Olive Hummus Recipe

Drain the canned chickpeas in a fine-mesh sieve and reserve about 3 tablespoons of the aquafaba (liquid). If you prefer a very smooth hummus, peel a few chickpeas by gently rubbing them between your fingers and discarding the skins.

Pit and coarsely chop the kalamata and green olives. Finely chop the parsley and zest one lemon.

Blend tahini and lemon

In a food processor, combine the tahini and fresh lemon juice. Process for 30–45 seconds until the tahini lightens in color and becomes creamier. Scrape down the sides.

Add the garlic clove, ground cumin, kosher salt, and half of the olive oil (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) to the tahini-lemon mixture. Pulse to combine.

Add the drained chickpeas and 2 tablespoons of the reserved aquafaba to the processor. Process for 1 minute, then scrape down the bowl. With the processor running, drizzle in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining 1 tablespoon aquafaba as needed until the mixture becomes smooth and spreadable. If the hummus is too thick, add additional aquafaba or water 1 teaspoon at a time.

Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, lemon juice, or cumin as desired. Add black pepper and pulse once to incorporate.

Spoon about two-thirds of the hummus into a mixing bowl. Reserve one-third in the food processor (or a separate bowl) for topping if you want a swirled presentation.

Stir the chopped olives, lemon zest, and half of the chopped parsley into the larger portion of hummus until evenly distributed. Reserve a small spoonful of chopped olives for garnish.

Transfer the olive-studded hummus to a serving dish. If you reserved some plain hummus, dollop it on top and use the back of a spoon to create a shallow well.

Drizzle about 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil over the top, sprinkle with smoked paprika, the remaining parsley, reserved chopped olives, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if using.

Serve immediately with fresh pita, pita chips, or raw vegetables. Hummus can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving; stir and adjust seasoning if needed.