What could be better than classic, authentic Lebanese hummus? Mediterranean loaded hummus! This vibrant twist is topped with crisp cucumbers, juicy grape tomatoes, briny olives, creamy crumbled feta, and diced red onion-all finished with a generous drizzle of olive oil.
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Not to brag, but I'm sort of known for my hummus. I've been making it the same way since publishing my cookbook in 2008; yes, I'm that old! Most of my friends have stopped buying store-bought hummus and now make my recipe instead. It's super easy and only requires 6 ingredients!
So, the only way I could think of to make my famous hummus even better was to load it with some of my favorite Mediterranean ingredients.
This recipe comes at the perfect time, since I have a fridge full of everything I need and I'm about to take off on a two-week vacation. This loaded hummus recipe is a great way to use up fresh veggies that might otherwise go to waste.
If you don't have tahini on hand, no problem; you can make this hummus recipe without tahini or try this delicious Syrian muhammara dip recipe!
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🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Garbanzo Beans: One can of garbanzo beans/chickpeas.
- Olive Oil: A good quality olive oil is a must!
- Garlic: You can either use fresh or roasted garlic, but never bottled!
- Tahini: If you can't find tahini paste locally, use my two-ingredient tahini paste recipe.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is preferred, but bottled lemon juice can be substituted.
- Salt: Sea salt or kosher salt
- Tomatoes: I used grape tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes can be substituted.
- Olives: I just love olives, so I added kalamata olives and pickled green olives. If you only have one of those two, that's perfectly fine.
- Onion: I added red onion, but green onions (scallions) can be substituted. If you don't like onions, don't add them.
- Cucumber: Choose from English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers. They have the best flavor and texture unless you can get your hands on Armenian cucumbers, which are my all-time favorites!
- Feta Cheese: Crumbled Greek Feta cheese, French feta, or a block of feta that you can cube. You can also use the kind that's loaded with fresh herbs.
- Garnish Ideas: Italian parsley, fresh mint, sumac powder, za'atar (try my substitute for za'atar), or roasted pine nuts. You can also sprinkle the hummus with a little Mediterranean seasoning!
🧆 How to Make Loaded Hummus
Step 1: Add hummus ingredients (chickpeas, garlic, salt, olive oil, tahini, and lemon juice) to a food processor and blend until you achieve a creamy consistency. Add a few tablespoons of chickpea liquid and blend until smooth. Spread hummus on a plate or a small platter.
Pro Tip: Use the back of a spoon to swirl the hummus onto your plate or serving dish-think wide, shallow, and swirly. Those grooves are perfect for holding toppings and olive oil.
Step 2: Slice the cucumber into thin rings and the tomatoes in half. Next, chop the red onion. Arrange veggies on the plate of hummus to your liking, use your creativity! Next, add olives and feta cheese.
Step 3: To garnish the loaded hummus, add Italian parsley leaves, sprinkle with sumac powder, and drizzle with olive oil.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Serve loaded hummus with fresh Greek pita bread, Middle Eastern pita bread, or baked pita chips. This loaded hummus recipe would also work as a side with gyros pizza or Greek chicken souvlaki. But that's not all! Try it with a falafel wrap, a chicken shawarma plate, or kofta kebabs!
🥗 Can You Make Loaded Hummus Ahead of Time?
Hummus can be prepared a day or two before you plan on serving it. The flavors develop over time. If you're prepping for guests, make your hummus a few hours or even a day in advance-just hold off on adding fresh toppings until serving.
If adding sumac powder and olive oil ahead of time, the color of the sumac powder will run and streak the hummus. For this reason, I would sprinkle it with sumac and drizzle it with olive oil just before serving it. Keep your loaded hummus covered with plastic Saran Wrap to lock in the freshness until your guests arrive.
🤷🏻♀️ FAQs
At the very least, hummus deserves a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika, and a garnish of chopped parsley. But if you're looking to take it up a notch, try topping it with fresh chopped vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, or diced onion. Fresh herbs such as parsley or mint can add a vibrant touch, while spices like za'atar, sumac, or cayenne pepper bring an extra layer of flavor and complexity.
Hummus is naturally packed with flavor, especially when made with the right ingredients. Staples like chickpeas, fresh garlic, sea salt, lemon juice, tahini, and olive oil come together to create a rich and satisfying dip. For a creative twist, try blending in additions like roasted red peppers, jalapeños, beets, or even avocado to give your hummus a fresh new flavor.
Hummus pairs beautifully with sumac chicken, kofta kebabs, grilled lamb, or a spread of fresh vegetables for dipping. And when it comes to dipping, pita bread or crispy pita chips are an absolute must. You can also spread hummus in an Israeli sabich sandwich or serve it as a staple alongside a classic chicken shawarma plate.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- If you have red pepper at home, add some to the hummus to make red pepper hummus, which is even prettier!
- Use a high-powered blender or food processor to get your hummus ultra-smooth. Warm your chickpeas slightly before blending, and add aquafaba (the chickpea liquid) for that silky finish.
- Don't skimp on quality. A bold, fruity extra virgin olive oil ties everything together and adds richness.
- Warm, slightly crispy pita or grilled flatbread makes a huge difference-bonus points for brushing it with olive oil and a sprinkle of za'atar like I do in my baked pita chip recipe.
🥙 More Middle Eastern Recipes
If you enjoy this loaded hummus recipe, check out these other tasty Middle Eastern dishes!
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📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add hummus ingredients (chickpeas, garlic, salt, olive oil, tahini, and lemon juice) to a food processor and blend until you achieve a creamy consistency. Add a few tablespoons of chickpea liquid and blend until smooth. Spread hummus on a plate or a small platter.
- Slice cucumber into thin rings and the tomatoes in half. Next, chop the red onion. Arrange veggies on the plate of hummus to your liking, use your creativity! Next, add olives and feta cheese.
- To garnish the loaded hummus, add Italian parsley leaves, sprinkle with sumac powder, and drizzle with olive oil.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Use the back of a spoon to swirl the hummus onto your plate or serving dish-think wide, shallow, and swirly. Those grooves are perfect for holding toppings and olive oil.
- If you have red pepper at home, add some to the hummus to make red pepper hummus, which is even prettier!
- Use a high-powered blender or food processor to get your hummus ultra-smooth. Warm your chickpeas slightly before blending, and add iaquafaba (the chickpea liquid) for that silky finish.
- Don't skimp on quality. A bold, fruity extra virgin olive oil ties everything together and adds richness.
- Warm, slightly crispy pita or grilled flatbread makes a huge difference-bonus points for brushing it with olive oil and a sprinkle of za'atar like I do in my baked pita chip recipe.
Nina says
My family loved this recipe! It was so good!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Nina, glad to hear it, enjoy!
Erica says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Erica!
Kelly Methey says
Your hummus is the best! I love it so much! Making it loaded is genius! It looks so pretty and adds so much to an already perfect recipe! Yum!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Kelly, it's definitely my new favorite way to enjoy hummus, not going back!
Hilda Sterner says
We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!