Hummus is a healthy and delicious creamy Middle Eastern spread made from chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, and garlic.

You simply blend all of the ingredients together (chickpeas have to be cooked, or canned, not raw), and you get a tasty, creamy dip loaded with healthy fats, calcium, and protein. People also often add ice cubes to the blender when making hummus, to get that creamy texture.

Traditionally, hummus only has the ingredients I listed above, but you can also make so many variations of it, by adding beets to it and making beet hummus, adding roasted red peppers to it and making red pepper hummus, you can even get dessert hummus aka chocolate hummus in stores! The options are truly endless.

The flavors of traditional hummus are very versatile, and they pair together nicely with a variety of flavors – veggies (celery, carrots, cucumbers, etc.), fruits (grapes, strawberries, etc.), crackers, pita bread, pita chips, and so on. It can also go really well with sweet potato and other starchy veggies (if you’re not sure the difference between starchy vs non-starchy vegetables, check out my post where I covered the difference). You can even make a pasta sauce out of it, by thinning it out with water and pairing it with grilled veggies! The options are truly endless.

You can eat it with all sorts of different things, so in this post, I’ll share snacks and recipes that you can pair with hummus (veggies you can dip in hummus as well as full recipes that are elevated by adding flavors of hummus to them).

What To Eat With Hummus

2 Cups Carrots & Hummus

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Carrots, baby – 90 calories
  • ¼ cup Hummus – 100 calories

Directions

  1. Dip carrots in hummus.

Copycat SweetGreen Hummus Tahina Salad

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Hummus – 100 calories
  • ¼ cup Beans & legumes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked – 67 calories
  • ⅓ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta – 133 calories
  • ½ Tomato, medium – 11 calories
  • ½ Onion, red – 23 calories
  • ½ Cucumber, small – 16 calories
  • 1 cup Leafy greens, kale, raw – 10 calories
  • 2 cups Leafy greens, romaine – 14 calories
  • 2 Tbsp Dressing, Tahini – 160 calories
  • ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
  • ¼ tsp Basil, dried – 0 calories
  • ¼ tsp Oregano – 0 calories

Directions

  1. Chop tomato, onion, and cucumber.
  2. Rinse and drain chickpeas.
  3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and top with dressing.
  4. No dairy? Use avocado.

Greek Box with Hummus

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Hummus – 100 calories
  • 1 oz Olives, sliced – 50 calories
  • ¼ Onion, red – 11 calories
  • 1 Tomato, medium – 22 calories
  • ½ Cucumber, small – 16 calories
  • ⅓ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta – 133 calories
  • 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories
  • ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
  • ¼ tsp Oregano – 0 calories

Directions

  1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, mix with seasonings.
  2. Spray a pan with an oil spray, cook chicken for ~10 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool before adding to boxes.
  3. Arrange all ingredients in boxes.
  4. Store hummus in a separate container.
  5. Dairy free? Use a dairy free cheese or avocado. Vegetarian? Add an additional serving of feta or use tofu.

Hummus Plate

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Hummus – 100 calories
  • ⅓ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta – 133 calories
  • 1 oz Olives, whole – 50 calories
  • 2 tsp Olive oil (tsp) – 80 calories
  • 1 Bell pepper, red, medium – 37 calories
  • ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
  • ⅛ tsp Red pepper flakes – 0 calories
  • ¼ tsp Oregano – 0 calories

Directions

  1. Spread hummus on one side of a low bowl or plate with a spoon.
  2. Add feta, olives (black olives or green olives, whichever you prefer), and bell pepper (chopped) on the other side.
  3. Drizzle olive oil over ingredients.
  4. Top with seasonings.
  5. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, nuts, or extra oil or olives.

Hummus, Cheese & Veggies Box

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Hummus – 100 calories
  • 2 oz Cheese, sliced cheese, full fat/ regular – 220 calories
  • 1 Cucumber, small – 32 calories
  • 1 cup Carrots, baby – 45 calories

Directions

  1. Cut block of cheese into cubes.
  2. Arrange all foods in a box.
  3. No dairy? Use 1/8 cup nuts instead.

Mediterranean Bowl with Hummus and Pita

Ingredients

  • ½ Pita bread – 100 calories
  • ⅛ cup Hummus – 50 calories
  • 1 Cucumber, small – 32 calories
  • 1 cup Tomatoes, grape – 32 calories
  • 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories
  • 2 Tbsp Tzatziki sauce – 80 calories
  • ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
  • ¼ tsp Basil, dried – 0 calories

Directions

  1. Cube chicken and chop cucumber and tomatoes into small pieces.
  2. Spray a pan with an oil spray.
  3. Cook chicken for ~8 minutes on medium heat, until cooked through.
  4. In a bowl, mix chicken, veggies, tzatziki, and seasonings.
  5. Cut pita into triangles as shown in picture
  6. Add pita and hummus to bowl.
  7. No chicken? Use tofu, fish, or beans. Gluten free? Use a gluten-free bread.
  8. Note: 1/8 cup = 2 Tbsp.

