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Pizza-flavored sun-dried tomato hummus

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Text overlay: Sun-dried tomato pizza hummus. Chickpea dip on table with napkin & pizza crusts.

Sun-dried tomato hummus takes the spirit of pizza and adds it into everyone’s favorite dip. Garnish it with your preferred pizza toppings for a vegan & gluten-free optional appetizer that the whole gang will love. 

Sun-dried tomato hummus in bowl & topped with seitan pepperoni.

If there are two things we can all agree on, it’s the deliciousness of pizza & hummus.

Now those two party favorites are coming together in pizza-flavored sun-dried tomato hummus.

Toasted crust dipping into pizza hummus.

This garbanzo bean spread is a melding of sun-dried tomatoes, tahini, lemon juice, oregano, basil, onion powder, and garlic.

After blending the hummus, it’s finished with a pinch of red pepper flakes, a drizzle of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes, and garnished with your favorite pizza toppings.

(If you have sun-dried tomatoes left afterwards, make a batch of raw tacos!)

Then it’s served with your choice of toasted pizza crust wedges, pita chips, or red bell pepper slices.

To keep this hummus mostly oil-free, I use the wizardry of aquafaba.

What is aquafaba?

Aquafaba is the liquid inside of a can of chickpeas or other beans. It’s surprisingly helpful in recipes.

I use it to brown the top of pastry in my vegan pot pie. People also use it as an egg replacer. And as you can see in a recipe for vegan lemon meringue pie, aquafaba can make things surprisingly light and whippy.

(My pal, Becky, has a whole aquafaba guide with everything it can do.)

In this recipe for sun-dried tomato hummus, aquafaba is used in place of oil.

I used to add water to my hummus instead, but that diluted the flavor. By using chickpea liquid, you keep all of that garbanzo bean flavor while thinning out the hummus, so that it’s not overly thick.

How much aquafaba do I need?

It depends. I recommend starting with a few Tablespoons and working up from there.

Some chickpeas are drier/denser than others. If a chickpea has more moisture already in it, the hummus won’t need as much additional liquid. But if the chickpeas are harder & drier, you’ll need to add more liquid to the hummus to smooth it out.

When I make chickpeas from scratch, they are usually on the softer side. And when I buy canned chickpeas from Field Day, they are soft as well.

However, Trader Joe’s canned chickpeas are on the drier side. So if that’s what you’re using, you’ll likely need more chickpea liquid.

As you’re blending it, the hummus should run smoothly through the blade of the food processor. If it’s thick or paste-like, you need more. But you also don’t want to make a chickpea smoothie. So add the aquafaba slowly.

If you need to add a lot of chickpea liquid, I recommend increasing the tahini a bit & adding a splash of the sun-dried tomato oil (or more sun-dried tomatoes). That way those flavors still stand out.

What is tahini, and where can I find it?

Tahini is similar to peanut butter. But it’s made with sesame seeds instead of peanuts.

It adds a muted nuttiness to hummus. And it kind of mellows everything out. It also adds some lustrous fat, which makes hummus so addictive.

You can find tahini in the Mediterranean section or health market of most grocery stores. You can also find it online. (Here is my favorite brand!)

Some tahini brands are runnier than others. If yours is particularly dry, you may want to add a splash of sun-dried tomato oil or more aquafaba to your hummus.

How to make this dip

Overhead chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, tahini, and lemon juice in food processor.

Use a mesh sieve over a bowl to strain the chickpeas from a can.

(You’ll need the chickpea liquid, also known as aquafaba. So don’t throw it down the drain. Not a fan of aquafaba? Use water or extra virgin olive oil instead.)

Then put the chickpeas into a food processor along with aquafaba, sun-dried tomatoes, tahini, and lemon juice. Blend until mostly smooth, stopping once to scrape down the sides.

Overhead sun-dried tomato hummus in food processor.

Now it’s time to add some seasonings!

Add dried oregano, dried basil, onion powder, granulated garlic, and salt to the food processor. Blend until fully combined.

The hummus should move smoothly through the blade. If it’s too thick or paste-like, add more aquafaba, oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes, or extra virgin olive oil.

Move the hummus to a bowl, and top it with your favorite pizza toppings.

