What to Eat with Hummus: Serving Suggestions and Meal Ideas

Co-authored by Marrow Private Chefs and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: October 27, 2022 References

Hummus has become a go-to staple for a quick snack or easy meal, but you might get bored eating the same things with it. To mix things up, try dipping new foods into hummus or add flavorful ingredients to it—this is a great way to jazz up a container of store-bought hummus. In this article, we'll tell you what to eat hummus with and give you tasty meal suggestions where hummus plays a starring role.

Things You Should Know

Try classic dippers like crackers, pita bread, and raw vegetables. You can also add herbs, flavorful sauces, or filling ingredients like nuts and spiced meat.
Offer strawberries, dried fruit, graham crackers, or pretzels to dip into sweet hummus like chocolate or brownie-flavored hummus.
Add hummus to sandwiches, soup, or quesadillas. Try it as a replacement for dairy in pasta or salad dressing, too.

1

Breads and crackers

Set out a variety of bread for a filling side to dip in hummus. Warm pita bread, slices of baguette, and toast points are all great options for making hummus into a meal. If you're trying to get extra nutrients, reach for whole grain bread or slices of sourdough. For a little crunch, set out bagel chips, pita chips, pretzels, or crisp flatbread.^{[1]
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- To serve hummus at a party, offer some gluten-free bread options. You might offer tortillas or low-carb wraps for people looking to cut carbohydrates.

2

Raw vegetables

Dip raw veggies into hummus to get your daily vitamins. If you're trying to sneak more vegetables into your diet, hummus is your friend! Prepare raw veggies and store them in the fridge so you're always ready to snack. Here are some great vegetables to eat with hummus:^{[2]
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- Red pepper
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Radishes
- Celery
- Jicama
- Edamame
- Snap peas
- Broccoli or cauliflower florets

3

Cooked vegetables

Grill or roast vegetables to spoon over hummus. Turn your hummus into a complete meal by offering a variety of vegetables—grilled eggplant, roasted peppers, sautéed fava beans, or roasted cauliflower for instance.^{[3]
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- If you want to lightly cook the vegetables, steam or blanch them. This works well for asparagus, broccoli, and cauliflower.

4

Eggs or meat

Top your hummus with protein like boiled eggs or spiced meat. If you want a really filling meal, cut boiled eggs into quarters and arrange them on the hummus, or spoon fragrantly spiced lamb or beef on top.^{[4]
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- For vegetarian options, serve the hummus with falafel or tempeh.

5

Fruit

Try eating sliced apples or dried fruit, especially with sweet hummus. Hummus is hugely popular these days, so you might have noticed sweet flavors popping up at the stores—chocolate hummus, anyone? While salty snacks like pretzels are good in sweet hummus, try it with apple slices, dried apricots, dried figs, or dates.^{[5]
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- You can also scatter dried currants over the hummus for a beautiful garnish that's also tasty.

6

Spices

Mix spices like cumin or paprika to add a rich, smoky flavor. It's easy to customize the taste of your hummus, especially if you're trying to jazz up a plain bowl. If you like bright, citrusy hummus, stir in a few pinches of coriander or sumac. It's hard to go wrong with minced garlic or fresh herbs like dill, basil, or thyme.^{[6]
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- Play around with seasoning mixes—dukkah has a warm, fresh flavor while za'atar has a mild nutty taste. You could even add taco seasoning or curry powder for a familiar spicy flavor.

7

Toasted nuts

Sprinkle toasted nuts over hummus to add extra crunch. Although hummus is already a good source of protein, add nuts if you want even more. Toast your choice of walnuts, pine nuts, or pecans before you top your hummus with them.
- Seeds are small, but they're nutritional powerhouses! Shake toasted sesame seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds to add vitamins and antioxidants to your hummus.^{[7]
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8

Umami-rich food

Scatter flavor-packed foods like olives or marinated artichokes on top. Hummus is a good counterpoint to umami-rich foods. Visit your grocery store's olive bar for delicious options like marinated mushrooms, fresh mozzarella in oil, sun-dried tomatoes, and kalamata olives.^{[8]
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- Umami is the savory compound that you taste in food. These foods give you a feeling of fullness.

9

Flavorful sauce

Drizzle sauce over the hummus to add instant flavor. Sometimes, just a few spoonfuls of pesto, greek yogurt, or herb sauce is all you need to take your hummus to the next level. Here are some other sauces or seasonings to try:^{[9]
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- Pomegranate molasses
- Chimichurri
- Chili oil
- Hot sauce

10

Sandwich or wrap

Instead of your usual chicken or tuna sandwich, reach for hummus! Spread a generous serving on your bread, then top it with sliced cucumbers, microgreens, or baby spinach. To make a quick wrap, spread hummus on a tortilla, and fill it with greens, feta cheese, and chopped tomatoes. Then, roll and enjoy.^{[10]
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- Don't limit yourself to cold wraps and sandwiches. Hummus is great in a quesadilla or grilled cheese sandwich.
- Hummus also makes a great condiment for a chicken salad sandwich.

11

Burgers or meatloaf

Add hummus to the meat for tender hamburgers or meatloaf. Whether you're trying cut back on meat or you want to make healthier hamburgers, add 1/2 cup (125 g) of hummus for every 1 pound (450 g) of ground beef you use. The hummus adds flavor and moisture so the ground beef won't dry out easily.^{[11]
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- To serve your hummus burgers, place a patty on a bun and top it with more hummus, lettuce, and tomatoes.

12

Hummus pizza

Spread hummus on toasted flatbread or naan to make hummus pizza. After you take the toasted flatbread out of the oven, spread hummus on it and top it with fresh Greek salad ingredients like cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and red onion. Then, drizzle it with a little olive oil before serving.^{[12]
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- Chop up your hummus pizza and add it to a fresh tossed salad for a quick version of the classic Middle Eastern salad, fattoush.
- Use the hummus flatbread as a base for other pizza toppings—it's wonderful with cooked ground beef, crumbled feta, and mushrooms.

13

Salad dressing

Replace salad dressing with hummus to make your salad more filling. Whisk a few spoonfuls of hummus with equal parts olive oil. Then, whisk in orange juice, lemon juice, or vinegar to thin the hummus. Toss your hummus dressing with a garden salad and dig in!^{[13]
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- You can also use this hummus dressing to mix into chicken salad, tuna salad, or egg salad in place of mayonnaise or mustard.

14

Pasta

Use hummus instead of cream in pasta dishes. Hummus gives a smooth, thick texture to cream-based sauces without the added fat or calories. Use hummus instead of cream the next time you make pasta alfredo or risotto—you'll be pleasantly surprised!^{[14]
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- Try hummus in cold pasta salads, too. Just swap out hummus for mayonnaise or mustard in your recipe.

15

Soup

Stir hummus into soup to thicken it and add protein. If your soup is a little thin or you're worried you'll be hungry later, add a few large spoonfuls of hummus and stir until it dissolves. Give it a try the next time you have tomato soup, vegetable soup, or minestrone.^{[15]
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- Hummus also works well in cold soups like borscht or vichyssoise.