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.
Yes! Instant Pot Hummus is super easy to make. It is also much faster than making hummus using dried beans the traditional way with overnight soaking. This Instant Pot Hummus recipe is quick, easy, and freaking delicious.
It really, really does. When you start with dried chickpeas, the resulting hummus has a rich, almost velvety texture that you cannot get with canned beans.
Hummus made with dried beans also has more depth of flavor since the beans can be seasoned during the first cooking as well as when you add the other hummus ingredients.
Starting with dried garbanzo beans is also cheaper than using canned.
Yes, you can, but the dried bean version is so much better. Really.
If you decide to use canned beans, substitute 2 (15-ounce) cans of garbanzo beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
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?
- Cover the chickpeas in salted water in the instant pot.
- Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes and then let the pressure release naturally.
- Drain the beans, reserving some of the cooking water.
- Transfer the beans to a blender or food processor and add garlic, tahini paste, lemon juice, and spices. Process until very smooth.
- Add some of the reserved cooking water, a little at a time, and process until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- 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, 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
Instant Pot Hummus
This Instant Pot hummus from scratch starts with dried chickpeas and takes less than an hour to make—and that's start to finish time. There's no need to soak the beans. The result is lush, rich, creamy, and full of flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons tahini paste
- Juice of 2 to 3 lemons
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the chickpeas and then put them in the Instant Pot. Add 4 cups of water and the salt.
- Cover the pot, set the valve to the sealing position, and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
- When the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes. Release any remaining pressure and drain the beans, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Mince the garlic in a food processor.
- Add the chickpeas, tahini paste, juice of 2 lemons, olive oil, cumin, and cayenne to the food processor and process until very smooth.
- If the hummus is too thick, add the reserved cooking liquid or water, a tablespoon or two at a time, and process until well incorporated. Repeat until the desired consistency is reached. You can also add additional olive oil at this stage, if needed.
- Taste and add additional lemon juice, salt, or other ingredients as needed.
Notes
1. If you don't have dried chickpeas, you can use canned. Substitute 2 (15-ounce) cans, drained and rinsed. Skip steps 1, 2, and 3. Proceed with the recipe starting with step 4.
2. For different flavor variations, see the suggestions in my post.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 171Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 0mgSodium 735mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 4gSugar 7gProtein 4g
Nutrient values are estimates only. Variations may occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.
More Jewish recipes you’ll love
Jewish Recipes
Jewish recipes are the heart of every Jewish holiday celebration. There’s a special dish (or five!) for every occasion, from the high holidays to Shabbat dinners! Here are my favorite Jewish recipes for the holidays or any day.
Brisket with Apricots, Prunes, and North African Spices
Brisket is braised in a mixture of red wine, beef broth, dried fruit, and North African spices for a Mediterranean take on the traditional Jewish holiday dish. This recipe was adapted from a recipe by Jayne Cohen in Bon Appetit.
Potato Latkes
You can make a gluten-free version by substituting gluten-free brown rice flour for the flour. You can also jazz up the recipe by adding thinly sliced scallions or substituting sweet potatoes, parsnips, or apples for some (or all) of the potatoes. This recipe serves about 4 people and is easily doubled or tripled.
Instant Pot Applesauce
This Instant Pot applesauce is super quick and easy to make. It's delicious on top of crispy potato latkes--or just eat it plain!
Instant Pot Falafel
Crispy, golden brown patties are tender and moist on the inside. They're seasoned just right with cumin, coriander, cayenne, and fresh parsley.
Instant Pot Hummus
This Instant Pot hummus from scratch starts with dried chickpeas and takes less than an hour to make—and that's start to finish time. There's no need to soak the beans. The result is lush, rich, creamy, and full of flavor.
Israeli Couscous Salad with Pomegranate Seed, Pistachios, and Hummus Vinaigrette
This is a great way to use up leftover cooked couscous. The dressing can be whisked together in a bowl, but is especially easy to make in a food processor—chop the parsley leaves in the processor first, then add the other ingredients and process until smooth.
Lamb Kofta Kebabs
Ground lamb is mixed with lots of fresh herbs, aromatics, and spices and then grilled on skewers. I like to serve these with pita bread, hummus, tzatziki, harissa or chermoula, and a salad of romaine, cucumbers, and tomatoes with lemon dressing. Brown basmati rice is a great accompaniment as well.
Homemade Pita Bread
Pita bread is surprisingly easy to make and watching the rounds puff up in the oven is so, so satisfying. Use them for sandwiches or cut them into triangles and use them to scoop savory Middle Eastern dips like my Instant Pot Hummus, baba ganoush, or tzatziki.
Whipped Feta Spread with Garlic and Fresh Dill
Whipped Feta Spread is a great addition to a mezze appetizer platter. It's a tangy, salty, creamy dip with a punch of garlic and fresh dill. Scoop it up with pita chips or raw veggies.
Easy Homemade Jelly Donuts or Sufganiyot
Sufganiyot are traditional Israeli jelly donuts often eaten during Hanukkah, along with other fried foods. Because, of course, fried foods celebrate the miracle of the oil! This recipe makes a simple, lightly sweetened fried dough that can be filled with jelly or the fillling of your choice and dusted with powdered sugar.
Grandma Fran's Vegetarian Chopped Liver
Made of mostly walnuts, butter, and onions, this chopped liver is just as good as the original, but meat free!
Harissa Chicken
This deliciously spicy sheet pan chicken takes just a few minutes to prep. The recipe was inspired by one in Dinner: Changing the Game, by Melissa Clark.
Israeli Salad with Egg and Feta Cheese
Israeli Salad, distinguished by finely diced tomatoes and cucumbers, is described (by Wikipedia) as "the most well-known national dish of Israel." Variations on the theme are limitless. Our version includes hard boiled eggs and feta cheese.
Matzoh Fattoush or Bread Salad for Passover
This bright, fresh, kosher for Passover salad—a take on the popular Middle Eastern bread salad called fattoush—gives the plain crackers new life. Spiced, baked matzo “chips” replace the usual flat bread, but other than that, this hearty salad packs all the fresh herby, tangy, spicy flavor you expect from fattoush.