Topping ideas

I like to use fresh basil or spinach and browned slices of seitan pepperoni to adorn my pizza hummus.

Herbivorous Butcher is my go-to brand for pepperoni. That’s what’s shown here.

Yves also makes vegan pepperoni. Although, it can be hard to find.

You can also make your own. I like the recipe in the Homemade Vegan Pantry by Miyoko Schinner, or the recipe from Fatfree Vegan.

Not a pepperoni fan? It’s also great topped with grilled artichoke hearts, and Castelvetrano olives.

But get creative! Go with whatever vegan toppings you prefer.

Finish it with a drizzle of sun-dried tomato oil and sprinkling of red pepper flakes.

What to serve with it

Trader Joe's pizza crust on shelf at grocery store.

To really amp up that pizza feeling, I like to serve it with slices of grilled pizza crust.

Trader Joe’s sells shelf-stable crust near the baguettes and ciabatta. They come two to a pack.

Use kitchen shears to cut them into triangles.

Trader Joe's pizza crust cut into wedges & toasting in grill pan.

Then toast them in a grill pan or skillet. You can add a little oil to the pan if you like, but it’s not essential.

Warm the crust for a few minutes on both sides, until the slices get a little nutty brown on top.

Serve the toasted triangles with the hummus & let guests dip their own. Or slather the hummus on top of the crust, and adorn it with toppings.

Hand holding pizza crust slathered with sun-dried tomato hummus.

It’s a really fun & unique appetizer that is reminiscent of a focaccia sandwich in flavor.

Sun-dried tomato hummus is also great with homemade pita chips.

For a gluten-free spread, garnish the hummus with grilled artichoke hearts & olive slices instead of seitan pepperoni. Then serve with bell pepper wedges for dipping.

Sun-dried tomato hummus is also nice on a vegan bagel sandwich, rolled into tortilla pinwheels, or added to a veggie platter.

Overhead pizza dip on table with napkin.

Sun-dried tomato hummus in bowl & topped with seitan pepperoni.

Pizza-flavored sun-dried tomato hummus

This pizza-flavored hummus brings together everyone's favorite dip with everyone's favorite Friday night dinner. This sun-dried tomato hummus has massive party appeal, because toppings can vary to fit your group's preferences - just like regular pizza.
Add vegan pepperoni and green onions for something classic. Or elevate your hummus with grilled artichoke hearts and Castelvetrano olives. The options are limitless!
Nutrition & calorie info is for the hummus alone. It doesn't include optional toppings or dippers, since those vary.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Middle Eastern, Vegan
Keyword: dip, spread, vegetarian
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 40kcal
Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

  • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas drained & liquid reserved*
  • 3 Tablespoons aquafaba chickpea liquid + more as needed
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes from oil-packed jar drained (About 6 to 7 whole sun-dried tomatoes)
  • 2 Tablespoons tahini + more as needed
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon oil from sun-dried tomato jar
  • Pinch red chili pepper flakes optional
  • 1/4 cup your favorite pizza toppings Choose any or all of the following: browned slices of vegan pepperoni, green onions, Castelvetrano olives, jarred grilled artichoke hearts, chopped spinach, fresh basil, or any of your favorite diced vegetables

For dipping

  • 1 toasted pizza crust cut into triangles, or 2 toasted slices pita bread**
  • 1 bell pepper cut into chunky wedges

Instructions

  • In a food processor, combine drained chickpeas, 3 Tablespoons aquafaba, sun-dried tomatoes, tahini, and lemon juice. Stop to scrape down the sides, and continue blending until the hummus is smooth.
    The viscosity of tahini & dryness of chickpeas can vary by brand. So if your hummus is too dry, add splashes of aquafaba until the hummus runs smoothly through the food processor blade.
  • Add dried oregano, dried basil, onion powder, garlic granules, and salt to food processor. Blend until fully combined.
    Taste the hummus. If it needs another pop of flavor or is too thick, add more aquafaba (to thin it), sun-dried tomatoes or sun-dried tomato oil, or tahini.
  • Move the hummus to a serving bowl. Drizzle with a teaspoon of oil from sun-dried tomato jar and a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional).
  • Top the hummus with 1/4 cup (total) of your preferred toppings. Serve with toasted pizza crust wedges or pita chips, and bell pepper wedges.

