Have you ever noticed that hummus is one of those words that looks more and more strange the longer you look at it? Maybe it’s just me, but while I was editing the photos with the text, I got so weirded out by it that I had to do a yahoo search to make sure I had the spelling right!
Stare at it for a minute and you’ll see what I mean!
Amiright?!!?
Told ya!
ANYHOO…moving on to more important stuff – LOW CARB HUMMUS Y’ALL!
I have been missing hummus in a major way lately, and finally got around to trying this experiment with cauliflower to stand in for the chickpeas. I noticed recently that my low carb cauliflower puree has the consistency of hummus when cold, and thought if I added just the right ingredients I could mask the cauliflower flavor enough to convince people that it was the real thing.
Um. You guys? IT TOTALLY WORKED. And I mean for real! If you put my low carb cauliflower hummus up against a store bought classic hummus, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Even I was surprised at how well this experiment turned out!
It did take a little fussing to get the flavor where it needed to be though. I had to keep tweaking it to hide the subtle sweetness of the cauliflower, but with just the right amounts of lemon, garlic (raw and cooked), and tahini paste, it turned out incredibly delicious. Almost dangerously addictive if I do say so!
When I finally got around to making this, I didn’t have a lot of low carb dipping options hanging around, so I improvised with some rolled up radicchio leaves and thinly sliced Granny Smith apple. The radicchio leaves are pretty for the photos, but the bitterness wasn’t my favorite. The apple slices however tasted AMAZING with it!
I ate the remainder the next day with celery sticks, lower in carbs than the apple slices, and just as delicious in their own way. Another great low carb dipping option would be radish slices.
And of course, this cauliflower hummus would be amazing with my Low Carb Cauliflower Falafel and a side of my Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad! Holy lots of cauliflower Batman!
As an added bonus, this hummus recipe is super healthy for you! It is full on Paleo friendly – even Whole 30 compliant! It’s also egg free, grain free, gluten free, dairy free, and nut free (tahini is made from sesame seeds), so it fits into pretty much any eating plan.
This low carb cauliflower hummus recipe makes a great base for all kinds of other hummus flavors if you want to get creative.
I love Trader Joe’s jalapeno cilantro hummus and you could totally do that with this. A roasted red pepper version would also be delicious. Or sun-dried tomato and Kalamata olives, if you’re into that.
Pretty much any strong flavors will go well in this recipe. I’ll probably experiment with some of these ideas and post the results sometime in the future.
Meanwhile, get your dip on and make this hummus IMMEDIATELY! Then report back because I’m dying to hear what you think of it!
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
4.8 from 48 reviews
- Author: Mellissa Sevigny
- Yield: Six 1/4 cup servings 1x
Description
This low carb hummus is so delicious that you’d never know it was grain free and made with super healthy cauliflower! Keto, Atkins, and Paleo friendly!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups raw cauliflower florets
- 2 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 1.5 Tbsp Tahini paste
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 raw garlic cloves, crushed (in addition to above)
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- smoked paprika and extra olive oil for serving
Instructions
- Combine the cauliflower, water, 2 Tbsp avocado or olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 3 whole garlic cloves to a microwave safe dish. Microwave for about 15 minutes – or until softened and darkened in color.
- Put the cauliflower mixture into a magic bullet, blender, or food processor and blend. Add the tahini paste, lemon juice, 2 raw garlic cloves, 3 Tbsp olive oil, and 3/4 tsp kosher salt. Blend until mostly smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- To serve, place the hummus in a bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika. Use thinly sliced tart apples, celery sticks, raw radish chips, or other vegges to dip with.
Notes
Approx. nutrition info per 1/4 cup: 141 calories, 14g fat, 3.5g net carbs, 2g protein
- Category: Dip
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
In other news….
BATHING SUIT SEASON IS COMING!
Are you ready? Because I am SO. NOT. If you let the pounds creep on this winter and are panicking now don’t worry! It’s not too late to drop some pounds in time to hit the beach this summer! Try my one of my free menu plans (3 Day Keto Kickstart, 7 Day Egg Fast, or 12 Weeks of Keto Menu and shopping lists) to whip yourself back into shape ASAP!
You can also join the forums for support from fellow IBIH super fans and hang out with us on Facebook where I post articles, recipes, & daily Amazon freebies!!
Finally, I’ve got lots of great low carb and gluten free e-cookbooks out, and I’m currently running a special where you can get all five of them (over 150 recipes) for just $19.99! Get more information over on the Cookbooks page!
