Hummus is a delicious and healthy dip or spread but what if you could make it even healthier? With the amount of hummus, I consume it's nice to sometimes make a "lighter" version of it, like this Cucumber Hummus. It's not as dense as your typical hummus and actually tastes quite light and airy.
There isn't much to say about this recipe other than the fact that it's amazing. I nearly ate all of it within an hour. I couldn't resist. First I tried some with crackers. Then, I told myself that I need to see what it tastes like spread on bread. Then obviously I needed to see if cucumber hummus tastes decent with different vegetables...and then, it was basically empty :(
Oh well, the great thing about that is I could have (I didn't though) whipped up some more within 5 minutes or less. Hence if you look at the directions there isn't much to them. Toss everything in a food processor and...
blend and...
you are done!
Oh, wait, no. You need to make it look good before you eat it. No one likes ugly food! I think...please correct me if I'm wrong.
I like adding a drizzle of olive oil over my hummus, a dash of paprika or cayenne pepper, and garnishing with a spring of dill. Pretty :) Now how long did that take? Right, 5 minutes. So there really is no excuse for buying store-bought hummus anymore!
Cucumber Hummus with Dill
Ingredients
- 2 cups Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained from can or soaked and cooked dried chickpeas
- 2 springs fresh Dill washed, stems removed
- ½ Cucumber washed, skin on, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil or more , optional
- 2 tablespoon Tahini
- 1 clove Garlic
Instructions
-
Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse/blend until smooth, scraping down the sides if needed.
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Scoop hummus into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
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Serve with crackers, veggies or spead on bread.
Recipe Notes
1) Cucumber hummus will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, covered.2) If hummus is too watery, add more chickpeas. If the hummus is too thick, add more cucumber or a bit of water.3) This recipe is very kid-friendly. That being said, if it tastes too bland for you add more garlic, salt, and pepper. This hummus also tastes great topped with cayenne pepper.
Don't want cucumber in your hummus? That's OK, some people don't. Try my Cilantro Lime Hummus or Garlic Beetroot Hummus.
Maria G. says
You're right. Presentation is key. Those photos are beautiful!
ATasteOfMadness says
Why have I never made hummus before?? This looks so good!
Vanessa says
You definitely need to start making your own! Your options will be endless and it won't taste of plastic like the store bought ones :)
Manali @ CookWithManali says
Glad to see you back in action Vanessa1 Wish you a fantastic 2015! :) The hummus looks great, pinning to try!
Vanessa says
Thanks Manali! Took a while but I'm finally back :)
Amrita says
Cucumber...in hummus?!?! This is something new! I love hummus too but sometimes it gets sooooo cloying and gets stuck on the roof of my mouth. I'll add some cucumber in then next time I make it!
Vanessa says
Thanks Amrita, It will definitely not stick to the roof of your mouth if you add cucumber :) Promise!
[email protected] says
This hummus looks amazing, Vanessa! I love how silky smooth it is and I'll bet it's so refreshing with the cucumber! Must try. Pinned!
Lilli @ Sugar and Cinnamon says
This is such a great idea! i eat so much hummus there definitely has to be some kind of intervention or way to make it not all just solid protein, otherwise I would explode. I think you've found the perfect solution :)
Vanessa says
Thanks Lilli,
That's exactly how I was feeling with hummus. It's soooo sooo good but if you eat too much of it, it can feel like a rock in your stomach. Adding cucumber to hummus is such a simple way to keep it healthy and light :)
Shonalika says
Oooh, now that's interesting. I do love trying new hummus flavours and sometimes end up with literally half a cucumber I don't know what to do with, so this is getting pinned for the next time said situation occurs!
Vanessa says
Thanks Shonalika,
This is definitely one of my favorite hummus recipes. So light and perfect for that cucumber just laying around :) Let me know if you get a chance to try it!
Yaeli says
Looks yummy! Can't wait to try it! :)
Vanessa says
Thanks Yaeli! Let me know when you do. I would love to hear how you like it :)
Lesley says
This hummus is AMAZING! It was so fast and it worked in my blender (thank god, I hate pulling out my ancient food processor) because of the cucumber :) it kept well but it only lasted 2 days in my fridge ;) I am going to make this for my lunch next week with pita bread. Yum yum!
Vanessa says
2 days!?! It's never lasted more than 24hrs in our household ;) I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Steve Lassoff says
This sounds amazing! I am building a community of vegans and would love for you to hop over and leave a recipe
Rachel says
I'm sorry. I thought this was super bland. The cucumber gave it a fresh twist, though. I added extra lemon, salt, and tahini little by little to see if that would hep but alas, it was still bland. Finally, I added some paprika. Next time I will stick to garlic and olive oil and just add extra garlic to see if that helps.
Vanessa says
Oh no! Sorry, you didn't like it Rachel. Cucumber is basically just water so it will give your hummus a watered down taste. I would have added extra garlic to it or less cucumber. If you like a spicy hummus then maybe add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper as well to give a bit of a kick. I've only heard great things so I'm a bit surprised. I did try to keep the recipe a bit more kid-friendly so I didn't go overboard with spices. I'll add a note to the recipe. Thanks for your honesty and letting me know :)
Lisa says
Could you suggest a substitution for the dill.
