Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

If you love snacking on Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, you will be amazed at how much better it can taste when you make it yourself! This chickpea dip is smooth, creamy, flavorful, and simple to make at home.

Middle Eastern food is a true love of mine. My Middle Eastern recipes are family-tested, traditionally made dishes that are as delicious as they are easy to make. Stick with me if you love Hummus, Falafel, Tabbouleh, and more! I can teach you how to make all the best Middle Eastern foods, from scratch. 

You’ll find many different homemade hummus recipes here on the blog, but I think that this recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is going to be your favorite. I’ll show you how to roast the peppers and whip everything together into a smooth, tangy dip for your carrots or pita chips. 

If you love the bold flavor of roasted red peppers, you will also want to try my Muhammara Dip. It’s a combination of peppers and walnuts that is completely delicious. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. Better than store-bought: You’ll be amazed at how much better this recipe tastes compared to the hummus you buy in the store. It’s fresher, brighter, and overall more flavorful. If you’ve never made hummus before, you HAVE to make this recipe!
2. Inexpensive to make: A tub of hummus can cost more than $5 at the grocery store! That’s ridiculous when a can of beans is $1, and if you cook your own beans they are even cheaper. You may never buy hummus again once you see how easy it is to make. 
3. Easy and Quick: The entire process for making hummus from scratch takes less than 20 minutes, and most of that time is set aside for roasting the peppers in the oven. The ingredients are pulsed in the food processor in just a few minutes, and your fresh roasted red pepper hummus can be enjoyed immediately.

Key Ingredients

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Red Bell Peppers – The majority of the flavor for this recipe comes from two red bell peppers that we’ll roast to make them sweet and smoky. 
• Chickpeas – Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans are the base for all traditional hummus recipes. You can use a can of chickpeas, or you’ll need 1 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas. Drain and rinse canned chickpeas before using them in this recipe.
• Tahini – This is a key ingredient for making delicious hummus from scratch. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds, and can usually be found in the ethnic food aisle of your grocery store. 
• Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice will give you the best flavor for roasted red pepper hummus. 
• Olive Oil – To give this hummus a silky smooth texture, extra virgin olive oil is the best choice. 
• Garlic – Just remove the peel from a clove of garlic and toss it in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients. This adds a warm, slightly spicy flavor. 
• Spices: In my roasted red pepper hummus I add ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.

How to Make Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1. Roast the Peppers: Turn the broiler on, then slice the bell pepper into flat pieces and remove the core and seeds. Place the pepper on a sheet pan, skin side up. Place the pan close to the broiler for 5 minutes or until the skin of the peppers starts to char. 
2. Cool the Peppers: Remove the roasted peppers from the oven and place them in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. You can also place them in a ziplock bag and seal it. This will help the skins separate from the peppers. Wait for 5 minutes, then peel the skins off when the peppers are cool enough to handle.
3. Blend Hummus: Place the peppers in the bowl of a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients, and blend until smooth. This takes at least 4-5 minutes. Add a small amount of water while the blender is running if the hummus seems too thick.
4. Serve: Serve your roasted red pepper hummus in a bowl, garnished with chopped roasted bell peppers, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning, and chopped parsley. 

Recipe Tips

• Add More Salt As Needed – You may need to add additional salt to this recipe, depending on how the chickpeas were cooked or canned. Taste the red pepper hummus before serving, and season to taste. 
• Use Jarred Peppers – Jarred roasted red peppers are an excellent convenience food and can be used to make hummus. You’ll want to use between ¾ cup and 1 cup of jarred peppers for this recipe. 
• Make it Spicy – As written, this recipe is flavorful, but not spicy. If you like spicy hummus, add a pinch of cayenne pepper. 

How to Cook Raw Chickpeas

I cook chickpeas in my Instant Pot! I think it’s the easiest way, and they come out perfectly every time. 

1. Soak raw chickpeas in water overnight to soften them. 
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then add to the instant pot and cover with water. 
3. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes, then quick release and rinse with cold water. 

This method gives me super soft, buttery chickpeas, perfect for making creamy hummus. 

What to Serve with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

• Serve hummus with pita chips or raw vegetables like carrots or celery for a simple snack. 
• Add roasted red pepper hummus to sandwiches as a spread, or make these delicious hummus wraps. 
• Create a fabulous mezze platter or a hummus bar for a party or gathering. 

What to Add to a Mezze Platter

A Mezze platter is similar to a charcuterie board, but filled with Mediterranean and/or Middle Eastern favorites. It’s served as a snack or can be a light dinner or lunch spread too. We enjoy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus on this type of nibble tray often. 

Healthy Additions. Start with a selection of fresh vegetables or fruits like grapes or figs.

Breads. Pita Wedges or Naan bread are ideal. Pita chips or regular crackers will also work. 

Olives and brined pickles. Anything you find at the Olive Bar in your grocery store will work here. Try this recipe for Pickled Red Cabbage.

Cheeses like firm feta cubes or baby mozzarella balls, or Grilled Halloumi are all perfect on a Mezze board.

Meat is optional, but you can add salami or any leftover cooked meat you might have in the fridge.

Dips are the most important part of my mezze platters! Along with this hummus, add bowls of creamy Labneh strained yogurt, Baba Ganoush, or Foul Mudammas (Broad Bean Dip).

More Homemade Hummus Flavors to Try

I have many varieties of hummus that you can easily make at home. Try these: 

• Avocado Hummus
• Chocolate Hummus – a sweet dessert hummus!
• Beet Hummus
• Pumpkin Hummus
• Classic Hummus

FAQs

You are going to be amazed when you taste how much better this is than your usual store-bought roasted red pepper hummus. Please come back and tell me all about it in a comment!