A light and airy whipped consistency with hints of lemon and Kalamata olives. This flavorful Greek hummus is the perfect appetizer or snack!
My mom has been making this secret ingredient Greek hummus for most of my life. I have always loved the texture and flavor, and also how easy it is to change it up so we don’t get bored!
Greek Hummus
Many times when there is a Greek option at a regular restaurant, it usually comes with kalamata olives as a topping. Growing up with olive trees in my yard, the tangy salty Greek olive is a staple memory. And they often went into many of our dishes.
The tang of this Greek hummus is amplified with the addition of olives. It’s plenty delicious without them, but I love that extra layer of flavor they give!
Is hummus a traditional Greek food?
Hummus has been around for a really long time, but originally it started in the eastern Arab countries that were known for growing chickpeas.
Growing up going to Greece every summer, hummus was never a staple in the tavernas and homes we frequented. Even though it is found in Greece, there are many other dishes that better represent the Greek culture.
Who first invented hummus?
So many countries like to claim that hummus started with them. But based on what I have read, the oldest evidence of hummus came from Egypt. Chickpeas were a common food in the Arabic countries according to history. Hummus actually means chickpea in Arabic!
Greece and Egypt were trade partners, so it would explain how the dish made it’s way into the Greek cuisine. Along with hummus, there are many other similarities in Greek and Arabic foods.
The top two foods, other than hummus, that I have seen cross both cultures are:
- Baklava
- Stuffed grape leaves
Making a Vegan Hummus
Hummus is super easy to make, and the variations are endless. There are more recipes than you can keep up with online! But there are some standard ingredients that most of them have:
- chickpeas
- tahini
- lemon juice
- garlic
Because my mom can’t stand tahini, so this is a hummus recipe without tahini, and instead added Greek olive oil to gain the creaminess.
Is there any dairy in hummus?
Traditionally, hummus is vegan by accident. However it is very customizable, so as long as your take on this traditional dish doesn’t have any dairy, eggs or meat products, you are good to go in the vegan department.
Some variations do call for yogurt, so that would be one ingredient I would watch out for.
Hummus in fact is an awesome vegan food, and one I often turn to in restaurants to snack on. It is full of plant-based protein and fiber and low in the carb department.
The Secret ingredients for the perfect Greek hummus
My mom’s hummus is light, fluffy, full of air. Whipped in every sense of the word. What’s her secret? Soda water.
Yup, the bubbly liquid helps create this amazing whipped like texture. Here is the easy sure fire method for her Greek hummus recipe without tahini:
- Put everything into a food processor.
- Blend until smooth and fluffy.
- Serve with just about anything and everything!
If you don’t want to get bored, try switching up this Greek hummus with some other fun ingredients:
- Paprika
- Red pepper flakes
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Roasted red bell pepper
- Spinach
More vegan dips to make you drool:
A light and airy whipped consistency with hints of lemon and Kalamata olives. This flavorful Greek hummus is the perfect appetizer or snack!
- 2 cans garbanzo beans 15 oz cans, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 4-6 tablespoons club soda
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon sea salt , depending on whether you use olives
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 Kalamata olives , optional
- 1-3 tablespoons olive oil , optional (start with 1 and add more to get the taste you like)
Place all ingredients into a food processor and mix until smooth. You can also use a blender but you may need a touch more liquid to get the blender to blend.
Serve with pita bread, crackers, and/or raw veggies.
- The olive oil is optional for added flavor and creaminess, but you can leave it out if you aren’t using oil.
- This makes about 3 cups. Serving size is 1/2 cup.
- Nutrition facts include using 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Amy says
My family loves hummus. We’re used to the smokiness of the tahini, but this was so fresh tasting! I did add garlic and olive oil. I blended it for quite a long time because I prefer a smoother hummus to a grittier one. I put this in a sandwich on sprouted multigrain bread with cucumber, tomato, pea srouts and nutritional yeast. Best vegan sandwich I’ve ever had! Yum! Thanks for the great recipe!
veggiesdontbite says
That sounds amazing!!! So happy you liked it!
steviefbillman says
Hummus is one of my absolute favorite snacking recipes and I am very interested to try this secret ingredient and see how it comes out! My mouth is just watering thinking of it!
