Low Salt Hummus Recipe
Rinsing no-salt-added canned chickpeas washes away most of the sodium from the canning liquid, and blending the tahini with lemon juice first (before anything else goes in) whips it pale and airy, so the hummus tastes rich and full-bodied without leaning on salt to carry the flavor.
- Prep
- 12 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 12 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, canned no-salt-added, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 4 tbsp ice water
- 1/8 tsp salt (optional, or a salt-free herb blend), to taste
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, for garnish
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 243
- Protein
- 7g
- Carbs
- 22g
- Fat
- 16g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1Drain the canned chickpeas into a colander and rinse them under cold running water for a full 30 seconds, swishing them with your hand; this rinses away most of the sodium left over from the canning liquid.
- 2In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute, scraping down the sides once, until the mixture turns pale, thick, and whipped.
- 3Add the garlic, cumin, and olive oil to the whipped tahini and process for 30 seconds more.
- 4Add half the chickpeas and process for 1 minute, then add the remaining chickpeas and process another 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed, until mostly smooth.
- 5With the machine running, drizzle in the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until the hummus turns light and silky rather than stiff or grainy.
- 6Taste and adjust with an extra squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of cumin, or the optional small pinch of salt; because there's no added sodium from a packet or canning liquid, the seasoning is entirely in your hands here.
- 7Spread the hummus into a shallow bowl, swirl the surface with the back of a spoon, and drizzle with olive oil. Dust with smoked paprika and serve.
Tips & variations
- If dried chickpeas are preferred over canned, cook 1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight) in unsalted water until very soft, about 60-90 minutes; this gives even more control over sodium than rinsed canned beans.
- A small pinch of baking soda added to the chickpeas while they simmer (if cooking from dried) softens the skins further, which makes for an even smoother blend without needing to peel each chickpea by hand.
- Swap the cumin for a teaspoon of za'atar or a roasted garlic head for a different flavor base that still doesn't rely on salt.
- For extra tang without extra sodium, add a tablespoon of plain yogurt along with the tahini.
Storage & reheating
Store hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; a thin film of olive oil poured over the top helps keep the surface from drying out. Hummus is not meant to be reheated; let refrigerated portions sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and stir in a splash of water to loosen it back up before serving.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- A food processor gives a smoother result than a blender, since the wide bowl keeps everything moving evenly around the blade instead of forming a stuck pocket at the bottom.
- Peeling the chickpea skins by rubbing them in a clean towel before blending removes some texture graininess, though it's an optional extra step.
FAQ
How much sodium does this save compared to regular hummus?
A typical store-bought hummus runs 200-300mg of sodium per 2-tablespoon serving, largely from added salt and regular canned beans. Using no-salt-added chickpeas and skipping added salt here brings a serving down to under 20mg of sodium from the ingredients themselves.
Can I use regular canned chickpeas instead of no-salt-added?
Yes, but rinse them even more thoroughly, for at least a full minute, since regular canned chickpeas start with meaningfully more sodium in the canning liquid than the no-salt-added kind.
Why does my hummus taste flat without salt?
Salt isn't the only way to brighten flavor; lean harder on fresh lemon juice, raw garlic, and a good finishing olive oil, all three do real work here in place of salt rather than being purely for taste.
Can I skip the tahini?
Tahini can be reduced by half for a lighter dip, but leaving it out entirely changes the texture significantly and the hummus will taste noticeably thinner and less rich, especially without salt to compensate.
