This Cava copycat spicy harissa pepper hummus has a deliciously smokey, garlicky, and spicy flavor brightened with citrusy lemon juice. It's a homemade version of a restaurant favorite, and tastes great with pita bread, homemade spicy Lebanese potatoes, freshly made naan, fresh veggies, or your favorite crackers. Silky, smooth hummus is not hard to make at home!
Harissa is a spicy chile paste that's widely found in North African and Middle Eastern Cuisine. It's a great ingredient for adding heat to traditional hummus and is quick and simple to prepare. Watch out! This will be your new favorite go-to hummus recipe! If you enjoyed this spicy harissa pepper hummus, try my roasted eggplant dip, spinach artichoke dip, and feisty greek-style feta dip!
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👩🏽🍳Why This Recipe Works
Quick & Easy: This harissa recipe takes only 20 minutes to make and mostly involves dumping your ingredients and processing them into a hummus. No cooking or soaking required!
Just like the restaurant: This hummus recipe is a great take on a Cava favorite. If you are looking for more Cava dishes, try this lentil tabbouleh, honey harissa chicken, and crazy feta dip!
Great Flavor: The flavor profile and heat level of this red pepper hummus are unmatched. It's sweet, smokey, salty, and has a hint of lemon for the perfect balance. While regular hummus is always a hit, this flavorful spicy hummus is next-level delicious!
Vegan/Vegetarian: This homemade harissa is gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian-friendly, making it great for those with food restrictions. By making it at home, you'll always know what went into it, too!
🥘Ingredients
- Canned chickpeas: Also known as garbanzo beans, canned chickpeas are a good shortcut for making homemade hummus. They tend to be texturally soft, which helps make deliciously smooth hummus.
- Calabrian chilies: Calabrian chilies originate from Calabria, Italy and have a spicy, salty, and smokey flavour. The chili paste usually is made with chilies packed in oil, but still packs a punch.
- Roasted red pepper: The cava version of this recipe is made with harissa, which is made with sweet and hot red peppers. Instead of pre-made harissa paste, I like to use roasted red peppers for the sweet, smokey flavor that they add to the hummus.
- Tahini: Tahini is a sesame paste with a luscious and rich consistency that adds a wonderful nutty flavor to the dip.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖Substitutions
- Chickpeas: Cannellini beans (navy beans) work well in place of chickpeas for a white bean hummus. You can also use fresh, dry chickpeas if you prefer them. You will need to soak and cook them as you generally would cook the dry beans.
- Calabrian chilies: You can use Fresno chilies or pre-made harissa paste if you can find it. You can alternatively use sambal paste for a garlic-chilli flavor.
- Roasted red pepper: You can omit the roasted red peppers if you are using harissa paste, as it will already have a mix of sweet and hot peppers.
🔪Variations
- Carrot Harissa Hummus: Boil up some carrots and toss them in the food processor with your chickpeas to amp up the veg content in your hummus.
- Sweet Potato Harissa Hummus: Blend some sweet potato purée with your harissa ingredients for a sweeter twist!
- Harissa Hummus with Za'atar: Za'atar pairs super well with harissa, giving the nutty, creamy hummus a lovely warming spice.
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Drain the chickpeas - Drain and rinse your canned chickpeas in a colander. Allow the chickpeas to drip dry of any additional water from rinsing.
Remove the chickpea skin - Go through the drained chickpeas, and remove the skins off each of the individual beans. This is a tedious step, but it makes a big difference in the achieving a silky smooth hummus consistency. When using canned chickpeas, the skins are generally coming off on their own, so there is not much work involved to remove them.
Pulse in a food processor - Transfer the peeled chickpeas to a food processor and pulse until they resemble a coarse powder-like consistency.
Blend ingredients into a hummus - Add the remaining ingredients to the blender, starting with 1 ice cube. Blend until smooth, and add additional ice cubes if the hummus still appears a little bit grainy.
Season your harissa - Taste for salt, and season as needed. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, and enjoy!
💭 Expert Tips
Use a blender instead of a food processor. A blender has more power to break down the chickpeas into a smooth consistency, whereas a food processor will lend a more coarse and grainy feel.
Start with less ice, and add as needed. You likely will not need more than 1 or 2 ice cubes to smooth out the hummus consistency. It is always easier to add than to take away!
Do not skip peeling the chickpeas. This makes a huge difference in the smoothness of the hummus. It is absolutely time-consuming and tedious, but it is well worth it.
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
- Place your harissa hummus in an airtight container.
- Store it in the fridge for up to 7 days.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
Harissa refers to the Arabic verb harasa, which means "to pound" or "break into pieces." Many believe it originates in Tunisia, where shoppers in spice souks watch chiles get pounded out while waiting for their spice mix.
Harissa has a peppery and smoky flavor that can range in various heat levels depending on which peppers and chiles make up the sauce. It also has a pungent garlic flavor that is enhanced with a touch of citrus.
Harissa sauce is made with various dried chile peppers that range from very hot to mild. The chile paste commonly scores between 4,000-5,000 Scovilles.
Harissa contains many health benefits, including vitamins E, C, B6, and K, as well as copper and iron. It is also rich in antioxidants and great for boosting metabolism.
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Spicy Harissa Pepper Hummus {Cava Copycat}
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 15.5 oz cans Chickpeas
- 2 tablespoon Calabrian chilli paste
- ½ cup Roasted red peppers - jarred, drained
- ½ cup Tahini
- ⅓ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Lemon - juiced
- 3 cloves Garlic - peeled
- 3-4 Ice cubes
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cumin - optional
- 3 teaspoon Sea salt
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas in a colander. Allow the chickpeas to drip dry of any additional water from rinsing.2 15.5 oz cans Chickpeas
- Go through the drained chickpeas, and remove the skins off of the individual beans.
- Transfer the peeled chickpeas to a food processor and pulse until they resemble a coarse powder-like consistency.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender, starting with 1 ice cube. Blend until smooth, and add additional ice cubes if the hummus still appears a little bit grainy.2 tablespoon Calabrian chilli paste, ½ cup Roasted red peppers, ½ cup Tahini, ⅓ cup Extra virgin olive oil, 1 Lemon, 3 cloves Garlic, 3-4 Ice cubes, ¼ teaspoon Ground cumin
- Taste for salt, and season as needed. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil!3 teaspoon Sea salt
✱Recipe Notes
- Use a blender instead of a food processor. A blender has more power to break down the chickpeas into a smooth consistency, whereas a food processor will lend a more coarse and grainy feel.
- Start with less ice, and add as needed. You likely will not need more than 1 or 2 ice cubes to smooth out the hummus consistency. It is always easier to add than to take away!
- Do not skip peeling the chickpeas. This makes a huge difference in the smoothness of the hummus. It is absolutely time-consuming and tedious, but it is well worth it.
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