Zucchini Hummus Paleo Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is hummus allowed on the Paleo diet? ›

I have started on a Paleo diet which means that one of my favorite foods, hummus, is now off limits. Legumes are not part of the program, thus those little chickpeas gotta go.

Tahin and garbanzo beans are typically quite bland and since they make up most of the the bulk of the ingredients, without salt, your hummus will be pretty tasteless. I do a few things that elevate my hummus. I sauté my garlic in good olive oil with ground cumin before adding it.

If you feel adventurous, try replacing the tahini with an equal amount of peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, Greek yogurt, chopped roasted peppers, pitted olives, roasted beets, steamed sweet potato, avocado, or thawed frozen peas, to name just a few possibilities.

You can roast a whole head of garlic and drop a few whole-roasted garlic cloves over the top of the finished hummus, or even sauté rinsed canned chickpeas in olive oil, seasonings, and parsley to place over the top for a more jazzy display.

When you're shopping for hummus in the store, watch out for artificial preservatives like sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Artificial preservatives are unnecessary, and we believe there are better ways to ensure that food stays fresh and safe.

Hummus is packed with healthy ingredients that may help reduce chronic inflammation. Olive oil is one of them. It's rich in powerful antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory benefits.

As I said earlier, tahini has a mildly bitter flavour, so if your hummus is bitter, you've most likely added too much tahini. Also make sure that the tahini you do have is hulled, as opposed to unhulled. Hulled tahini just means that the bitter husks on the outside of the sesame seed have been removed before blending.

Ground cumin and salt help to make it taste amazing, and the ground cumin adds a little more spice and richness. Olive oil makes the texture of the hummus luxurious.

Spices like paprika, cayenne pepper and sumac all lend a marvelous layer of nuance to a classic hummus dip. Seasoning your hummus with spices is perfect when you want to supercharge your hummus dishes with flavor. This trick also works with making canned soup taste better.

Tahini is lower in carbohydrates and sugars than peanut butter is making it a better choice for people who follow low-carb diets, Politi notes. Both foods are predominantly fat, though peanut butter has a little more protein, Young adds.

Can I use almond butter instead of tahini? ›

Almond Butter

It can also be used as a tahini substitute because it is creamy, rich in healthy fats, and mild in flavor. While it is not a choice for people with nut allergies, people with sesame allergies may be able to enjoy almond butter in place of tahini.

Homemade varieties will generally last anywhere from 3-4 days, whereas store-bought brands generally lasts 6-7 days after opening. These estimates assume that it maintains a refrigerated temperature; as we mentioned already, the shelf life of hummus is diminished greatly if it does not remain chilled.

Baking soda: Adding baking soda to the chickpeas helps make the legume easier to digest, softer, and makes them easy to peel. Don't skip this ingredient! Lemon juice: I never suggest using pre-bottled lemon juice, but I especially urge you not to in homemade hummus.

5) Garlic, mellowed in lemon juice

This is another trick from Solomonov—if you mince the garlic in the food processor or blender with the lemon juice and let that mixture rest for a few minutes, the garlic will lose its harsh, raw bite and mellow out. I tried it before and after, and he's right!

But both varieties should last up to 7 days in the refrigerator (for prepared hummus this applies once the container is opened). Like any food, hummus is perishable and is prone to spoilage.

Avoid black beans, soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, and peanuts (which are technically legumes).

Peanuts are technically legumes, which are not paleo compliant, and that means peanut butter is off limits for paleo eaters. All other nuts and seeds are fair game, so if nuts and seeds are the only ingredients, snack away!

Popcorn is technically not considered paleo since it's a whole grain. However, most paleo experts agree that it's not a horrible snack to have in moderation, especially when it's prepared fresh and cooked in a healthy fat like coconut oil.