A simple yet delicious plant-based hummus made of garbanzo beans and black beans and seasoned with fresh garlic, lime juice, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Great with oven-roasted corn tortilla chips, pita chips, toast, rice cakes, sandwiches, veggie bowls, as a dip for fresh vegetables, fresh avocado, and more.
There are so many things to love about this delicious Black Bean Taco Hummus! First, you and I both know that you can enjoy a large variety of hummus today. It’s readily available in grocery stores and markets and in a variety of flavors. I admittedly enjoy my fair share of hummus on a fairly regular basis. Since it’s relatively simple to make, the variations lie more in how it’s served or what is mixed in.
And I think I’ve shared this before, I enjoy finding new ways to flavor and spice this delicious and healthy dip. For instance, in my Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, roasted red peppers and spices are blended that complement the roasted red peppers well. And my Avocado Hummus is just as tempting, made with fresh avocados, cilantro, lime, and garlic. And my latest Chipotle Hummus contains a nice smoky bit of flavor and chipotle pepper to spice things up a bit.
But the party doesn’t stop there! I also enjoy making sweeter dessert hummus variations. If you’d like to try one, check out my Peanut Butter Cookie Dough or Pumpkin Caramel Dessert Hummus. Both are delicious with fresh fruit, crackers, rice cakes, or cookies.
I think it’s fun to use a variety of ingredients, herbs, or spices to create healthy and delicious options. I especially like the fact that none of my hummus recipes contain any oil, salt, or preservatives. Of course, there is the option to add salt if you choose, but they contain so much flavor, I find it entirely unnecessary to add any salt. This is also why I share these recipes with you.
This Black Bean Taco Hummus is simple to make, costs next to nothing to mix up, and is super nutritious! Honestly, it is a super delicious and wholesome oil-free hummus that boasts quite a bit of taco-inspired flavor and just a hint of spice. So let’s chat about the ingredients.
Hummus literally means chickpeas. And just like its literal translation, traditional hummus recipes are intended to be very simple. Since hummus means chickpeas, it’s only right that one of the primary ingredients be chickpeas (at least this time). The other primary ingredient is black beans! It’s one of the reasons why I’m excited to share this Black Bean Taco Hummus with you!
So let’s talk about the beans for a moment. I really like using dry beans – they store well, are fairly inexpensive, and do not contain any salt. But that’s not all. Like most legumes, chickpeas and black beans are also extremely nutritious.
Just one cup of cooked chickpeas provide 14.5 grams of plant protein and 12.5 grams of fiber. They also contain quite a bit of folate, manganese, copper, and iron. This makes chickpeas great for maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar, aiding in digestion, and warding off heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. (Healthline)
Black beans have a similar profile. One cup of cooked black beans contain 15.2 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber. They also contain vitamins and minerals, including folate, manganese, magnesium, thiamine, and iron. Like chickpeas, they also aid in digestion, reduce risk of diabetes, and control weight. (Healthline)
I like soaking my beans in water overnight to increase their digestibility and improve nutrient absorption. I recommend soaking the chickpeas with a little baking soda, which help soften the chickpeas as they absorb water, resulting in a creamier hummus. So now, as a general rule, I add in a little baking soda whenever I make hummus with chickpeas. The black beans tend to be softer, so I don’t think it’s necessary.
I also like cooking my beans in a pressure cooker since they take less time and come out perfectly cooked every time. Once your chickpeas and black beans are rinsed well, transfer them to an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, cover them with fresh water, secure the lid, and presto! You can cook them together or separate.
Your beans will be ready after pressure is released naturally. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, no problem. Simply rinse, soak, and cook the beans according to the package directions. The cooked chickpeas and black beans should be nice and soft. Allow them to cool slightly, then rinse well, removing any loose skins.
Depending on how smooth you prefer your hummus depends on whether or not you use a food processor or high-speed blender. If you use a food processor, the hummus may be slightly looser than if you use a high-speed blender, but it depends on your food processor or blender.
It’s time to consider the other ingredients in this Black Bean Taco Hummus. In addition to chickpeas and black beans, this delicious hummus recipe uses tahini, herbs, and taco-inspired spices. Tahini is ground sesame paste that adds depth and flavor to hummus. In fact, I think the tahini lends some creaminess to the texture and contributes greatly to the consistency. If you can’t get tahini or don’t like it, you can substitute sunflower butter or cashew butter, though the flavor will be slightly different. You can also roast and grind your own sesame seeds to make tahini.
Other flavors are contributed by a little fresh garlic, cilantro, and jalapeño pepper. I typically peel and smash the garlic and roughly chop the cilantro and jalapeño peppers to help the process along a little. I want to make sure my guests and I don’t find big chunks of either when enjoying my hummus.
And finally, I like adding in a bit of taco essence – fresh lime juice, ground cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and a dash of chipotle pepper. These flavors are used to enhance this Black Bean Taco Hummus. Once fully incorporated in the food processor, taste the hummus and adjust seasonings to taste, including salt and pepper, if desired.
As mentioned before, I don’t use any oil when making hummus because I don’t think hummus needs oil at all. But because I don’t add oil, I sometimes need to add a little water to thin out the hummus a little, but only as much as needed. Once this Black Bean Taco Hummus is processed nice and smooth, transfer it to a bowl for serving or storing.
