Have you ever noticed that hummus is one of those words that looks more and more strange the longer you look at it? Maybe it’s just me, but while I was editing the photos with the text, I got so weirded out by it that I had to do a yahoo search to make sure I had the spelling right!
Stare at it for a minute and you’ll see what I mean!
HUMMUS.
Amiright?!!?
Told ya!
ANYHOO…moving on to more important stuff – LOW CARB HUMMUS Y’ALL!
I have been missing hummus in a major way lately, and finally got around to trying this experiment with cauliflower to stand in for the chickpeas. I noticed recently that my low carb cauliflower puree has the consistency of hummus when cold, and thought if I added just the right ingredients I could mask the cauliflower flavor enough to convince people that it was the real thing.
Um. You guys? IT TOTALLY WORKED. And I mean for real! If you put my low carb cauliflower hummus up against a store bought classic hummus, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Even I was surprised at how well this experiment turned out!
It did take a little fussing to get the flavor where it needed to be though. I had to keep tweaking it to hide the subtle sweetness of the cauliflower, but with just the right amounts of lemon, garlic (raw and cooked), and tahini paste, it turned out incredibly delicious. Almost dangerously addictive if I do say so!
When I finally got around to making this, I didn’t have a lot of low carb dipping options hanging around, so I improvised with some rolled up radicchio leaves and thinly sliced Granny Smith apple. The radicchio leaves are pretty for the photos, but the bitterness wasn’t my favorite. The apple slices however tasted AMAZING with it!
I ate the remainder the next day with celery sticks, lower in carbs than the apple slices, and just as delicious in their own way. Another great low carb dipping option would be radish slices.
And of course, this cauliflower hummus would be amazing with my Low Carb Cauliflower Falafel and a side of my Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad! Holy lots of cauliflower Batman!
As an added bonus, this hummus recipe is super healthy for you! It is full on Paleo friendly – even Whole 30 compliant! It’s also egg free, grain free, gluten free, dairy free, and nut free (tahini is made from sesame seeds), so it fits into pretty much any eating plan.
This low carb cauliflower hummus recipe makes a great base for all kinds of other hummus flavors if you want to get creative.
I love Trader Joe’s jalapeno cilantro hummus and you could totally do that with this. A roasted red pepper version would also be delicious. Or sun-dried tomato and Kalamata olives, if you’re into that.
Pretty much any strong flavors will go well in this recipe. I’ll probably experiment with some of these ideas and post the results sometime in the future.
Meanwhile, get your dip on and make this hummus IMMEDIATELY! Then report back because I’m dying to hear what you think of it!
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Low Carb Cauliflower Hummus Recipe
- Yield: Six 1/4 cup servings 1x
- Category: Dip
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Description
This low carb hummus is so delicious that you’d never know it was grain free and made with super healthy cauliflower! Keto, Atkins, and Paleo friendly!
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw cauliflower florets
- 2 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 1.5 Tbsp Tahini paste
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 raw garlic cloves, crushed (in addition to above)
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- smoked paprika and extra olive oil for serving
Instructions
- Combine the cauliflower, water, 2 Tbsp avocado or olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 3 whole garlic cloves to a microwave safe dish. Microwave for about 15 minutes – or until softened and darkened in color.
- Put the cauliflower mixture into a magic bullet, blender, or food processor and blend. Add the tahini paste, lemon juice, 2 raw garlic cloves, 3 Tbsp olive oil, and 3/4 tsp kosher salt. Blend until mostly smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- To serve, place the hummus in a bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika. Use thinly sliced tart apples, celery sticks, raw radish chips, or other vegges to dip with.
Notes
Approx. nutrition info per 1/4 cup: 141 calories, 14g fat, 3.5g net carbs, 2g protein
In other news….
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jillypax says
Whoa. This was truly DELICIOUS. By far the best ‘hummus’ I have ever had!! It’s full of flavor, creamy and filling. Really outstanding! Ordering your book based on this recipe alone! Day 1 of SCK and this will for sure be a staple in my month and going forward! Any idea how long it keeps in the fridge? Would love to make a double batch so I always have on hand. THANK YOU!!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
You should be fine for up to a week in the fridge I’d think!
Aimee says
This recipe is great and doesn’t taste like cauliflower. I added a bit more tahini and a sprinkle of cumin. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Michele McElhiney says
AH-mazing! I, too, added hot sauce (the green jalapeno type) but only because I add it to my standard hummus recipes. Also, I used my pressure cooker (high pressure for one minute and then quick release) instead. Thank you for this GREAT idea and awesome recipe! I will make again and again.
★★★★★
laura says
The flavor was not good at all. I followed the recipe exactly. Wondering why it got such praise in previous reviews.
Kare says
I followed the basic for this recipe and tweaked it. That being said, I typically do not actually measure unless I’m baking.
This is a fantastic recipe to follow should you want to make a basic chickpea-free hummus.
I roasted a head of cauliflower florets and 4 cut up red bell peppers with a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of sea salt.
Then (food processor) pureed with lemon, garlic, tahini, salt, ect….to taste.
Initially I put in too much tahini and not enough lemon but easily adjusted it. ADJUST IT TO YOUR TASTE-IT’S AMAZING!
