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I ran out of tahini recently. And of course, at the moment I realized I was out of tahini, I was making hummus, and everything else was in the food processor all ready to blend. How do you make hummus without tahini? My friend Chris, a seriously skilled chef, was over and said, “Don’t you have sesame oil? I use that all the time.”
Really? REALLY? There were, and almost always are, a couple of open bottles of sesame oil in the fridge (it’s a total staple ingredient in our house, for all kinds of Asian dishes), so that was easy. And while I’ve always thought Chris was smart, now I think he’s a genius. Both tahini and sesame oil are made from toasted sesame seeds, so this substitution immediately makes sense. And it turns out that hummus with hummus made sesame oil instead of tahini is fantastic, different, and similar at the same time.
Serve with pita bread, pita chips or Roasted Garlic and Tomato Bread to dip. Make Greek Chicken Breasts, Turkish Cucumber Salad, and Mediterranean Couscous Salad to round out the Mediterranean feast.
Ingredients
- Garlic – Chop the garlic roughly before pureeing it with the other ingredients in the food processor.
- Chickpeas – Drain and rinse the chickpeas from the cans before puréeing them into the hummus.
- Sesame oil – You want to buy toasted sesame oil, not raw sesame oil, which doesn’t have as pronounced a nutty flavor.
- Lemon juice – A bit of acidic tartness brightness lifts up all of those earthy flavors.
- Extra virgin olive oil – For silkiness and richness. Save some to drizzle on top as well!
- Cumin – This is one of the most popular spices in tahini, and I love the somewhat bright and earthy flavor.
- Water – Add more water if you’d like a thinner consistency.
Variations and Substitutions
- I’ve read that sunflower butter is a smart substitute for tahini in hummus, which makes sense (especially if there are sesame allergies in the house).
- Skip the sesame oil for a simpler chickpea dip. Then the flavors of lemon and cumin and garlic really shine through, along with the chickpeas of course. This isn’t really hummus, but it’s delicious.
How to Make Hummus With Sesame Oil
- Blend chickpeas: Place the garlic and chickpeas in the food processor and pulse a few times.
- Puree remaining ingredients: Add 3 teaspoons of the sesame oil, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, and salt and pepper. Puree and with the motor running add about 1/3 cup of the water. Allow the mixture to process for about two minutes. Taste and add additional sesame oil if desired, or water or olive oil if you want a looser mixture.
- Serve: Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with a bit of olive oil if you like, and sprinkle with the paprika or cayenne.
Hummus with Sesame Oil (NO Tahini!): Out of tahini? No problem! Sesame oil makes a terrific substitute in this delicious 10 minute hummus.
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FAQs
Sesame oil is literally oil pressed from sesame seeds. Raw sesame oil is often used for cooking/frying in Asian cuisine. Toasted sesame oil is more potently sesame-ish than tahini (which is sesame seed paste), so start with a smaller amount than you would normally use of tahini – say 1 tablespoon, blend it up, taste, and add more if you want a more pronounced sesame flavor.
Water makes hummus light and fluffy. Add more water to thin out the texture of your hummus. Olive oil does the same, and adds flavor, but it also adds more fat and calories, so I like to find the right balance between the two.
Make Ahead and Storage
Hummus will last for up to 5 days in the fridge.
What to Serve with Hummus With Sesame Oil
Tzatziki
Parmesan Feta Spinach Dip
Slow Cooked Mediterranean Leg of Lamb with Tzatziki
More Dips and Spreads:
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Hummus Without Tahini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans 19-ounce chick peas , drained and rinsed
- 3 to 5 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling if desired
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- ½ cup water approximately
Instructions
- Place the garlic and chickpeas in the food processor and pulse a few times. Add 3 teaspoons of the sesame oil, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, and salt and pepper. Puree and with the motor running add about 1/3 cup of the water. Allow the mixture to process for about two minutes, adding more water if you’d like a thinner consistency. Taste and add additional sesame oil if desired.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with a bit of olive oil if you like, and sprinkle with the paprika or cayenne.
Notes
- Sesame oil is literally oil pressed from sesame seeds. You cant to buy toasted sesame oil, not raw sesame oil, which doesn’t have as pronounced a nutty flavor. Raw sesame oil is often used for cooking/frying in Asian cuisine. Toasted sesame oil is more potently sesame-ish than tahini, so start with a smaller amount than you would normally use of tahini – say 1 tablespoon, blend it up, and taste and add more if you want a more pronounced sesame flavor.
- I’ve read that sunflower butter is a smart substitute for tahini in hummus, which makes sense (especially if there are sesame allergies in the house).
- Skip the sesame oil for a simpler chickpea dip. Then the flavors of lemon and cumin and garlic really shine through, along with the chickpeas of course. This isn’t really hummus, but it’s delicious.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made your hummus today, SO delicious! I made lettuce wraps using the hummus mixed with tuna fish. I will also be using it to dip tortilla chips and carrots. My kids did not care for how “lemony” the hummus tasted, so next time I will cut the lemon in half. Thank you!!
Wow! I just made this hummus and I can’t believe how delicious it is! I love it! I will never se any other recipe! Thank you for posting it! Yummy!
just made it VERY good ! i give it two thumbs up :)
glad to hear!
This sounds soooo yummy – I just had dinner, but I want to make some now. And have it with carrot/celery strips!
that’s the healthy way to go! (my kids however head straight for the tortilla chips….)
I made the Sesame oil Hummus exactly as directed and o was absolutely thrilled. The Hummus turned out amazingly delicious.
Thanks so much for the recipe.
I just had some at a restaurant with SO. They probably had tahini in it too but it was the best I have ever had.
nice! it’s a good trick, right?
wow!
I’m going to try this. I have all those ingredients and I’ve always wanted to make hummus. Thanks Katie! xo
it was fairly amazing and groundbreaking!