Velvety smooth homemade hummus is topped with a layer of deeply savoury spiced mushrooms to create a vegan version of the delicious Israeli dish hummus basar – hummus with spiced beef.
Do you make your own hummus? I used to do, but I got fed up with never being able to get it super-smooth. I like my hummus to be creamy and velvety rather than coarse and chunky, and I just couldn’t achieve the right texture with my old hand-blender or food processor.
Super-smooth hummus
BUT, I recently got a new gadget! A NutriBullet blender, which is designed for whizzing up fruits and veg into smoothies, sauces etc. I felt sure that it could do the business with the hummous, and sure enough, it produced something soft, creamy and smooth – perfect!
Of course, if you prefer your humous chunky then you won’t need any extra kitchen equipment. But if you’ve been through the same experience/frustration that I have, I recommend one of these blenders! It’s also great for luscious sauces, creamy puddings, yummy pestos and salsas, and all manner of other things. (We don’t drink smoothies.)
NB I’m not getting any kind of kickback from NutriBullet. I bought the blender myself and just really love it!
Homemade hummus with spiced ‘meat’
Having finally mastered perfect homemade hummus, I’m delighted to bring you this recipe for vegan hummus basar – spiced meat hummus. You see this dish often in Israel, and it’s also become popular as a Shabbat appetiser in people’s homes.
I’ve eaten this dish made with soya mince before, which was so-so, but I was served a mushroom based version at a hummus place in Tel Aviv (sorry, I don’t remember the details) and it was SO GOOD. That was my inspiration for this yummy hummus dish.
Seasoning and spices
The meat in the original humous basar is seasoned and spiced, and then cooked until very well done, before spooning over the hummous. I’ve given the mushrooms a similar treatment.
First I cook them in a very hot pan to drive off a lot of the excess moisture and really concentrate the delicious savoury flavours. Then I add garlic, salt and spices and continue to cook until the mixture is reduced by about ⅔. The end result is a super-tasty dish that will be gobbled up by your family in no time. Or at least it will if they’re anything like mine!
Ingredients in humous with spiced mushrooms
Although I normally add flavourings and spices when making homemade hummus, this time I held back, as there is a lot of flavour in the mushrooms. This humous is simple, creamy and lemony. It contains:
- Chickpeas – I use tinned chickpeas for ease and convenience but you can also soak and cook the chickpeas yourself.
- Tahini – helps with creamy texture and delicious flavour.
- Fresh lemon – I used a whole lemon’s worth of juice for a really fresh zingy flavour, but you can adjust to your preference.
- Salt
- Ice cubes – adding these to the blender helps the humous to whip up and get really creamy.
The spiced mushroom topping is made with the following:
- Chestnut mushrooms – these have a dense, meaty texture and a darker colour than regular white mushrooms.
- Garlic – mmmmm.
- Spices – I used cumin, cinnamon and black pepper, but you could also add some chilli if you like a bit of heat!
- Olive oil – for cooking the mushrooms, and general lubrication.
Once everything was on the plate I added more extra virgin olive oil, some parsley, a sprinkle of sumac, sesame seeds, and a final squeeze of lemon.
When to serve vegan hummus basar
Hummus basar is usually served as a starter, often as part of a Shabbat meal. It’s great scooped onto challah, or served alongside other dips and appetisers as a first course.
However with a hearty green salad and some warm pita, this vegan hummus basar can be a delicious mid-week dinner in and of itself. Push the boat out with some pickles and olives if you like! DH and I can happily polish off this amount between us as a main dish. Yum!
FAQ and top tips
Yes! Both the hummus part and the spiced mushroom topping are suitable for a gluten-free diet. Choose gluten-free crackers or bread for scooping and you’re all set.
It certainly can! Prepare the hummus and the mushroom mixture and store them separately in closed containers in the fridge. Ideally, the humous should be served at room temperature and the mushrooms gently warmed through before spooning on top of the hummous and serving. Use within 24 hours of preparation.