★★★★
Rochelle says
SO DELICIOUS. I followed the recipe exactly and was so happy with the result, can’t wait to try some variations on this. One thing to note; I cooked my cauliflower in a covered glass pyrex bowl for the whole 15 minutes as I was worried they would dry out, and kept close eye to make sure they weren’t getting overdone. Next time I will try 10 minutes covered and 3-5 minutes uncovered to get them a little crispier.
Well done can’t wait to try some more recipes!
Scott says
Found this recipe last week and made it today. It was so good, I made a second batch immediately, as I knew my daughter and I would demolish it quickly. On the second batch, I added two tablespoons of sriracha. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes some heat. Thanks for the recipe.
Linda says
This was fantastic. I tweaked it just a bit by skipping the water and baking the cauliflower, oil, salt and garlic cloves for about 45 minutes (flipping it over halfway through) to get a nice overall browning on the cauliflower and garlic. Instead of olive oil and paprika, I finished it off with a sprinkle of olive oil, sumac and za’atar. :)
★★★★★
Pat says
AWESOME Recipe ! I made the process even easier by using a small box of frozen plain mashed cauliflower (cooked per directions to lose the moisture). Also added a few shakes of dried red pepper and topped it with a drizzle of EVOO and Everything bagel SPICE Mix. I’m sure the flavors will be even better once I wait for it to properly chill. I love Hummus w/ Red Pepper strips and Cucumber slices.
Lastly, I’m loving the SCKC diet! It’s a big change for this cheesehead, but feeling great without dairy or artificial sweeteners.
★★★★★
Jennifer says
I L…O…V…E this stuff. I have to keep it on hand at all times. My best advice is now to make a big batch, then line a plate with parchment and freeze measured “hummus piles” that can be stored in a Ziploc until you need it….I do have to leave out the raw garlic, but everyone tweaks seasoning, right?
★★★★
Elaine says
Absolutely delicious! I would definitely make it again. I used one bag of Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower rice and followed the above directions. It worked perfectly.
★★★★★
Kimberley DeFay says
I am such a skeptic when it comes to wannabe recipes made with cauliflower. But since I also subscribe to the notion, “nothing ventured, not gained” philosophy and I miraculously had all the ingredients on hand I decided to give it a try. I followed the recipe exactly with one exception, more garlic (2x). I used a food processor to blend. This stuff is super easy to make and tastes better than store bought chickpea hummus, Follow the recipe, you will not be disappointed.
DORIS SCHULER says
I’m about o make this! Can someone tell me if you cooked ingredients covered or uncovered in the microwave? I imagine it’s covered but just want to check, I’m anticipating diving right into this after it’s preparation so I don’t want to make any mistakes ?
Mellissa Sevigny says
uncovered!
Cetandi says
I followed the recipe, and I am dissapointed!
However, not the fault of ingredients.
I don’t know how no one else has had this problem, but I put 3 cups of cauliflower florets (fresh) along with the water olive oil and garlic in my microwave and came back to almost nothing in the pyrex container!
The garlic was brown, and petrified, and the cauliflower was shrunk to less than 1 cup…im feeling as deflated as the cauliflower.
Sandy says
I wonder if your microwave is a lot more powerful than the one she used in her recipe. I thought 15 minutes seemed like a long time for my unit. I’d suggest trying it again, but cutting back on the time.
★★★★
Allan Danbrook says
This is truly very good, just made it and will see what the family say when they get to taste. But wife and think this is a winner. Well done and thanks!
★★★★★
Otki says
This was honestly really bad. It doesn’t taste remotely like actual hummus. This needs WAY more lemon juice and tahini. It doesn’t even have cumin in it for God’s sake. I’m very surprised that this recipe has such a high rating.
★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sorry it wasn’t to your taste.
Cid says
lmao. I know you’re from CT, but you sound Canadian! ;)
I wouldn’t apologize in any form to that a**. Why not just say that they didn’t like it, but would suggest adding those ingredients, or say that they DID add extra ingredients and preferred it? People can be so freaking crusty! What happened to constructive criticism?!
BTW, Thank you for sharing your experimentations and food adventures!
Selkie says
I found this recipe very bland, disappointed.
★★★
Courtney says
This was fantastic! I love it and my husband said it wasn’t bad (This is extremely high praise from someone who hates cauliflower, tahini, and doesn’t like hummus in general)
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
That IS high praise, thanks for letting me know Courtney! I can get this one by my cauliflower-hating husband too ha ha!
Betty says
This recipe is amazing! After adding 1-1/2 T. of Tahini and tasting, I decided to add more Tahini. Yep, I like the flavor of Tahini. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Can hardly wait to make it again next week
★★★★★
Tammi L. Coles says
Made three batches for different parties: one very close to the recipe and two variations based on comments. Roasted cauliflower in all cases, based on the comments. The last batch with the roasted red pepper looks and tastes fantastic. Definitely a keeper recipe!
CB says
I tried this because I am on a keto diet and going through hummus withdrawal lol. Its absolutely amazing! I cooked mine on the stovetop in a pot. I left it covered most of the time, then took the lid off at the end to boil off the liquid. I only added one raw clove of garlic to the food processor and the end, and good thing because it was a harsh clove and definitely gave the hummus a bit of a bite! Luckily I love garlic, but my family probably aren’t appreciating my breath haha. I will absolutely be making this again soon! Oh and also, I used regular tahini – as I have never seen it in a paste form anywhere near where I live. For those of you who asked about leaving our the tahini – its pretty much crucial for the “hummus” flavor. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
★★★★★