You can now garnish your Black Bean Taco Hummus with a sprinkling of smoked paprika or chipotle pepper, chopped cilantro, or crushed red pepper flakes. It’s delicious served with oven-roasted corn tortilla chips, pita chips, toast, rice cakes, in sandwiches or wraps, veggie bowls, or as a dip for fresh vegetables, and more. Store any remaining hummus covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.
As I mentioned, I love using it as a dip for vegetables, pita bread, and crackers. But I also enjoy using it as a spread in sandwiches and wraps. You can add it to a variety of salads and dressings instead of mayonnaise as well. It’s not only much healthier, but it really amps up the flavor.
This Black Bean Taco Hummus keeps very well for about a week when stored covered in the refrigerator. So you can definitely make it the day before you want to serve it. It’s normally best when served at room temperature, which makes it fantastic on a crudite platter for parties, holiday meals, or as an appetizer.
I hope you enjoy this Black Bean Taco Hummus as much as I do.
I would love to see your results! Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Enjoy!!
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Ingredients
- ½ cup dry chickpeas (or 1 cup cooked and drained chickpeas)*
- 1 tsp baking soda*
- Enough to and cover the beans twice*
- ½ cup dry black beans (or 1¼ cups cooked and drained black beans)*
- 2 Tbsp tahini**
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced***
- ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
- 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste (optional)
- garnish (optional): chopped cilantro, chopped tomato, chopped onion, black beans, corn, fresh lime juice
Instant Pot Bean Instructions
- Separately, rinse the dry beans well in water.
- Transfer the beans to two separate bowls. Pour in four cups of water and 1 tsp baking soda in with the chickpeas, and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Pour in four cups of water in with the black beans, and soak for 8 hours or overnight.
- Rinse the soaked beans well.
- Transfer the soaked beans to the Instant Pot, cover with water, and secure the lid.
- Cook for 10 minutes using the High Pressure setting, allowing the pressure to release naturally. You can cook the beans separately or together.
- Remove the lid and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas well. Remove and discard any loose skins.
Instructions
- In a food processor or high-speed blender, blend all of the ingredients together, until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. You may need to scrape the sides.
- Add in 1-2 Tbsp water, if needed, to achieve desired consistency. The hummus should be mostly smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired.
- Garnish with cilantro, tomato, onion, black beans, and/or lime juice, if desired. If you’d like, you can toss all of the garnishes together to make a “cowboy caviar”, then spoon on top when serving. It adds texture, color, and more flavor.
- Serve with oven-roasted corn tortilla chips, pita chips, toast, rice cakes, sandwiches, veggie bowls, as a dip for fresh vegetables, fresh avocado, and more.
- Store any remaining hummus covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Notes
* I like using black beans and chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) because hummus is traditionally made with chickpeas. You can easily substitute them for any kind of pale bean, including navy beans, great northern beans, or cannellini beans. You can also use more black beans.
** Tahini is roasted sesame seed paste. If you don’t like tahini or can’t eat sesame seeds, you can use another neutral seed or nut butter, such as sunflower butter or cashew butter. You can also omit it altogether, though this will affect the flavor and consistency.
I use dry beans because they store well, are inexpensive, and do not contain salt. I like soaking them in water overnight to increase their digestibility and improve nutrient retention. I also like cooking them in a pressure cooker since they take less time and come out perfectly cooked every time. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, rinse, soak, and cook according to the package directions.
To make oven-roasted corn chips, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 10 corn tortillas in a stack on a cutting board and cut them into six or eight equal pieces. Place the corn tortilla triangles on a baking rack on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven, until golden and crunchy.
Black Bean Taco Hummus
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- food processor or high-speed blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry chickpeas or 1 cup cooked and drained chickpeas*
- 1 tsp baking soda*
- Enough to and cover the beans twice*
- ½ cup dry black beans or 1¼ cups cooked and drained black beans*
- 2 Tbsp tahini**
- 1 jalapeno seeds removed and diced***
- ¼ cup cilantro roughly chopped (optional)
- 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice 2-3 limes
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste optional
- garnish optional: chopped cilantro, chopped tomato, chopped onion, black beans, corn, fresh lime juice
Instructions
Instant Pot Bean Instructions
- Separately, rinse the dry beans well in water.
- Transfer the beans to two separate bowls. Pour in four cups of water and 1 tsp baking soda in with the chickpeas, and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Pour in four cups of water in with the black beans, and soak for 8 hours or overnight.
- Rinse the soaked beans well.
- Transfer the soaked beans to the Instant Pot, cover with water, and secure the lid.
- Cook for 10 minutes using the High Pressure setting, allowing the pressure to release naturally. You can cook the beans separately or together.
- Remove the lid and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas well. Remove and discard any loose skins.
Instructions
- In a food processor or high-speed blender, blend all of the ingredients together, until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. You may need to scrape the sides.
- Add in 1-2 Tbsp water, if needed, to achieve desired consistency. The hummus should be mostly smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired.
- Garnish with cilantro, tomato, onion, black beans, and/or lime juice, if desired. If you’d like, you can toss all of the garnishes together to make a “cowboy caviar”, then spoon on top when serving. It adds texture, color, and more flavor.
- Serve with oven-roasted corn tortilla chips, pita chips, toast, rice cakes, sandwiches, veggie bowls, as a dip for fresh vegetables, fresh avocado, and more.
- Store any remaining hummus covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.