Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Break out your food processor and make this creamy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus! This hummus is the perfect dip for vegetables and pita, or use it as a healthy sandwich spread. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is.

By
Summer Miller
Summer Miller
Summer Miller

Summer has spent the last 12 years working in food media and she's the author of the award-winning book "New Prairie Kitchen."

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Updated July 30, 2022
Summer Miller
Vertical overhead view of a bowl of the best roasted red pepper hummus topped with chopped roasted red peppers and feta cheese. Surrounding the bowl are scallions, sliced yellow bell peppers, pitas and sliced cucumbers.
Alison Bickel

If chickpeas have a divine purpose it’s to create the creamy, garlic, tahini- and lemon-spiked dip known as hummus. Douse the top with the best olive oil you can find, and the work is done.

You can spread hummus on a sandwich, slather it over a pita, or scoop piles of it onto sliced cucumbers or colorful bell peppers. It’s the perfect dip to serve at parties for people who avoid gluten or dairy, and it keeps for weeks in the fridge. It’s loaded with fiber and protein. What’s not to love?

If you’re a hummus purist, then that’s where the story ends. For this Roasted Red Pepper Hummus recipe, I’m breaking from tradition. Sorry.

What Makes This Hummus Special

Traditional hummus recipes call for tahini, a toasted sesame seed paste. It makes the hummus extra creamy, but I am not a fan of tahini so I skipped it for this version. If you and tahini are BFFs then, by all means, add a tablespoon or two.

In addition to kicking tahini to the curb, I added roasted red peppers to the hummus and chopped some up to sprinkle on top. If you like lots of red pepper flavor, scoop up some chopped bits with every bite. If you’re more of a minimalist, just take the dip and leave the bits.

Life is busy at the Miller house these days, so I usually just buy a jar of roasted red peppers. In the summer when my garden is bursting with peppers, I tend to make my own and use this recipe for Marinated Roasted Red Bell Peppers.

Dried or Canned Chickpeas?

For whatever reason, it’s difficult for me to find dried chickpeas where I live. Every other kind of dried bean covers my grocery store shelves, but chickpeas are a canned-only situation. So canned beans it is for this recipe.

Overhead view of creamy roasted red pepper hummus is inside a grey bowl set inside a serving tray. The hummus is topped with roasted red peppers and crumbled feta cheese. Crudettes and pitas are behind the bowl on the tray.
Alison Bickel

How to Make Creamy Hummus

If you have dried beans and a little time to plan then, by all means, make hummus with dried beans you cooked at home. Follow this step by step guide for How to Cook Dried Beans, but add 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda to the water for hummus-bound chickpeas, and reduce the cooking time.

This technique of adding baking soda was made popular by Yotam Ottolenghi and creates an alkaline environment that helps the skins release from the chickpeas. Agitate the chickpeas every now and then while they are cooking and skim the skins off the top. Ta-da!

For this short-cut version using canned chickpeas, drain a can of chickpeas, skip the baking soda and accept a little texture in your hummus.

Creamy roasted red pepper hummus in a blue bowl. The hummus is topped with chopped roasted red peppers and a sprinkle of feta cheese. Cucumber slices, lemon and scallions are set around the bowl.
Alison Bickel

Substitutions and Suggestions

Perhaps you’re not a roasted red pepper fan. Not to worry—feel free to get creative.

What to Serve With Hummus?

When I make hummus, I pretty much eat it on everything until it’s gone. When you’ve made a batch, here are a few ideas on how to use it up.

  • Make a Mediterranean Mezze Platter.
  • Serve it solo with sliced veggies like cucumbers, peppers, and carrots.
  • Top it with whole chickpeas, olives or za’atar.
  • Pick up some fluffy pitas, tear and dip!
  • If all else fails, crackers will do just fine.

How to Store Hummus

Hummus will keep for about a week or two covered in your fridge.

Looking for More Great Hummus Recipes? Try These!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Prep Time 15 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Yield 1 cup

Removing the skins is completely optional. The purpose is to create a smoother hummus, but it’s not necessary and I’ve made plenty of hummus with a little texture from the skins. It hasn’t bothered me a bit.

Ingredients

  • 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 large garlic clove, peeled
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for garnish.
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, divided and drained

Special Equipment

  • Food processor

Method

  1. Puree the chickpeas:

    In the bowl of a food processor, add the drained, chickpeas and garlic. Puree for 1 minute, scraping down the bowl of the food processor. Add the lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Puree for 1 minute, scraping down the bowl halfway through.

    Add the cumin, salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Puree until it looks creamy. Add 1/4 cup roasted red peppers. Puree until well incorporated, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

    Overhead view of the inside of a food processor bowl with canned chickpeas and garlic cloves inside. The food processor is on a white background.
    Alison Bickel
    Side view of a mini food processor on a white background. Creamy hummus is inside the bowl and a person is holding a spoon full of olive oil in one hand and the bottle of oil in the other.
    Alison Bickel
    Overhead view of the inside of a food processor bowl. Easy roasted red pepper hummus is inside the bowl and roasted red peppers are on top of the processed hummus. The food processor is on a white background.
    Alison Bickel
    Overhead view of the inside of a food processor bowl. Easy roasted red pepper hummus is inside the bowl. The food processor is on a white background and the lid is partially visible in the upper right hand side.
    Alison Bickel
  2. Transfer and garnish:

    Transfer the hummus to a bowl. Use the back of a spoon to create swoops and swirls in the hummus. Chop the remaining 1/4 cup of roasted red pepper, and sprinkle it over the top of the hummus. Drizzle with additional olive oil and a little additional lemon juice.

  3. Serve:

    Serve the hummus with warm pita bread, pita chips, crackers, or freshly sliced vegetables. You can also use it as a spread on sandwiches.