I want to say first off that this genius idea is not mine. I actually found this a few years ago when I was exploring raw foods.
This recipe is lightly adapted from Matt Amsden’s book RAWvolution. Interestingly, there are a lot of raw food recipes that fit perfectly into a low carb lifestyle. Eating raw eliminates processed foods and grains – focusing on healthy fats and using vegetables in creative ways which naturally leads to some low carb friendly dishes. This hummus, which uses zucchini in place of the chickpeas is an excellent example. I was skeptical when I first tried it because I really love a classic hummus.
I was very surprised when I made it at how good and…well…hummusy it was! It’s perfect as a dip for low carb veggies or these flax crackers. You could even use it as a condiment for low carb wraps, a dressing for salads, or even a sauce for chicken or lamb dishes. I would normally eat hummus with falafel, which I love, and an idea just popped into my head to try making it with ground cauliflower instead of chickpeas. Could be brilliant or a total bust – I will try it soon and get back to you on that! (For those of you who have asked me where I get my ideas, this is usually how it happens, then one idea leads to another, and another, etc, etc. Sometimes it comes out great, other times….not so much!)
Ok back to the hummus! This is pretty simple to make but to get the right consistency you’ll need a blender. I used my vitamix which is pretty powerful so I don’t know how well a traditional blender will work – hopefully ok since zucchini blends easily. A food processor might also work but I’ve never tried it – so if you try it please report back on how it came out!
Low Carb Hummus (Bean Free)
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups peeled & chopped raw zucchini
- 3/4 cups tahini (sesame paste)
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until thick and smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.
- Pour into a shallow bowl and garnish with parsley, paprika and a drizzle of olive oil if desired. Enjoy!
- Category: Dip/spread
- Cuisine: Hummus
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tbsp
- Carbohydrates: 2.5g net
Monica says
Great hummus! I gave it 4/5 stars since I personally thought it tasted a bit salty so I’m planning on cutting back on that a little bit. I ended up using a big bag of cauliflower instead of zucchini as the base, doubling the batch. 1/2 of it I tried in my Vitamix and the other 1/2 in my food processor. I noticed a texture difference between the two, the blender created a more creamy texture and the food processor was a bit more textured, so if you prefer one type of texture over another, there’s your answer about the two. I’m going to see how hummus freezes since I made a bunch and save smaller portions in the fridge.
Thanks for the simple recipe!