As a starter with bread etc, this is enough for four people. If served as a main dish with salads and pita, this amount will serve two people.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan hummus basar – humous with spiced mushrooms
Ingredients
For the humous
- 400 g tin of chickpeas
- 2-3 tablespoon tahini
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 2-3 ice-cubes
- Few tablespoon cold water
For the spiced mushroom topping
- 250 g chestnut mushrooms
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
To serve
- 1-2 teaspoon sesame seeds
- pinch sumac
- 1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Few sprigs parsley
- lemon wedges, for squeezing
Instructions
To make the hummus
- 400 g (14 oz) tin of chickpeas, 2-3 tablespoon tahini, 1 pinch salt, 1 lemon, juice only, 2-3 ice-cubes, Few tablespoon cold waterDrain the tin of chickpeas and place into the jug of a high-powered blender with the tahini, salt, ice-cubes, 2 tablespoon water, and about half the lemon juice. Process for a few minutes until very smooth, scraping down from time to time. If the mixture is too dry and won't blend well, add a little more water, or taste and add more lemon juice if desired.
- Continue to add water/lemon juice and blend until you are happy with the consistency. Scrape the humous into a bowl, cover and set aside or refrigerate until needed.
To make the spiced mushroom topping
- 250 g (8 ⅚ oz) chestnut mushroomsBrush any dirt from the mushrooms, then chop them into small (5mm, ¼inch) dice.
- 2 tablespoon olive oilHeat the oil in a large, heavy based skillet or frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms – spread them out in the pan but let them cook for a few minutes without stirring.
- When the mushrooms are starting to brown on the bottom, give them a stir to allow the other sides of the pieces to contact the hot pan. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. You will see a lot of water driven off and the mushrooms should shrink considerably.
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepperOnce all the liquid is evaporated, reduce the heat and add the garlic and spices. If the mixture is very dry, add a little more oil. Cook the mushrooms, garlic and spices together, stirring for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
To serve
- Spoon the humous onto a plate and use the back of a spoon to spread it out into an even layer with a ridge around the sides. Carefully spoon the mushroom mixture over the centre of the hummus, leaving the sides clear.
- 1-2 teaspoon sesame seeds, pinch sumac, 1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, Few sprigs parsley, lemon wedges, for squeezingSprinkle over the sesame seeds and sumac, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.
Nutrition
More delicious Israeli recipes
If you’re after more yummy Israeli dishes to serve with your hummus, you might like:
- Israeli chopped vegetable salad
- Israeli red cabbage salad
- Fluffy homemade pita
- Limonana – refreshing mint lemonade
You might also like to try creamy, pink beetroot humous!
Bee
Is there a way of making hummus without tahini? We have a sesame allergy in the house which means we have to avoid
Helen
Hi Bee, there are a few options. You can just leave it out, and add a little more oil or water to get the right consistency. You can substitute a different seed or nut butter, such as sunbutter or almond butter, if those work for you. Or you can substitute plain yogurt, although of course this will make the humous dairy. Each of these options will change the flavour in some way, but you should still get a smooth and tasty humous. I hope this helps! All the best, Helen.
Toni
I love the velvetty smooth texture of this hummus!! Seriously amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Helen
Thanks Toni – I was really impressed with how the Nutribullet blender got it so smooth and creamy.
Ned
The recipe was absolutely delicious and a definite winner! Cannot wait to make this again! Thank you!
Helen
That’s great to hear Ned, so happy you enjoyed it so much 🙂
Dannii
The spice mixture on this was incredible. Such a great twist on hummus.
Helen
Thanks Dannii! So glad you enjoyed it.
veenaazmanov
This combination is so good. Humus is a family favorite dish and the combination with mushroom is a perfect side dish for Dinner.
Helen
Thanks Veena. We love humous too – especially this version 🙂
Stephanie
The hummus alone is delicious – but adding in the spicy mushroom topping makes this recipe extra special. Was easy to put together and a great dish for our football gatherings!
Helen
Thanks Stephanie – so glad you enjoyed it. You’re right, it’s a great dish for get-togethers with friends 🙂