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
KC says
Yum! Topped some with toasted pine nuts and smoked paprika. Topped some with leftover meat (from your Stromboli recipe, actually; had minced beef and bacon crumbles, seasoned; rewarmed) and pine nuts.
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sounds delicious!
Tyler says
No stars. It turned into hummus soup and was salty beyond repair.
Annie says
A method of reducing bitterness in vegetables is to sprinkle them with salt after cutting them up. The salt draws out the bitterness and some of the water content from the vegetables. Then you rinse the veg, pat dry and use in the recipe. This should make the finished hummus a bit thicker too.
Matt Amsden says
Hi! Your page looks great! I wonder if you might allow me to use your photo of the hummus on the Rawvolution Instagram. I’ll credit you of course.
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hey Matt, yes go for it! Big fan of yours and I have your book from years ago when I went raw vegan for about 6 months!
Holly1 says
Oh, yum! I just made this with yellow squash instead of zukes (The zucchinis were literally the size and shape of a cigar at the store. LOL) BUT something has a bitter aftertaste. Any idea what that might be? I totally know it’s not the fault of the recipe at all! Just wondering if it happened to anyone but me and what it ended up being, if so. I’ll definitely make it again and might press through with this batch anyway, but any ideas would be welcome!
Incidentally, as a tahini lover, I would not suggest buying Trader Joe’s tahini from the shelf (unrefrigerated). Of the ones I’ve used before, this one has the most sunflower butter-y taste ever. Not ideal for hummus or “hummus.” :-) Learn from my mistake!
Thanks for the awesome recipe! I know it’s something I did wrong and I will absolutely be trying it again!
★★★★
Kaitlin Ruiz says
Hi! How many calories per serving? Please let me know, thanks!
Theresa Anderson RD LD CDE says
You may be surprised when you compute the net carbs from hummus made from beans vs the carbs in this recipe, that they are almost the same. In our field we feel the nutrition from beans is invaluable–the people who live the longest in the world and without chronic disease (the “Blue Zones) have a common denominator of eating a cup of beans or more almost every day.
Priya says
Hi there !
I made your dip. It tasted excellent !
I used the zuchinni skins too.(didnt peel it)
I ate it with kale chips. Kale,nut paste ,curry powder,salt,cumin and coriander powder . . Roasted at 160 C for 35-40 min. Hope thats low carb ..
The combination is excellent.
Dip’s not bitter,tahini proportion is perfect etc etc
..
★★★★★
Lisa says
Yum, wow, fantastic! Just made this tonight and it was awesome! Great recipe. I eat low carb and my husband eats raw so this was perfect for the both of us to eat. I would have never know it wasn’t hummus. We followed they exact recipe but just added to the top mince garlic and oregano. Also ate with carrot that were crinkled cut (like a chip) and raw flax chips. Thanks for the recipe.
Mellissa Sevigny says
So glad you enjoyed it Lisa, thanks for letting me know!
Anne says
Hiya! Where I live we don’t really use ‘cups’, but I’m dying to make this hummus! Could you tell me how many grams of zucchini you used? Or if you used one zucchini or a half or two? …Anything? Thank you!
Greetings,
Ane
dodie says
A cup is roughly 400 grams. :)
Sharron Timmins says
Melissa:
Just came across this today and as hummus has been off my menu since going low carb, I was eager to try it! WHOA…did it make a LOT of hummus!! LOL But, it’s so darned tasty, getting through it may not be a problem. What do you think the fridge/shelf life would be? Also, as it made such a large amount, I decided to divide it in half and try half the batch with a bunch of fresh dill I had that needed to be used. YUMMY!! Can’t decide which I like better! I added about 3 Tblsp. of fresh dill to half of your recipe. I don’t have a high-powered blender, but put it all together in my food processor, then finished the job in my magic bullet to get a finer consistency. Lovin’ it!
Great recipes – keep ’em comin’!
Sharron
Yolande says
This was the first recipe I tried on your website and it was a huge success, thank you! I made it with shredded cauliflower (alternative suggested) and it worked perfectly – fluffy texture, awesome taste. Husband loved it so am making another batch now.
Porcia says
OMG thank you so much for this recipe!!! YUM!! You’ve given me another great recipe for my Vitamix. This hummus turned out so awesome even without peeling the zucchini. I so enjoyed it with the Simply Sprouted Way Better No Salt Naked Blues tortilla chips. So happy! (This is the 1st posting ever on a food blog.) Thank you!
Mellissa Sevigny says
So glad you liked this recipe Porcia and thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Nina says
Thank you so much for sharing, this will become a staple in our household I am sure! Had someone just given me some of this without telling me what it is, I would have never guessed it to be anything but chickpea – based. Fantastic idea.
