Instant Pot Hummus with Roasted Peppers and Garlic

Want to know the easiest way to make hummus? It's by using your Instant Pot! Instant pot hummus means you can have a velvety, homemade hummus in a fraction of the time it traditionally takes. We're adding roasted red pepper and roasted garlic to create a delightful hummus with great flavor and texture.

Updated: This post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated with new photos and additional content.

Homemade hummus from dried chickpeas is so easy to make, especially if you have the right kitchen tools to do it.

We're adding a few extra special ingredients to make a roasted red pepper hummus recipe that has the perfect blend of flavors! It's sure to become a new kitchen staple you can use creating meals, including your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!

Jump to:

• 💚 Why You Will Love Instant Pot Hummus
• 🛒 Ingredients
• 🌿 Substitutions and Variations
• ✅ How to Make Hummus in the Instant Pot
• 🍽️ How to Serve Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
• 🔪 Helpful Kitchen Gadgets & Tools
• 👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips
• ❓FAQs
• 🌎 Sustainability Suggestions
• ➕ More Chickpea Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• Instant Pot Hummus with Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic
• 💬 Comments

💚 Why You Will Love Instant Pot Hummus

• Budget-friendly! Don't want to pay $4+ for a small container of hummus? Making it from dried chickpeas costs less and doesn't require tons of time.
• Flavor it just the way you like! You can adjust ANY of the ingredients to flavor your roasted red hummus just the way you like it.
• Great healthy snack and ingredient for meals! You can use hummus in so many ways! In my house, I consider it a staple to always keep on hand.
• Perfect to make ahead and FREEZE!

🛒 Ingredients

Here's a look at what you need to make pressure cooker hummus! The ingredients are all easy to find and some you may even already have on hand. Be sure to check the recipe card for the full instructions and quantities of each.

• Chickpeas: To make hummus in the pressure cooker, you want to start with dried chickpeas. I recommend soaking them overnight.
• Kombu strip: A seaweed you can find online or in Asian markets that adds some nutrients and also natural saltiness to the broth.
• Garlic: We will be roasting the garlic so it's best to start with an entire head of garlic.
• Red bell pepper: This bell pepper has the best and sweetest flavor when roasted so don't try to swap it with a different colored pepper.
• Tahini: A paste made from sesame seeds that adds creaminess and a nutty flavor to your hummus.
• Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds some color and a light herbal citrus flavor to the hummus.
• Spices: Cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper provide more seasoning.
• Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil when making hummus. You will be adding some to the hummus and then drizzling more over the top.
• Lemon juice: Use fresh! It will taste better, I promise!
• Aquafaba: This is the liquid from cooked chickpeas (or canned chickpeas). We are using it in place of some of the oil to make creamy hummus. You can also use vegetable broth or water.

🌿 Substitutions and Variations

• Use canned or pre-cooked chickpeas. You will need two cans of chickpeas or about 3 cups of cooked.
• Want to save time? Use jarred roasted red peppers instead of roasting them.
• Make roasted garlic hummus. Skip the roasted peppers and add more roasted garlic to your tastes.
• Don't want to use roasted garlic. It has a milder flavor so if you don't want to roast, I suggest using one garlic clove.
• Plain hummus. Use less roasted garlic and eliminate the roasted red pepper to make plain hummus.

✅ How to Make Hummus in the Instant Pot

Here's how to make hummus from dried chickpeas in the Instant Pot! It's an easy budget-friendly way to make homemade hummus.

PRO TIP: Soak your beans overnight. It reduces the cooking time (by almost half) and it makes the beans easier to digest.

1. Place the drained and rinsed chickpeas in the Instant Pot with water, salt, and a strip of kombu.
2. Cook the chickpeas for 20 minutes under high pressure.

3. Roast the garlic. Cut off the top part of the head of garlic. 
4. Place the garlic on a small piece of foil or you can use a garlic roaster. Drizzle it with olive oil, loosely wrap the foil around the garlic, and roast it for  20 - 30 minutes.

5. Char the red pepper directly over the flame on a cooktop or you can broil it on top rack in the oven for 10 minutes, rotating every few minutes until the skin is blackned and blistered.
6. Scrape and remove the charred skin from the red pepper using a knife or your fingers. Slice it in half and remove the seeds. Set one half aside for the hummus and store the other to add to a sandwich or use to make roasted red pepper soup.

7. Strain your cooked chickpeas and reserve at least one cup of liquid.
8. Use the back of a knife to press and squeeze the garlic cloves out of the head. Set aside five cloves to add to the hummus and store the rest for later.

9. Add the cooked beans to a food processor, along with roasted garlic, tahini, cilantro, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, lemon juice, and roasted pepper. Blend until the mixture is thick and creamy, stopping to scrape down any ingredients stuck to the sides and bottom of the processor.
10. Drizzle in the olive oil and a ¼ cup of the bean liquid while running the food processor. Blend until creamy and smooth, adding additional bean liquid until your hummus has the desired texture you prefer. 

11. Place the instant pot hummus in a bowl, and top with a sprinkle of paprika, a drizzle of olive oil, and a few red chili pepper flakes.

🍽️ How to Serve Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

• It's great for parties! Serve it up with your favorite crackers and veggie sticks!
• Use it as a spread to make sandwiches!
• Serve it up with another Middle Eastern favorite, quinoa tabbouleh.
• Add it to your favorite veggie quinoa bowl!
• Add more liquid to thin it out more and use it as a dressing on salads.
• Use it to make a healthy breakfast toast!

🔪 Helpful Kitchen Gadgets & Tools

There are some tools that make this recipe much easier. Here are my favorites:

• An Instant Pot or an electric pressure cooker is the BEST way to make beans quickly.
• This Cast Iron Grill Basket makes roasting peppers over a glass flame so much easier.
• Stainless Steel Colander works great for straining the chickpeas, and it easily fits over most bowls.
• I recommend using metal tongs for roasting the pepper. It keeps your hand away from the flame so you don't accidentally burn yourself.
• Use a Ceramic Garlic Baker to roast the garlic. It's easy to clean and reusable.

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Store your hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
• Adjust the consistency and flavors to your taste! You can add more liquid for a creamier, looser consistency or use less for a thicker hummus.
• Roast your red pepper and garlic while the chickpeas are cooking so everything is ready to go when it's done!
• Save your extra roasted red pepper and roasted garlic and use them in other recipes. The roasted garlic will work in place of garlic in any recipe. You can also blend them up and add them to cashew cream to make a flavored spread or dip.

❓FAQs

🌎 Sustainability Suggestions

Chickpeas have always been an integral part of the Middle Eastern diet, but only in the past decade have they grown in popularity in the United States. Chickpeas are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. As a legume, they are high in plant protein making them a good meat replacement for plant-based diets and keeping you feeling full longer.

In addition, chickpeas are beneficial for the environment too! Chickpeas are part of a subcategory of legumes known as pulses which are known for improving degraded soils and increasing soil health for future harvests.

Pulses work by fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere and depositing it into the soil. The soil then stores the nitrogen for future use making it a vital component in crop rotations. The idea of using crops to improve soil health is known as Regenerative Farming.

➕ More Chickpea Recipes

 

If you made this recipe, please leave a star 🌟 rating on the recipe card right below! You can also drop a review in the comment section. Your feedback is appreciated! And don’t forget to tag @themindfulfork so we can see your creations.

📖 Recipe