Rainbow Lunch with Grilled Chicken & Hummus

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Hummus – 100 calories
  • 1 cup Grapes, red – 104 calories
  • 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories
  • 1 Bell pepper, green, medium – 27 calories
  • 1 Bell pepper, red, medium – 37 calories
  • 1 oz Cheese, sliced, cheddar, full fat/ regular – 110 calories

Directions

  1. Slice bell peppers, chicken, and cheese.
  2. Spray a pan with an oil spray. Cook chicken for ~10 minutes on medium heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through.
  3. Arrange all foods in bento box or container.
  4. No chicken? Use an equivalent calorie amount of edamame. No dairy? Use extra nuts. No nuts? Use seeds.

Stir-Fried Veg With Cashew Tofu And Hummus

Ingredients

  • 5 oz Tofu, firm – 130 calories
  • ⅛ cup Cashews (cups) – 98 calories
  • 1 Zucchini, medium – 33 calories
  • 1 Bell pepper, green, medium – 27 calories
  • ¼ cup Hummus – 100 calories
  • ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
  • ¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

Directions

  1. Cut tofu, zucchini, and pepper into small pieces
  2. Spray a pan with an oil spray
  3. Stir-fry tofu ~15 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently so all sides get browned
  4. Add in zucchini and pepper, ~5 minutes
  5. Add in cashews and seasonings ~1 minute
  6. Have hummus on the side

Strawberries, 1/4 Cup Chocolate Hummus & PB

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Strawberries, fresh – 50 calories
  • ¼ cup Chocolate hummus – 100 calories
  • 1 Tbsp Peanut butter, unsweetened (Tbsp) – 94 calories

Directions

  1. Slice strawberries.
  2. Dip into hummus and peanut butter.
  3. No nuts?Use a seed butter (e.g. sunflower seed butter)

1 Serving Jerky and Hummus

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Beef jerky, no added sugar – 160 calories
  • ¼ cup Hummus – 100 calories

Directions

  1. Notes: No animal protein? Try Epic brand’s Salmon Jerky. No jerky at all? Have 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 string cheeses or 1 yogurt instead

Vegetarian Greek Salad With Hummus

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Leafy greens, kale, raw – 30 calories
  • ½ cup Beans & legumes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked – 134 calories
  • 1 oz Olives, whole – 50 calories
  • ⅓ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta – 133 calories
  • ¼ cup Hummus – 100 calories
  • ⅛ tsp Garlic salt – 0 calories
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced (Tbsp) – 0 calories

Directions

  1. Spray a pan with an oil spray, add in minced garlic
  2. Stir-fry kale and garbanzo beans ~5 minutes on medium heat
  3. Add in olives, feta, and seasoning
  4. Have hummus on the side
  5. No dairy? Use extra olives or olive oil

Loaded Veggie Wrap

Ingredients

  • 1 Tortilla, whole wheat or corn, large – 120 calories
  • ¼ cup Hummus – 100 calories
  • 2 Tbsp Tomatoes, sun-dried, oil packed – 34 calories
  • 1 cup Leafy greens, spinach, raw – 7 calories
  • ⅓ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta – 133 calories
  • ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
  • ¼ tsp Oregano – 0 calories
  • ¼ tsp Basil, dried – 0 calories
  • 1 cup Carrots, baby – 45 calories

Directions

  1. Layer hummus, tomatoes, spinach, and feta in tortilla. Top with seasonings. Roll up.
  2. Serve carrots on the side.

Mediterranean Pita

Ingredients

  • ½ Pita bread – 100 calories
  • ⅛ cup Hummus – 50 calories
  • 1 Cucumber, small – 32 calories
  • 1 cup Tomatoes, grape – 32 calories
  • 2 Tbsp Tzatziki sauce – 80 calories
  • 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories
  • ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
  • ¼ tsp Basil, dried – 0 calories
  • ¼ tsp Oregano – 0 calories

Directions

  1. Cube chicken and chop cucumber and tomatoes into small pieces.
  2. Spray a pan with an oil spray.
  3. Cook chicken for ~8 minutes on medium heat, until cooked through.
  4. In a bowl, mix chicken, veggies, tzatziki, and seasonings.
  5. Fill pita with mixture, and spread hummus.
  6. No chicken? Use tofu, fish, or beans. Gluten free? Use a gluten-free bread and make a sandwich.

Chicken Nuggets, Peppers, and Grapes

Ingredients

  • 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories
  • 1 Bell pepper, green, medium – 27 calories
  • 1 Bell pepper, yellow, large – 50 calories
  • 1 Hummus, single-serving container – 150 calories
  • 1 cup Grapes, red – 104 calories
  • 1 tsp Garlic salt (tsp) – 0 calories

Directions

  1. Spray pan with an oil spray.
  2. Cut chicken into small pieces. Slice peppers.
  3. Mix chicken with garlic salt.
  4. Cook chicken for ~10 minutes on low heat, until cooked through.
  5. Arrange all foods in a to-go container. 

Veggies With Hummus And Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Carrots, baby – 45 calories
  • 1 Cucumber, medium – 42 calories
  • 1 Cheese, string cheese, mozzarella, full fat/ regular – 70 calories
  • ¼ cup Hummus – 100 calories

Directions

  1. Slice cucumber into coin shapes.
  2. String cheese can be an easy substitute if you can’t find wax round cheese
  3. No dairy? Use nuts or seeds.