I made mine in a food processor, by the way, and was quite happy with the texture. Not completely smooth, but not lumpy, either…. just…. a bit of texture… which you find in hummus quite often, anyway, I suppose… I was happy with it this way, anyway.
Shel says
Love this. It quickly became one of my staple items to have on hand. It makes a huge difference in getting me to eat enough veggies! I noticed that one out of every few batches was thicker. It occurred to me that when I open a new can or jar of tahini, the tahini goes into the blender at room temp. Maybe it more thoroughly blends in, then thickens everything up when cold? Tried leaving my tahini out all day yesterday, and I got a nice thick batch. If my zukes seem extra moist I let them dry on towels after chopping.
Vickie Danley says
I am going to try straining mine through a coffee filter or some cheesecloth to thicken it up. I also think you could puree the zucchini and strain it first before mixing it all together… :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Great idea Vickie!!!!
Pam says
I just made this in my Vita Mix. The taste was wonderful. It was a bit runny so I threw in a couple of florets of cauliflower. Did not change the taste at all. I am going to use it as a staple for wraps too. Great with Jicama to dip with. Thank you!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for the feedback Pam, adding a little cauliflower to thicken it was a great idea! I’m going to try that next time – thanks for sharing!
Anonymous says
Is there any reason you couldn’t make it with the skins on? Cutting out some good nutrition, who cares if it’s green?
Mellissa Sevigny says
You could try but the skin can turn it bitter!
Anonymous says
I didn’t think about that, I’ve had some bitter zucchini and didn’t realize the skins were the culprit. Thanks.
Anonymous says
Just made this….and it is WONDERFUL! Thank You very much.
Greetings from Denmark
Karen
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Karen, glad you liked it!
Renee @pinkypie says
just found your recipe via Pinterest and whipped me up some hummous! thank you for this – I think I may put a wee bit less tahini, just because it is quite a strong taste with this amount (or maybe I needed more courgette?). If you don’t mind I’ll probably link back to you when I mention it on my blog?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Renee, glad you liked it! I don’t mind the tahini taste but it’s definitely not for everyone! Thanks for linking back, appreciate it!
Maria says
Maria
Great recipe…I love Hummus and have been looking for a recipe that would fit into my low carb way of eating…so thanks so much for sharing this one. I added approximately 10 Kalamata Olives to the zuccini…I made 1/2 the ingredients because I did not want to make a lot in case I messed it up…which I didn’t. I put in a lot of garlic because I love garlic…I did not have any Tahini in the house which I am sure would make it a bit thicker…not that it was runny, but it could’ve used some sort of binding substance…I follow the Wheat Belly low carb eating system so I have to be mindful of additives….any suggestions other than Tahini?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I love your idea of adding olives! Not sure what you could use to thicken it other than tahini. Tahini is sesame paste and a natural product so not sure that would conflict with the Wheat Belly principles. If you find an alternative I’d love to hear about it!
izy_ice says
I’m on the Dukan Diet right now – so I’m currently not allowed to eat the following ingredients the recipie inherits:
Oil
Tahini
I tried the recipie without those two, but added after blending the Zucchini 250 Gramm of smoked tofu! The colour and taste appered to be just like real hummus and it has exactly the consistency I knew from real hummus. This way the recipie has NO CRAB!
After letting it steep over night it was even more delicious! Still, can’t believe it… Simply love it!
xoxo
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for offering those options, good to know it can be made without the tahini and oil and still taste great! So happy that you liked it!
Anonymous says
Hi just attempted the hummus. I’ve added more zucchini and tahini, but it’s still a little thin and watery. Any suggestions? Thanks for the recipe.
Mellissa Sevigny says
It’s never as thick as real hummus but I’ve gotten used to it. Not sure how to make it thicker without adding more carbs!
Ann says
Have you tried salting an draining the zucchini beforehand?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I never have, but that would be a good way to get the extra moisture out! I’ll have to try that for my next batch!
Anonymous says
This looks delicious. About how many servings does this make?
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
I’m guess-timating because I haven’t made it in months but you should get about 3 cups of hummus so it depends on how much you consider a serving. Twelve 1/4 cup servings maybe.
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
More tahini or zucchini might bulk it up – maybe some cauliflower puree???
Anonymous says
I tried this today (and the flax crackers). It tastes good but is a little too thin. Any suggestions on how to thicken it??
Esther says
Hi Melissa, indeed I had very fresh garlic, so that could have been it. Roast red peppers sound very good to me! Keep experimenting, I’ll be back for more… What do you think of a combination of egg plant and zucchini? I might try that the next time.
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Hi Esther! I bet the eggplant and zucchini would work great together! Baba Ganoush is a dip made with eggplant that I’ve been meaning to make for the blog but I never thought of adding the zucchini as well – might have to add some just to see how it comes out!