Emily Kemp says
I would never have thought to put club soda in hummus, I so need to try this!
Carol says
I can’t wait to try this. It sounds yummy. Do you drain the liquid from the beans or do you use it?
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much Carol!! I just updated the recipe to say that the beans should be rinsed and drained. I must have assumed it was obvious! Thanks for bringing it to my attention! Let me know when you try it!
Sue says
Club soda… Who knew? Thanks for the recipe; can’t wait to try it.
Tami says
Love the simple ingredients! Do you think apple cider vinegar would work instead of club soda?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Tami! Thanks so much. The club soda helps give this its “whipped” consistency so nothing else would work for that unless it has bubbles. The bubbles aid in that light and fluffy feel.
Lee says
You mention olive oil in the notes but not the recipe. How much should I use? Just found your site and am gorging myself on all of your photos?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Lee! That is so weird! It must have gotten erased by accident. It is optional, and I don’t add any but my mom does in her original recipe so I added it in for those that use it. I just edited it to include the optional olive oil (1-3 tablespoons, start with 1 and add more to get the taste you want). Thank you so much for your kind words! Makes my night!
Nichole Kraft, Food Writing Copyeditor says
Club soda! Fascinating! I love that idea. I have a bag of pita chips begging to be dipped in something. This may be their lucky day.
veggiesdontbite says
Haha! You crack me up! Your pita chips would be in dip heaven I’m sure 😉 Yes, my mom uses the club soda in her hummus and it really does make it so nice and fluffy, like a whipped texture. I love it! Thank you for making me laugh!
Nissrine @ Harmony a la Carte says
Soda water. Very interesting addition. I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to my families traditional recipe but may give this a try.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Nissrine! This is actually my moms traditional recipe, so I totally understand. My family is Greek and this is the way she has done it forever. It’s so good! And the soda water gives it a very whipped fluffy texture. Let me know if you give it a try!
Vale says
Wish I saw this when I was pregnant..I suffered of hyperemesis gravidarum, lost 20 pounds and still struggling to gain some weight!
Hope this hummus-diet works for you! I’s so frustrating not being able to do anything but puking 20 times a day!
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with this too! It’s so awful! My sister was so bad she was hospitalized and needed a zofran pump at home! The beans have actually helped a bit! Although I still have bad days overall I feel that I’m getting better. So I finally see light at the end of the tunnel. Yay!! Thanks so much for following.
The Vegan 8 says
Made it today and it’s AMAZING! It truly is so light, airy and fluffy…yet so creamy. I love the addition of the kalamata olives so much, that I doubled them and also used extras for dipping, haha! I’m kind of olive obsessed. I added about a teaspoon of salt and a large clove of garlic too, since I love garlic in my hummus. Subbing the oil with tahini worked perfect too! Even my toddler loved it! I’m going to use it on sandwiches too. I’m going to be sharing it on Instagram soon 🙂
veggiesdontbite says
So glad you liked it!!! Yes, I omitted the garlic because I don’t do garlic right now but when I can I’ll definitely put it back in! I love olives too, I mean I am Greek and all
mrs1943 says
You poor old thing, Sophia ! – I’m told that morning sickness is the utter pits. But I’m also told that it needn’t last for all that many months, so there’s a light, mate ! [grin]
Greatly looking forward to trying this one – I adore hummus !
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you! Yes, hoping the end comes sooner rather than later. However the bean fix has helped me a bit so I’m going to keep at it! Hope you enjoy the hummus!
Fabiana Simões says
Wow, club soda! That sounds interesting.
veggiesdontbite says
Yes! It helps make things fluffy and light! Give it a try!
Yanic A. says
Oh my! Making this this week-end for sure. It sounds delicious!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you! It is so good! Hope you enjoy.