Olive Tapenade Hummus

Stop buying store bought… this homemade version is better.

If you’re not making homemade hummus, what are you doing? The difference is night and day—once you go homemade, you may never go back. This Olive Tapenade Hummus is the king of hummus: a smooth, bright base topped with briny olives, salty capers, and a touch of funk from anchovies. It’s easy to make, a show-stopping appetizer or side dish that’s perfect for entertaining—and absolutely delicious. All that’s missing is some hot pita bread.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR OLIVE TAPENADE HUMMUS

HUMMUS BASE

• Chickpeas – Canned, not dried… we don’t have time for that. And truth be told, you can still get super smooth hummus with canned chickpeas (don’t let anyone tell you otherwise). That said, not all brands are equal. I find some are harder than others, and some can be a bit mealy. My personal preference is Hanover, or surprisingly, generic supermarket brands (ShopRite has great chickpeas). Goya is a good option too, but their chickpeas are quite soft, so peeling off the skins can sometimes result in broken chickpeas.
• Tahini – If you’ve been here before you know I’m not a tahini fan. We go light tahini here.
• Garlic – 1 clove, fresh only!
• Lemon Juice – Fresh only!
• Cardamon Pods – This is my secret ingredient for bright, fresh-tasting hummus: cardamom pods. If you haven’t cooked with cardamom before—or if you think you hate it because it smells like perfume, trust me on this one. Cardamom has warm, fruity, and aromatic flavors that give the hummus a vibrant lift. It pairs beautifully with the lemon juice and garlic added later. Just two pods go a long way.

OLIVE TAPENADE

• Assorted Olives – There are a ton of options here, but the one non-negotiable is that they must be pitted. Personally, I like using an assortment from the olive bar: Kalamata, Castelvetrano, and cured black olives all work beautifully. I don’t recommend heavily seasoned varieties or pimento-stuffed olives, as they can overpower the flavor.
• Capers
• Anchovies
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Pick a good flavorful EVOO for this.
• Za’atar
• Sumac – Never used sumac before? I highly recommend picking some up—it’s an incredible spice. Made from ground sumac berries, this popular Middle Eastern ingredient is bright and tangy, with a citrusy yet earthy flavor.
• Cilantro
• Parsley

TOOLS NEEDED

• Food Processor – We’ll be keeping the olive tapenade rustic, but you will need a good food processor to blend the hummus.

HOW TO MAKE OLIVE TAPENADE HUMMUS

HUMMUS

Prep the Chickpeas – Sorry, for super smooth hummus your chickpeas need to be peeled. If you don’t get 100% of the peels, that’s okay, but aim for the majority. The less skins that get thrown into the food processor the smoother the hummus. There are a few methods here, but i find the easiest is to pick them by hand (vs. the towel method). Place the chickpeas in a colander in the sink and pinch away the skins. Every handful or so I rinse my hands off, and goodbye skins.

Cook the Chickpeas – In a small sauce pan add 4 cups of water, 2 cardamom pods and a heavy pinch of salt. Consider this like pasta water, it will be used later on. Once boiling add the chickpeas and cook for 15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid at the end. Just to be safe, save a few extra tbsp in case you want the hummus thinner.

Blend Until Smooth – In a food processor add 1/2 cup of the chickpea water, drained chickpeas, 1 medium clove of garlic, 1/4 cup of tahini, and 1/2 lemon juiced (approx. 2 tsp). REMOVE the cardamom pods, and discard. For a more rustic texture, process on low for 10 minutes. For a light, super smooth, and airy texture process on high for 13-15 minutes.

OLIVE TAPENADE

Combine the Olive Tapenade – You have two options when it comes to prepping the olives: either hand-tear them for larger, more rustic pieces, or give them a rough chop. Add the chopped olives, capers, anchovies, cilantro, and parsley to a bowl, then toss with lemon juice and olive oil.

Serve – To serve, add the hummus to a bowl and create a small crater for the tapenade. Add the tapenade and top with za’atar, sumac, and extra EVOO if needed.

STORING/REHEATING

This Olive Tapenade Hummus can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–5 days. It’s best to store the topping and hummus separately, but if you’ve already combined them—no worries, it’ll still be delicious.

Craving more hummus? I got you.

Creamy Hummus
Garlic Confit Hummus
Roasted Red Pepper Humus