This harissa hummus is a mildly spicy and flavorful Middle Eastern take on traditional hummus. Make it with our easy homemade harissa, or use a store-bought version. It’s a delicious dip or spread for snack boards and sandwiches, and it takes just 15 minutes to make!
Hummus is one of those dips I make on repeat, and this harissa hummus is what I turn to when I want to shake things up. It has everything I love about classic hummus — creamy, scoopable, and deeply satisfying — with an extra punch of bold, smoky flavor.
I serve it as a snack, set it out with veggies and warm pita, or add it to party platters when friends are over. It’s simple, a little unexpected, and always the first thing to disappear.
Ingredients needed
- Chickpeas : if you have the time or a pressure cooker you can absolutely used dried and cooked chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans). We use canned chickpeas for ease and convenience.
- Tahini : tahini is a sesame seed paste that gives hummus its creaminess. You can find it in most grocery stores with the nut butters.
- Olive oil : extra virgin olive oil helps to emulsify the hummus and makes the texture luxurious.
- Harissa : you can find a decent quality harissa at most grocery stores, or try our easy homemade harissa recipe below.
- Sea salt : we use a pinch of sea salt for seasoning and to bring out all the flavors.
- Garlic : fresh garlic adds a pungent kick.
- Lemon juice : fresh lemon juice brightens up the hummus and adds acidity to balance out the creamy flavors.
What is harissa paste?
Harissa is a popular chili paste commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern cooking. While the ingredients can vary slightly based on the region, it typically includes dried chili peppers, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, fresh or roasted red bell pepper, sea salt, and olive oil. It’s a deeply earthy, rich, and aromatic addition to all sorts of foods from soups to stews, meats, dips, and more!
How to make harissa paste
You can use store-bought harissa for this hummus, but it’s really easy and satisfying to make your own with just a few ingredients. Simply put the following ingredients into your blender or food processor and blend until it’s smooth.
- Red bell pepper + red onion : these are common harissa ingredients, making the dish fresh and flavorful.
- Chiles de Arbol : These small and thin peppers are bold and spicy. If you’re unsure about the spice level, start with just a little and add more to taste.
- Tomato paste + olive oil : a bit of tomato paste adds bold flavor and rich red color, and the extra-virgin olive oil helps emulsify the mixture.
- Spices : We use a flavorful spice mix of cumin, coriander, and sea salt.
- Lemon juice : for brightness and acidity.
What to dip in hummus
- Fresh cut vegetables : we use a mix of carrot sticks, radishes, asparagus spears, snap peas, and cherry tomatoes but you can use any veggie you like, or whatever you have in your fridge.
- Grilled or toasted baguette : use gluten-free if needed. Or your favorite crackers.
- Fresh berries : any type of fresh berry or seasonal fruit tastes wonderful and refreshing on this platter.
- Olives : black kalamata olives are our favorite but you can use other varieties of olives, or a mix.
What to serve with harissa hummus
Serve this harissa hummus anytime you would serve traditional hummus either as an appetizer, dip, or spread. Serve it alongside our baba ganoush and some fresh pita bread, grilled baguette, or seedy crackers for dipping. It’s also makes a wonderful appetizer before a Middle Eastern meal!
Can I make it ahead of time?
Yes, it’s easy to make ahead of time. Store the hummus in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days. The texture will thicken in the fridge so you may want to pulse it in your food processor with a splash of warm water for a thinner consistency before serving.
Can I use roasted red bell pepper instead of fresh?
Yep! It will give the harissa a slightly different (but delicious) flavor
Is harissa hummus spicy?
This all depends on how spicy your harissa is. For a less spicy harissa, go easy on the chiles de Arbol to start, and add more to taste.
Do you have other recipes that use harissa?
Yes! If you love the bold and mildly spicy flavor of harissa, try our other harissa recipes like our harissa shakshuka , harissa honey chicken , or chickpea harissa soup !
Harissa Hummus Recipe
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Ingredients
Harissa Hummus
- ▢ 14 ounce can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- ▢ ¼ cup tahini
- ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
- ▢ 1-3 tablespoons harissa (see notes)
- ▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt (or more, to taste)
- ▢ 1 clove garlic (minced)
- ▢ Juice from ½ lemon
The Platter
- ▢ Fresh cut veggies
- ▢ Grilled or toasted bread (gluten-free if needed)
- ▢ Berries
- ▢ Olives
Homemade Harissa
- ▢ 1 medium red bell pepper
- ▢ ½ red onion
- ▢ 4 cloves garlic
- ▢ 2 chiles de Arbol (small red chilis)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon EACH: tomato paste and olive oil
- ▢ ½ teaspoon EACH: cumin, coriander, and sea salt
- ▢ Juice from ½ lemon
Instructions
- If you’re making your own harissa, do that first. Put all the ingredients into your food processor or blender and blend until mostly smooth. Transfer to a jar. 1 medium red bell pepper, ½ red onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 chiles de Arbol, 1 tablespoon EACH: tomato paste and olive oil, ½ teaspoon EACH: cumin, coriander, and sea salt, Juice from ½ lemon
- Add the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, harissa, sea salt, garlic, and lemon juice to your food processor or blender. (No need to clean it first if you’ve made the harissa!) Blend on high until smooth. Taste and season with more sea salt, if you’d like. 14 ounce can of chickpeas, ¼ cup tahini, ¼ cup olive oil, 1-3 tablespoons harissa, 1 clove garlic, Juice from ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Serve the harissa hummus with lots of fresh veggies and some grilled or toasted bread. Olives and berries are nice additions to the platter!
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here .
Did you make this?
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More hummus recipes
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Creamy Cauliflower Hummus
Creamy Roasted Beet Hummus
Delicious Edamame Hummus (made in 10 minutes!)
Harissa Hummus Recipe
Ingredients
Harissa Hummus
- 14 ounce can of chickpeas , drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1-3 tablespoons harissa , see notes
- ½ teaspoon sea salt , or more, to taste
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- Juice from ½ lemon
The Platter
- Fresh cut veggies
- Grilled or toasted bread , gluten-free if needed
- Berries
- Olives
Homemade Harissa
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- ½ red onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 chiles de Arbol , small red chilis
- 1 tablespoon EACH: tomato paste and olive oil
- ½ teaspoon EACH: cumin, coriander, and sea salt
- Juice from ½ lemon
Instructions
- If you’re making your own harissa, do that first. Put all the ingredients into your food processor or blender and blend until mostly smooth. Transfer to a jar. 1 medium red bell pepper, ½ red onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 chiles de Arbol, 1 tablespoon EACH: tomato paste and olive oil, ½ teaspoon EACH: cumin, coriander, and sea salt, Juice from ½ lemon
- Add the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, harissa, sea salt, garlic, and lemon juice to your food processor or blender. (No need to clean it first if you’ve made the harissa!) Blend on high until smooth. Taste and season with more sea salt, if you’d like. 14 ounce can of chickpeas, ¼ cup tahini, ¼ cup olive oil, 1-3 tablespoons harissa, 1 clove garlic, Juice from ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Serve the harissa hummus with lots of fresh veggies and some grilled or toasted bread. Olives and berries are nice additions to the platter!
Notes
https://www.theendlessmeal.com/spicy-harissa-hummus-platter/
