Tahini-Free Smoked Paprika Hummus

Liven up this tahini-free hummus (or shhh… even the commercial variety) by adding a dash of smoked paprika to create creamy Smoked Paprika Hummus.

Smoked Paprika Hummus

Smoked Paprika Hummus

Hummus is a staple ingredient in our house. Whether I’m serving it with veggies as a dip, spreading it on a sandwich or even blending it into a salad dressing, we use hummus almost daily. 

What I love about this hummus recipe is that it doesn’t use tahini. Tahini is sesame seed paste and is a classic ingredient used in hummus. Don’t get me wrong, I love tahini but I don’t always have it on-hand like many of the other key ingredients in hummus (chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice…). The secret to this hummus is to blend it for at least 2 minutes to break up the chickpea skins yielding a creamy consistency. If you remove the chickpea skins, cut the processing time by one minute. If you decide to pop the chickpea skins off before you blend, you can cut down the time by a minute. 

Shortcut Smoked Paprika Hummus

For the short-cutters out there, it is easy to enjoy the same smoky flavor of smoked paprika hummus. Simply buy plain hummus from the grocery store then give it your own special twist. Transfer the hummus to your own bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with smoked paprika before serving. (Shhh….no one will ever know! Just don’t forget to throw away the evidence!)

If you love shortcut appetizers and need some ideas for your game day gatherings, be sure to check out my tailgating headquarters page.

 

What is Smoked Paprika?

I was introduced to smoked paprika a few years ago when working with a client. Everyone raved about how the flavor transformed basic chicken into a masterpiece and how it was the perfect finishing touch on grilled or roasted veggies. Once I tried, I had to agree!  I started using smoked paprika as part of a dry rub on meat, fish, and poultry, and in appetizers like pimiento cheese and hummus to give them a smoky kick. Here are a few favorite uses:

  • Use as a dry rub on meats, fish, pork, tofu, or poultry
  • Sprinkle on deviled eggs
  • Stir into rice, couscous, or quinoa
  • Toss with veggies before roasting or grilling
  • Mix with plain Greek yogurt for a simple sauce

Use smoked paprika to transform basic recipes like hummus, chicken, hard-cooked eggs, and roasted veggies into incredibly flavorful appetizers, sides, and dinner.

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Smoked Paprika Hummus

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Tahini-Free Smoked Paprika Hummus

  • Author: Holley Grainger
  • Yield: 11/2 cups 1x
  • Category: appetizer

Description

Liven up this tahini-free hummus or the commercial variety by adding a dash of smoked paprika to create creamy Smoked Paprika Hummus.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 23 tablespoons water
  • 1 garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor for 2 minutes until very smooth, scraping down the sides every 30 seconds.
  2. Add additional water or olive oil, 1 tablespoon, at a time, as needed to reach desired consistency.
  3. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes

If you remove the skins from the chickpeas, decrease food processor time by 1 minute.