Shari says
This sounds like an really interesting option, and I’m going to try it, but one thing needs to be said about all the versions of “hummus” that are all over the internet: “hummus”, by definition, are chick peas. Hummus (in Arabic)=chick peas.
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks Shari, hope you like it and feel free to call it courgette dip or whatever else you think is more accurately descriptive! ;)
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Hey Esther, glad you liked it! Maybe my garlic wasn’t as fresh as yours so the flavor was muted? I love it garlicky and lemony! I’m going to experiment with some other flavors next time I make it though. Maybe roasted red peppers or cilantro/jalapeno which is a flavor Trader Joe’s makes that I love in their traditional hummus…
Esther says
I just made it, and eating it with cucumber sticks while typing. The taste is really hummusy, though I would use less garlic the next time. I already used 2 cloves instead of 4, and it’s still very overpowering. And i really love garlic. So, next time will be better. But thanks for the tip!
Melissa says
There are also various sizes of garlic cloves. The garlic I usually get in the winter has small cloves (no more than 1/2″ wide at the widest point), but the summertime garlic around here has much larger cloves, especially the outer ones (1″ to 1.5″ at the widest point). I always count those larger cloves as 2-4 “cloves” of garlic, depending on their size. I also noticed that the winter garlic is very white, while the summer garlic has purple veining on the husk.
Anonymous says
AWESOME!!!! I have been missing hummus for the past 3 weeks, so I was glad to see your recipe on Pinterest. Made it today and LOVED it! It was also kid-approved at today’s playdate!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Glad it was a hit with everyone!
jene says
I just started a low carb diet this week and stumbled onto your recipe. Made it today and loved it!!! I used a food processor and thought it turned out just fine, but maybe people like it slightly smoother
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
I don’t mind mine a little chunky either Jene! Happy that it turned out well for you – I haven’t made a batch in awhile and I think it’s about time I did! :)
Anonymous says
Hi! The garlic is raw, yes?
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Yes!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
I haven’t eaten lima beans in years! Never thought of using them in falafel – interesting! Will be experimenting with the cauli version soon and will post the results – good or bad! :)
Anonymous says
Wonderful, thanks for the recipe. I’ve made falafel with lima beans and loved the result. Will definitely try the cauliflower version too.
Nicole says
I just made this, thanks for the recipe. The flavor seems right on (humus-y), but there’s something about the consistency when using the food processor. I put mine in a food processor and it was a little tiny lumpy and just “off”. Threw the whole thing in the blender and it came out great!
Thanks again!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks for sharing your experience with the food processor! I always use the blender so it’s good to know for other readers that the food processor is definitely not as good. Glad you liked it once the consistency was right!
Anonymous says
the zuchinni is raw or cooked?
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Raw!
Jenny D. says
Could you use cooked zucchini instead of raw? This looks amazing! Pinning now for next week’s meal plan.
Mellissa Sevigny says
It would have a completely different texture Jenny – not sure if it would work but let us know if you try it!
Sharon says
Cheers for the tip about the blender, I first did in the thermomix but the consistency wasn’t right. So blitzed it in the Vitamix and …perfect!!
Miriam says
I have tried a version like this with broccoli and zucchini… the raw broccoli flavor was really strong and I ended up throwing most of it away and feeling horrible for wasting food. You have inspired me to try again without the broccoli!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
I don’t think I’d like a version with broccoli in it either – it would just be too weird! Hope you like this one much better!
Anonymous says
Looks great! I saw a recipe for a low-carb hummus using eggplant, but unfortunately, didn’t bookmark it. Another idea for you to try :-)
Looking forward to your cauliflower hummus. In the meantime, will try this one!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
The eggplant puree is usually called baba ganoush and I will definitely be making that soon too! The cauliflower falafel I’m going to try making this week – I hope it works because I really love falafel!
amorette says
Cannot wait to try it! This post came a day late as I made normal hummus yesterday, served with your flax crackers. (Love the crackers, btw, and I also made the pizza crust again last night, with rosemary). I have cauliflower in the microwave right now, so I can make your bangers & mash! I just adore your blog!!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks Amorette! Hope you liked the bangers and mash!
Kathryn says
Hi Amorette,
I notice in your comment you mentioned making a pizza crust. I’m on a Keto diet and looking for some good recipes to replace the carbs in my life. Could you pass on the pizza crust recipe please? :)
Thanks
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
What a cool idea! I’ll have to keep this in mind for when I have way too many zucchini :D It looks delicious!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Let me know what you think if you try it! It really surprised me how much the zucchini worked in place of the chickpeas – definitely the perfect mid summer dip!