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
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!