A few weeks ago, I tasted some intriguing hummus at one of my favorite vegetarian restaurants. Hummus always has some sesame flavor thanks to the tahini component (tahini is ground sesame paste, like peanut butter made with sesame seeds).
This hummus, however, had a more pronounced sesame flavor. I loved it. A few bites in, I realized their trick—they drizzled toasted sesame oil on top. Clever, right? I generally associate tahini with Mediterranean cuisine and toasted sesame oil with Southeast Asian cuisine, but they’re both made from sesame seeds. They go great together.
I looked across the table and declared, “I’m going to make hummus with toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds and share it on the blog soon.” Boom! Here we are. I brought this hummus over to my friend’s housewarming party last night and it was a hit.
You’ll start out by making ultra creamy hummus from scratch, with a little toasted sesame oil blended throughout. A drizzle of toasted sesame oil and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds take it to the next level. (You could make it even more interesting by using Everything Bagel Seasoning in place of the sesame seeds.)
Toasted sesame oil is very strongly flavored, so be sure to follow my suggested measurements rather than pouring straight from the bottle. You could cheat and drizzle sesame oil and sprinkle sesame seeds over store-bought hummus (no judgment here).
More Hummus Recipes
If you enjoy this unexpected hummus, try one of these next:
Please let me know how your extra-sesame hummus turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you and hope this becomes one of your favorite snacks or appetizers.
Toasted Sesame Hummus
This creamy hummus recipe includes toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds for incredible sesame flavor! It’s easy to make and so delicious. Recipe yields about 1 ¾ cup hummus.
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 ½ to 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided, more to taste
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 2 to 4 tablespoons water, as needed
- 1 teaspoon raw sesame seeds (I used a mix of white and black)
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish (optional)
- Suggested accompaniments: Toasted pita bread or pita chips, raw veggies like carrot, bell pepper or celery, crackers, etc.
- In a food processor or high-powered blender (i.e., Vitamix or Blendtec), combine the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and ½ teaspoon of the sesame oil. Process for about 1 ½ minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides and bottom as necessary, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl, then add the remaining chickpeas and process until the hummus is thick and smooth, 1 to 2 more minutes.
- While running the food processor, drizzle in 2 to 4 tablespoons of water, until it reaches your desired consistency and level of creaminess. Taste and season with additional salt (I added ¼ teaspoon) and toasted sesame oil, if you want more pronounced sesame flavor (about ½ teaspoon). Set aside.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, shimmying the skillet frequently, until they’re starting to turn golden, about 2 to 4 minutes. Pour them into a bowl to prevent them from burning.
- Scrape the hummus into a small serving bowl. Lightly drizzle 1 teaspoon sesame oil over the top. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds and a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt (if using). Serve with accompaniments of your choice. Leftover hummus keeps well, chilled, for 4 to 5 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my green goddess hummus recipe.
Change it up: If you omit the sesame oil and sesame seeds, you’ll have an ultra-creamy basic hummus recipe.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
