Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Roasted red bell pepper hummus is a creamy chickpea dip blended with broiled, peeled red peppers, tahini, garlic, lemon and olive oil. The roasted peppers give it a sweet, smoky depth and a gorgeous red-orange color that plain hummus just cannot match. It comes together in one food processor, it is naturally vegan, and it is wonderful with warm pita, raw veggies, or spread thick on toast.
I’m back! I had some really stressful couple of weeks and I didn’t have time to post anything new on the blog. Even though I didn’t post anything new in a while, you should know I didn’t take a break from cooking! I cook daily, and this roasted red pepper hummus is one of the recipes I made last week. I wanted to make it for a while now, as I first saw it here on Ella’s blog and it sounded delicious. I’m glad I gave it a try!
Why roasted peppers make all the difference
Roasting transforms a raw red pepper completely. The high heat of the broiler caramelizes the natural sugars in the flesh and chars the skin, which is exactly why the dip turns sweet and a little smoky instead of sharp and grassy. Charring the skin also lets you peel it away, so you keep all that concentrated pepper flavor without the bitter, papery skin getting blended into the hummus. That is the whole trick behind the rich taste here, and it is worth the few extra minutes.
A few notes on the ingredients
Everything here is simple, but a couple of choices matter. Canned chickpeas keep this fast, so just rinse and drain them well before blending. Tahini is what makes hummus taste like hummus, so do not skip it; give the jar a good stir first, since the oil separates and you want the smooth paste from the bottom. Use a real lemon and squeeze it fresh for brightness, and let your own taste guide the sea salt. If you are short on time, you can absolutely buy already-roasted red peppers from a jar, and this gets even easier. For more chickpea-cooking detail, here is how to make hummus from scratch.
How to get it extra smooth
The most common reason homemade hummus turns out grainy is not blending it long enough. Process on high speed for a full five minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice, and do not rush it. The real secret to a silky texture is adding a little ice-cold water at the end, a tablespoon at a time, until it loosens into the creaminess you want. Taste as you go and adjust the lemon, garlic and salt to your liking. Finish with a sprinkle of sweet paprika on top, which echoes the roasted-pepper flavor and looks beautiful.
Storing it and what to serve alongside
This hummus keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for about four to five days, and the flavor actually deepens by the next day. Smooth the top and pour a thin layer of olive oil over it to help keep it fresh; give it a quick stir before serving. It does not freeze as nicely, since the texture can turn a touch grainy once thawed, so I make it fresh when I can. Serve it with warm pita and crunchy raw vegetables, or use it as a base for a snack board next to my light, fresh lemony hummus and a smoky muhammara roasted red pepper and walnut spread. If you want to keep exploring, here is a roundup of the best hummus recipes to work through.
If you make this roasted red pepper hummus, please come back and give the recipe a star rating, and leave a comment telling me how smoky you took your peppers and whether you added that ice-cold water trick. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you!
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Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus
Ingredients
- 800 g chickpeas canned, 28oz can, rinsed and drained
- 2 red bell peppers
- ½ lemon juice only
- 2 Tbsps tahini paste
- 2 garlic cloves mashed
- 2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- How to roast red bell peppers:
- Rinse the red bell peppers.
- Remove the core and cut the peppers in 4
- Place the slices, skin-side up, onto a baking sheet. Slide them under the broiler and broil until the pepper skin has charred.
- While hot, put them in a large bowl and cover it with a lid. Let them steam a little (2-3 minutes).
- Peel them.
- Put all ingredients in your food processor.
- Process on high speed for 5 minutes until hummus is extra-smooth.
- Add a little bit of ice-cold water in order to make it as smooth as you want.
- Sprinkle some sweet paprika on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This recipe is made entirely from plant-based ingredients: chickpeas, roasted red bell peppers, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. There is no dairy, egg or honey, so it is fully vegan and also naturally gluten-free.
Rinse the peppers, remove the core and cut each one into four pieces. Lay the slices skin-side up on a baking sheet and broil until the skin chars. While still hot, put them in a bowl, cover with a lid and let them steam for 2 to 3 minutes, then peel off the skins. The steaming loosens the charred skin so it slips off easily.
Absolutely. Already-roasted red peppers from a jar make this even faster and work well here. Drain them and pat them a little so excess liquid does not thin out the hummus, then blend as usual. Roasting your own gives a slightly fresher, smokier flavor, but the jarred version is a great shortcut.
Process everything on high speed for a full five minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice. The key to silky texture is adding a little ice-cold water at the end, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the creaminess you want. Good tahini and rinsed, well-drained chickpeas also help.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it keeps for about four to five days, and the flavor deepens by the next day. Smooth the top and add a thin layer of olive oil to help keep it fresh, then stir before serving. Freezing is not ideal because the texture can turn grainy after thawing.
It is delicious with warm pita, crackers and crunchy raw vegetables, or spread thick on toast. It also makes a great centerpiece for a snack board alongside other dips. Use it as a sandwich or wrap spread for an easy flavor boost.
Honestly, this is one of my favorite hummus recipes that I ever tried, and I must say that I tried many of them! So, so good!
Glad you liked it! 😀
Nice point the roasted pepper! I really love hummus it’s a very healthy snack.
I have the traditional verison on my blog.