good to include in your daily diet in moderation and when combined with a diverse range of food. Hummus can be a part of the daily diet if consumed in moderation, and the rest of the diet contains a diverse range of foods.

If you experience symptoms of a food allergy after eating hummus, your first reaction may be to blame the most common ingredient: chickpeas. Before you blame chickpeas for the cause of your allergies, you may also want to consider other allergenic ingredients used in hummus, such as: garlic. beans.

Hummus is very nutritious, but has a high water activity that supports the growth of several microorganisms, including spoilage microorganisms like Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli [6]. In addition, it is susceptible to microbial cross-contamination during preparation and post-processing [3].

How long does hummus last? ›

Homemade varieties will generally last anywhere from 3-4 days, whereas store-bought brands generally lasts 6-7 days after opening. These estimates assume that it maintains a refrigerated temperature; as we mentioned already, the shelf life of hummus is diminished greatly if it does not remain chilled.

Even though hummus has lots of great things going for it, you'll want to pay close attention to what you use to scoop it up. For better satiety and nutrition, go with veggie-based dippers like red pepper strips, sliced cucumbers, baby carrots or radishes, and limit highly processed pita chips.

Tahini is an excellent source of minerals and heart-healthy fats and additionally, a versatile food that can be featured in every meal of the day, for five very good reasons. Sesame seeds contain sesamin and sesamolin, two powerful antioxidants that protect cells from free-radical damage and may prevent heart disease.

As I said earlier, tahini has a mildly bitter flavour, so if your hummus is bitter, you've most likely added too much tahini. Also make sure that the tahini you do have is hulled, as opposed to unhulled. Hulled tahini just means that the bitter husks on the outside of the sesame seed have been removed before blending.

Hummus Nutrition

Hummus can be a good source of healthy fat because most are made with both olive oil and tahini. My recipe omits the tahini and just uses olive oil for a more neutral taste. The base of the hummus is made from chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans or Bengal gram.

It is typically made by blending chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tahini (ground sesame seeds), olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor. Not only is hummus delicious, but it is also versatile, packed with nutrients, and has been linked to many impressive health and nutritional benefits ( 1 ).

Aside from carbs and fiber, hummus also serves as a great source of plant-based protein, making it an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans. Additionally, it's rich in heart-healthy fats from olive oil and tahini, essential minerals like iron, and vitamins like folate and vitamin B6.

Why Hummus Is Usually Vegan. The standard ingredients used to make hummus—chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and sometimes garlic—are all plant-based and naturally vegan.