Instant Pot Hummus—From Scratch in No Time

Instant Pot Hummus is full of flavor and can be made from dried beans in under an hour. The result is a classic, smooth, and lush homemade hummus flavored with lemon juice, tahini paste, and garlic.

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Starting with dried beans makes the best, smoothest, most flavorful hummus. Using the Instant Pot to cook dried, unsoaked beans means you can make this hummus from scratch in less than an hour.

Use your Instant Pot to cook dried beans without soaking

Are you as in love with your Instant Pot as I am with mine? They are amazing for so many things, and one of my favorites is cooking beans! You can cook dried beans without even soaking them, and it only takes about 40 minutes from start to finish.

Hummus from scratch is so much better than store-bought!

I love Middle Middle Eastern food and hummus is a must for any mezze platter. Hummus made from scratch is worlds better than anything you can buy in a supermarket. This one even rivals the stuff I get at my favorite Middle Eastern market.

You can buy dried chickpeas or garbanzo beans in any supermarket or in specialty Middle Eastern or Indian markets. They are affordable and can last for ages in your pantry.

An electric pressure cooker eliminates long soaking times

The problem with cooking dried beans is that you usually have to soak them overnight. If you forget, you have to do a “quick soak,” which requires covering the beans in water, bringing to a boil, and then you STILL have to let them soak for an hour.

Using an electric pressure cooker means no more soaking! Just put the beans in the pot, add water and salt, and pressure cook for 20 to 30 minutes. THAT’S IT! So easy.

What ingredients do you need?

• Dried chickpeas
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Tahini paste (this is my favorite tahini paste)
• Lemon juice
• Salt
• Ground cumin
• Cayenne pepper

How do you make Instant Pot Hummus?

1. Cover the chickpeas in salted water in the instant pot.
2. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes and then let the pressure release naturally.
3. Drain the beans, reserving some of the cooking water.
4. Transfer the beans to a blender or food processor and add garlic, tahini paste, lemon juice, and spices. Process until very smooth.
5. Add some of the reserved cooking water, a little at a time, and process until the mixture is light and fluffy.
6. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tips for success

• Salt the chickpeas and water before pressure cooking. Many people warn that adding salt before cooking will make the beans tough. But it’s a myth! Salt the cooking water generously and you’ll get nice, tender beans that are perfect for blending into hummus.
• Cook the chickpeas until they are very soft—about 30 minutes at high pressure. This will give you the best hummus texture.
• After the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally for at least 5 to 10 minutes. This will ensure that the beans are very tender.
• Once the chickpeas have been cooked and the pressure released, drain the beans, but reserve some of the cooking liquid to add back into the hummus as you whip it.
• After pureeing the ingredients together, add the reserved cooking water a little at a time, processing until the mixture is light, fluffy, and very smooth.
• You can substitute canned garbanzo beans, using 2 (15-ounce) cans, drained and rinsed. It won’t be as flavorful or as smooth and light, but it will still be delicious.
• To serve, drizzle the hummus with olive oil and garnish it with a sprinkling of paprika, cumin, sumac, za’atar, or toasted sesame seeds or pine nuts.
• You can make your hummus ahead of time. It will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

My favorite hummus variations

This recipe turns out a delicious classic hummus flavored with lemon juice, tahini paste, and garlic. But you can add additional ingredients to achieve all sorts of different flavor profiles. Here are a few of my favorite variations:

• Curry Hummus with Jalapeno and Cilantro.
• Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: Add 1/4 cup of drained roasted red peppers from a jar along with the other ingredients.
• White Bean and Beet Hummus.
• White Bean and Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus: Replace the chickpeas with cannellini beans (canned are fine. Drain and rinse them before pureeing) and stir 1/4 cup of finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes in after pureeing the rest of the ingredients together.
• Cilantro and Jalapeno Hummus: Add 2 jalapeno peppers (seeded for less spiciness) and 1 packed cup of cilantro leaves along with the other ingredients before pureeing.
• Smoky Carrot Hummus: Add 2 roasted carrots (Drizzle peeled carrots with olive oil and wrap them in foil with about 2 tablespoons of water. Roast at 425ºF for 45 minutes, until tender. Let cool.) and 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika along with the other ingredients before pureeing.

What to serve with hummus

I usually serve hummus with pita chips or Homemade Pita Bread or Melba Toast, Zhoug Sauce, raw vegetables for dipping, and a refreshing salad like this Israeli Salad with egg and feta cheese or a simple garden salad with Tahini Dressing.

I also like to put together a mezze platter with other dips and spreads including Whipped Feta Spread, Muhamarra, Roasted Carrot Spread, and Babaganoush. I include other nibbles, too, like Falafel or Dolma.

A popular dinner in my house is Lamb Kofta Kabobs with yellow rice, tzatziki, and this hummus.

More Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love

• Instant Pot Falafel
• Instant Pot Mulligatawny Soup
• Instant Pot Beef Pho
• Instant Pot Congee with Brown Rice and Turmeric
• Instant Pot Refried Beans