Macadamia 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 homemade harissa is the real star — dried chiles are toasted in a dry skillet, soaked until tender, then blitzed with smoked paprika, coriander, caraway, and turmeric into a deeply fragrant paste that store-bought versions simply can't match. It swirls into the silky chickpea base like something you'd find at a great Middle Eastern restaurant, finished with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a scatter of parsley and sesame seeds. The trick to getting that ultra-smooth, almost whipped texture is processing the tahini and lemon juice first until pale and thick, then streaming in reserved chickpea liquid at the end — it makes a genuine difference. Every single ingredient here is naturally free from tree nuts, so there's no label-scanning or substitution stress involved; the recipe just works as written. Whether you're serving it as an appetizer with warm pita or building a mezze-style spread, this is the kind of homemade dip that disappears fast.
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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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