Artificial Food Coloring Free Spicy Harissa Hummus
Creamy, smoky, and just the right amount of fiery, this hummus is the kind of dip that makes a whole spread feel effortless. The vibrant red color you see swirled through the bowl comes entirely from toasted dried chiles, smoked paprika, and ground turmeric — not a drop of artificial dye in sight. That matters more than you might think, because store-bought harissa and flavored hummus products are surprisingly common offenders when it comes to synthetic colorants snuck in for visual appeal. Here, every shade of gold, orange, and deep red is earned through real ingredients and a quick toasting step that coaxes out incredible depth of flavor. The homemade harissa paste — built from rehydrated guajillo or New Mexico chiles, coriander, caraway, and a touch of turmeric — gets swirled into silky chickpea and tahini base for a result that looks stunning and tastes even better. A drizzle of good olive oil, a scatter of sesame seeds, and some fresh parsley finish it off without adding anything unnecessary. Serve it with warm flatbread or crunchy vegetables and watch it disappear.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the hummus
- 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
For the harissa
- 3 dried red chiles (such as guajillo or new mexico), stems and seeds removed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground caraway
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the dried chiles in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, turning once, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 10 minutes until softened. Drain and pat dry.
- 2
Transfer the soaked chiles to the food processor along with the smoked paprika, ground coriander, ground caraway, ground turmeric, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt. Process until a coarse paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed, about 30 seconds. Transfer the harissa paste to a small bowl and set aside. Wipe out the food processor bowl.
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