Notes

*Save liquid (aquafaba) from can of chickpeas. You'll need it for the recipe.
**I like to use Trader Joe's pizza crust for serving. You can find it near the baguettes & ciabatta loaves. Cut it into triangles. Then toast it in a grill pan for a few minutes on each side until brown.
Or you can serve it with homemade pita chips.
To make this dip gluten-free, serve with bell pepper wedges instead of pizza crust or pita bread. Don't top it with seitan pepperoni. Instead, top it with any of your favorite vegetables. (I recommend grilled artichoke hearts from a jar & slices of olives.)

Nutrition

Calories: 40kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!

Content, recipe, and photos updated January 2020. Originally posted July 2017.

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Posted On: January 9, 2020
Comment: Leave a Comment

About Cadry

Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

Comments

  1. johanna @ green gourmet giraffe says

    July 17, 2017 at 7:45 pm

    great take on hummus and I guess you could even spread it on pizza instead of pizza sauce – love hearing about your sticker collection – my daughter has a sticker collection with some scratch and sniff popcorn and chocolate cake which always amuses me – as a kid we didn’t have many stickers and they were always stuck somewhere (often inappropriate) quickly.

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      July 19, 2017 at 4:33 pm

      That’s true, Johanna! You could use the hummus as a pizza spread. I thought about making a pita pizza with it. Same kind of idea, and I’m sure it would be very tasty! I’m glad that scratch and sniff stickers have held onto their popularity. Popcorn & chocolate cake offer some very nice smells! That’s cute that as a kid you stuck your stickers somewhere inappropriate right away. Mine were very precious to me, and so I was always looking for the perfect way to use them. So funnily enough, a lot of my favorites NEVER got used, because the perfect time never came. On the one hand, I missed out on using them when I would have most appreciated it. On the other hand, getting to look at them in my album was a joy in and of itself.

      Reply
  2. Susan says

    July 17, 2017 at 9:33 pm

    Pizza everything!
    I don’t think I ever had any scratch and sniff stickers. I do have some vintage scented G1 My Little Ponies that still have their smells!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      July 19, 2017 at 4:29 pm

      Ah, you missed out! Scratch and sniff stickers were so much fun. A lot of teachers used them as a reward for doing well on papers. The stickers often included some kind of pun. So they worked for me on all kinds of levels. 😉 That’s amazing that your My Little Ponies stickers still have their smells after all of these years!

      Reply
  3. Cindy says

    July 19, 2017 at 2:51 pm

    Love the idea of pizza hummus. Hopping the kiddies will love it.

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      July 19, 2017 at 4:27 pm

      I hope so too, Cindy!

      Reply
  4. Shell says

    July 19, 2017 at 3:37 pm

    5 stars
    Cad, this is a great way to jazz up hummus. Now if someone could come up with a scratch-and-sniff hummus sticker…

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      July 19, 2017 at 4:27 pm

      Just for the fun of it I googled, “hummus scratch and sniff stickers.” I wondered if such a thing existed. The first search option was this blog post! Haha! Otherwise, it seems like the hummus scratch and sniff stickers option is a desert. I know what our next business venture should be! 😉

      Reply
  5. Dawn says

    July 28, 2017 at 11:48 am

    I never heard of Pizza hummus but I bet it’s delish!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      July 28, 2017 at 11:52 am

      Yes, I came up with the idea one day while I was making my usual sun-dried tomato hummus. I thought it would be delicious with some added pizza-style spices and toppings.

      Reply
  6. David says

    January 15, 2020 at 11:40 am

    5 stars
    This is so delicious – a great snack or appetizer at any time!

    Reply
    • Cadry says

      January 16, 2020 at 11:01 am

      I’m delighted you enjoyed it!

      Reply

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Welcome

Hi, I'm Cadry Nelson. I'm the recipe creator, writer, and photographer behind Cadry's Kitchen.

Cadry's Kitchen is a vegan food blog featuring comfort food classics. Most recipes are ready in about 30 minutes.

Contact me at cadryskitchen@gmail.com.

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