Easy, healthy and delicious, this Roasted Red Pepper and Smoked Paprika Hummus is perfect as a dip, in a wrap, as part of a mezze spread… or just eaten straight out of the dish by the spoonful… (which is quite likely, because it is THAT GOOD!).
Why homemade hummus is the best!
I am totally obsessed with homemade hummus… for the longest time I always thought hummus was too faffy and complicated to make at home… and my early efforts did not taste good…
But then I discovered the secret to perfect homemade hummus (basically the right combination of ingredients and a high-speed blender) and now I am just crazy passionate about how amazing homemade hummus is AND how easy peasy it is to make (I mean really easy… like 5 minutes of just measuring stuff out and then hitting ‘go’ on the blender easy!).
Homemade hummus (when you have the right recipe) is SO MUCH BETTER than shop-bought, I mean different order of magnitude better!
So far on this blog I’ve shared my recipe for Classic Hummus and my recipe for Roasted Pumpkin (or Butternut Squash) Hummus, and now I am sharing my latest version: Roasted Red Pepper and Smoked Paprika Hummus.
How to make Red Pepper and Smoked Paprika Hummus
This recipe is so ridiculously easy… all you need is to roast off some red peppers (cut in half, stick on a baking tray, pop in the oven for 20 minutes) then chuck them in a blender along with smoked paprika, chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt… and whizz!
And if even that sounds like rather too much hassle, you can just use a couple ready roasted red peppers (the sort that come in a jar), to make this recipe even easier! (Though, I do think it tastes better if you roast the red peppers yourself.)
The best blender for hummus
The best blender for hummus is definitely a high-speed blender – like my Froothie Optimum VAC 2 blender. The reason for this is a high-speed blender has the power to turn chickpeas into a lovely smooth paste (without having to do crazy things like peel your chickpeas – I mean seriously, who has the time or patience to peel chickpeas???).
The other lovely thing that my Froothie Optimum VAC 2 blender does is that it ever so slightly heats up the hummus, because of the high speed… this means it just slightly ‘cooks’ the raw garlic – which is brilliant because it really softens the raw garlic flavour and results in the perfect level of garlicky-ness – plenty garlicky (because good hummus should be garlicky) but none of that unpleasant in-your-face raw garlic flavour.
You can make this Red Pepper and Smoked Paprika Hummus in a regular blender, but the texture is likely to be a bit less smooth and the garlic flavour will be a little more pronounced.
What to serve with Red Pepper and Smoked Paprika Hummus
This Red Pepper and Smoked Paprika Hummus is perfect anywhere you like to serve hummus… as a dip, in a wrap, as part of a picnic or mezze spread, in a lunchbox…
In fact, it’s so delicious, you are quite likely to find yourself just eating it straight out of the dish by the spoonful!
But my all-time favourite way to serve this Red Pepper and Smoked Paprika Hummus is as part of a mezze feast with falafel, pittas, salads and roasted sweet potato cubes. This meal is happiness on a plate for me!
What to drink with Red Pepper and Smoked Paprika Hummus
Hmm, a tricky question as most likely this Red Pepper and Smoked Paprika Hummus will be part of a larger meal with lots of other flavours going on.
Assuming you are having this as part of a mezze spread, with other robust flavours, like falafel… I would go for a zesty Sauvignon Blanc from somewhere like Chile or New Zealand.
Or, if you prefer red, a young and fruity Grenache-based red or rosé from Southern France or Spain would also go very well.
How long does hummus keep in the fridge?
Hummus keeps very well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can you freeze hummus?
Hummus freezes very well. Simply place the hummus in a plastic lidded container and pop it in the freezer, where it will keep for up to 3 months.
To defrost, simply place the hummus in its container in the fridge overnight. Or defrost for a couple of hours at room temperature, if you prefer.
I like to make a big batch of this Red Pepper and Smoked Paprika Hummus, then divide it into one person portions and freeze, so I have a ready-made stash of homemade hummus on hand any time I want it.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Roasted Pumpkin Hummus
Roasted Red Pepper and Smoked Paprika Hummus (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 red peppers cut in half lengthways and deseeded (see note 1)
- 2 x 400g cans chickpeas drained (reserve the chickpea water)
- 4 tablespoons tahini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 4 cloves of garlic (crush these first if your blender is a bit on the weedy side)
- 1 teaspoon of salt (yes really – it makes a big difference to the flavour)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil ideally good quality extra virgin plus extra for drizzling
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F. Place the red pepper halves on a non-stick baking sheet or roasting tray (see note 2) and roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until just slightly blackened.
- Place the drained chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, olive oil, smoked paprika and red pepper halves in a high-speed blender. Blend for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth.
- This recipe makes quite a thick hummus. If you feel the hummus is a little too thick for your liking, add a splash of the chickpea water and blend again.
- Serve as a dip with crudités and pittas, in wraps or as part of a mezze spread.
Video
Notes
- You can use 2 ready-roasted red peppers from a jar, if you prefer. Using pre-roasted red peppers means this recipe only takes 5 minutes (but I think it tastes nicer if you roast your own!)
- If you don’t have a non-stick baking tray, lightly grease a regular baking tray with olive oil first, before roasting your peppers on it.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Pin Easy Red Pepper Hummus for later
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Linkies
I am linking this up to Cook Blog Share.
Michelle Rolfe says
As we know I love hummus in in all its forms! This combination sounds delicious and will definitely be adding to my list of makes. Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Michelle 😀
Choclette says
Love, love, love the colour of your hummus. I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to hummus, but I’m very tempted by this variation. Muhammara is one of my favourite dips / spreads and I haven’t made it for ages. But I think next time I get the urge I’m going to try your hummus instead.
#CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Choclette! I always thought classic hummus was my favourite, until I made this version – now Roasted Red Pepper and Smoked Paprika Hummus is definitely my favourite 😀 Eb x
Karen Burns-Booth says
This is DEFINITELY my kind of food Eb! We love dips like this for lazy summer dining 🙂 Karen
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Karen! Yes, perfect for lazy summer dining 😀 Eb x
Rebecca says
Wow that colour! I do so love red pepper and have tried the shop bought version of this which is lovely but too garlicky for me so now I can make my own with less POW!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Rebecca! Oooh yes this is way better than the shop-bought version and you can then adjust the garlic to your heart’s content 😀 Eb x
Corina Blum says
I always have some chickpeas in the cupboard for making recipes like hummus with. I love the colour of this one!
Eb Gargano says
Me too! And thank you – you know me – I LOVE colourful food 😀 Eb x
Jenny Walters says
What a beautiful bowl of Hummus and it sounds absolutely delish! Love your Froothie too! I am a huge fan of blenders. Am going to have to try this for a summer soiree! Thank you for sharing it with #CookBlogShare x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jenny – I’d love to hear what you think if you try it 😀 Eb x
Cat | Curly's Cooking says
This looks really delicious. I love red pepper hummus but haven’t made it myself. I will definitely need to give this a go.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Cat. If you love red pepper hummus, then you definitely need to try this recipe – so much nicer than shop-bought! Eb x
louise Gunstone says
This is the kind of hummus I love to eat! bright and amazing flavours, yum.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks, Louise 🙂
Desicart says
Very nice recipe. We have to try. So easy, flavorful and delicious.
Eb Gargano says
Thank you 😀 Let me know what you think if you try it! Eb 🙂