Vanessa says
Hi Lisa, You can omit the dill if you like. Otherwise basil and parsley pair really nicely with cucumber as well :)
Alifemoment says
Wow, what a really nice Hummus recipe, it looks so temptive, i love it :)
Jean says
Do you need the tahini? I make hummus with avocado and or greek yogurt.
Thanks
Vanessa says
Hi Jean, I found that with the cucumber hummus adding tahini really helps. Cucumber is nearly all water so I found that adding the tahini helps thicken up the hummus and gives a bit more flavor. It's up to you though. I've made other hummus without tahini before too and turned out great.
Alena says
Can I ask if you used an english cucumber or small (like 4-inch) cucumber? That's like a 2 times difference in cucumber volume, I think.
Vanessa says
Hi Alena, I used an english cucumber. Those can sometimes vary in size too so maybe just add 1/3 of it first and see how it goes. If you only have the smaller cucumbers on hand then I would use two of those :)
Karen Gentry says
I absolutely love this recipe! Thank you SO much for sharing. I am thinking it will work well with my vitamix.
Gabriella says
Healthy and light, that's what I was looking for :) Thanks *
Milly says
What difference does it make keeping the skin on vs peeling the cucumber? Is it just extra nutrients?
Vanessa says
Hi Milly, Yes, just extra nutrients and the cucumber skin has more of that distinct cucumber taste. If you prefer to peel your cucumber, you definitely can!
Victoria says
This is one of my FAVORITE recipes, especially because it is low carb and gestational diabetes friendly! I used roasted garlic and it was heaven.
Vanessa says
Hi Victoria, I'm so glad you like my cucumber hummus recipe. I think it's so great for summer and genius of you to add roasted garlic. I'll have to try that next time I make it :)
Erica says
Wow, this actually tastes good, so as it looks like. I was wondering about tahini-what is this and what tahini is doing in hummus. I mean, he is just giving a flavour or thickening or smth.
Vanessa says
Hi Erica, I'm so glad you like my cucumber hummus. Tahini is just a sesame paste (think ground up sesame seeds turned into a butter, the way you would turn peanuts into peanut butter). Tahini definiely adds a distinct flavor to hummus that is essential. I've tried making hummus without tahini a couple of times and it just doesn't taste right. For the cucumber hummus, it definitely also helps to thicken it up since cucumber is mainly just water. :)
Jennifer says
Made this just now and it came out fantastic....I can't stop eating it....My grandson is going to love this.....Thanks so much for the recipe.
Vanessa Croessmann says
Hi Jennifer, I'm so glad you like it :) My boys love it as well!
Alana says
I just made this and love it! I have been making my own hummus for awhile now, but it always ends up a little dry even with adding water. Adding cucumber is a genius idea, and just in time for the impending cucumber explosion from my garden!
Vanessa Croessmann says
I'm so glad you liked it, Alana! Please make it with your homegrown cucumbers as well! Everything tastes even better with ingredients from your own garden :)
Amber says
What a good idea! I would totally slather this on a raw veggie pita wrap. We are doing a 30 day vegan challenge next month. This recipe will be made for sure!
Vanessa Croessmann says
Hi Amber, I so hope you try this out in the next 30 days :) It's definitely one of my favorite recipes :)
Lisa says
Hi Vanessa. Your recipes seem just right for this household - easy and quick. I will be making the carrot ginger soup and cucumber hummus this week.
Also, enjoyed you biography.
Vanessa Croessmann says
Thanks Lisa :) Let me know how you like the soup and cucumber hummus!
malia says
Just made your recipe and it is delicious! I make a lot of hummus and adding cucumber is a nice/refreshing touch. Thank you for sharing.
Vanessa Croessmann says
Thanks Malia, So glad you liked it :) I love the refreshing twist it adds as well ;)
Amanda @ Sagely Sweet says
I'm going to make this today!! I eat hummus by the bucket loads and am always looking for a new version to try! Thanks for sharing, this sounds perfect!
Vanessa Croessmann says
So good to know I'm not the only who eats hummus like crazy ;) Hope you like this cucumber hummus ;)
Karen Olson says
Just made this today, soon yummy! I added a handful of spinach. It's a winner! Glad to have found you Vanessa.
Vanessa Croessmann says
Thanks, Karen! I love this cucumber hummus as well ;) So happy you liked it!
Shelley says
This is delicious! This time I made it with Zucchini instead of cucumber, basil and parsley instead of dill, and I added a couple of sun-dried tomato with their oil. So good!!
Vanessa Croessmann says
Hi Shelley, what a wonderful idea! I didn't even think of making this with zucchini. So smart! I'll have to try it out :)
Billy says
This looks like such a delicious hummus! I love the way it looks, and I love that you added dill! I can't wait to try this at home. It is going to be such a great snack for my family to enjoy.
Karen says
I just finished making this recipe. If I were to make it again I would first purée the cucumber and dill until smooth, then add the chickpeas, garlic, tahini and salt. I’m waiting for it to cool but tastes delicious and so easy to make.
Riya says
This is something new for me. Surely will try this now
Thanks for sharing it :)
Esther says
I cannot believe I came across it only now... This is a fantastic recipe! Found out I'm out of cucumbers after chickpeas were cooked so I decided to go with it anyway with all other ingredients (other than oil). I came out so good that I'm eating it with a spoon. Yum!! Will try your cilantro lime hummus next. I just LOVE dill and cilantro so much....