This Musabaha (whole chickpea hummus) is no ordinary hummus recipe! It’s both creamy and substantial but also light and fluffy. How is it possible? Thanks to the combo of smooth, flavorful lemony hummus with whole tender chickpeas mixed in. Serve it with veggies or pita chips and discover a whole new dimension of hummus textures!
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What is musabaha?
Musabaha, also spelled as “msabha”, “msabaha” or “masabbaha” is a Middle Eastern dish that’s essentially a cousin of the classic hummus dip. The main difference is that it uses whole chickpeas or a combo of blended and whole chickpeas. You can also think of it as deconstructed hummus.
The Arabic word “msabbaha” means “swimming” which makes me think of this dish as whole chickpeas swimming in delicious sauce.
The most traditional musabaha is essentially whole cooked chickpeas served warm in a sauce made with tahini, lemon and sometimes a bit of yogurt or melted butter (depending on the region of Middle East). In my version of musabaha hummus, whole chickpeas are stirred into a creamy base made with blended chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic and spices. I also add some water to the sauce so the consistency is thinner than classic hummus.
Musabaha is typically served for breakfast or brunch with a side of flatbread, fresh veggies, such as tomatoes and radishes, and sometimes pickles.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Musabaha is more interesting and substantial than “regular” hummus thanks to the variety of textures.
- It’s healthy, hearty and absolutely delicious!
- A huge hit at any party or gathering, especially if you want to serve something familiar but unexpected at the same time.
- This recipe is easy, inexpensive and accessible, thanks to the use of canned chickpeas and common pantry staples.
- Allergy and special diets friendly - this hummus is dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free!
- This delicious dip is high in protein and fiber.
- Easily customizable recipe with many fun topping options possible (see the “More Garnish Options” section below).
- Make sure to also check out my Greek Chickpea Salad and this Easy Air Fryer Falafel for more great recipes using chickpeas
Ingredient notes
- Chickpeas: I use canned chickpeas for this recipe because they’re easy and save time. If you prefer, you can cook dried chickpeas until completely soft and use them in this recipe (no need to cook them again with baking soda then).
- Baking Soda: to help the chickpeas soften faster when you boil them.
Lemon Juice: freshly squeezed lemon juice is what you want. - Tahini: this sesame paste is an essential ingredient in any hummus recipe. Look for it near Middle Eastern foods at your grocery store or on Amazon. I like this brand of tahini for this recipe because the consistency is drippy and the squeeze bottle makes it easy to use and measure.
- Garlic: fresh garlic cloves will work best. Use more or fewer garlic cloves, depending on how much you love the taste of garlic!
- Salt & Ground Cumin: for seasoning.
- Water: to help the hummus reach the right consistency, not too thick but not too thin. Water should be ice cold!
How to make it
STEP 1: Boil chickpeas. Drain canned chickpeas, place them in a pot, cover with cold water and add baking soda. Cook for 20-30 minutes until chickpeas are very soft. Drain.
STEP 2: Set aside some whole chickpeas. I recommend setting aside 1 to 2 cups of chickpeas, depending on your preferred texture of the dip. For my musabaha I reserved 1.5 cups of whole chickpeas.
STEP 3: Make the base. Place the remaining chickpeas, crushed or minced garlic, lemon juice, tahini, cumin and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until completely smooth. Then pour in ice cold water in a thin stream while the food processor is going.
STEP 4: Stir in reserved whole chickpeas. I removed the blade from the food processor and stirred the whole chickpeas in but you can also transfer the smooth base into a bowl and add whole chickpeas in then.
STEP 5: Serve topped with warm garlic oil (recipe below) and fresh parsley leaves. Enjoy!
Serving and storage suggestions
Serve whole chickpea hummus warm or at room temperature. If you’re making this recipe ahead of time, drizzle your musabaha with warm garlic oil (or good quality extra virgin olive oil), cover the bowl with a plate or plastic wrap and store in the fridge. I recommend taking it out of the fridge at least 1 hour before serving to bring it back to room temperature. The layer of oil on top will prevent the hummus from drying out.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
How to make warm garlic oil
This warm oil brings this whole hummus recipe to a whole new level! It’s definitely optional but if you have the ingredients and a couple extra minutes, I highly recommend you try it out!
You will need:
- Olive oil (extra virgin)
- Fresh garlic, peeled and sliced thin
- Whole coriander seeds
- Optional thinly sliced lemon peel (only yellow part); hot chili flakes
Place olive oil in a small saucepan together with fresh garlic slices. Bring the oil to a low simmer and cook for a couple minutes watching the garlic. It’s supposed to brown but it’s easy to burn so make sure the heat is very low. Once the garlic is golden brown add whole coriander seeds, lemon peel and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for another 30-60 seconds or so, just to toast. Take the oil off the heat and let cool slightly before topping your hummus.
Note: If you make this dish ahead of time, don't worry that the oil is no longer warm. It will still taste delicious!
Garnish options
You can customize your musabaha by topping it with all sorts of fun garnishes. Here are some ideas:
- Sliced Greek Kalamata olives
- Sliced sun-dried tomatoes
- Whole roasted chickpeas
- Pine nuts (raw or fried in olive oil) or chopped pistachios
- Fresh pomegranate seeds
- Toasted white or black sesame seeds
- Spices such as paprika, za’atar, sumac or dukkah
- Fresh herbs, like parsley, cilantro or thyme
- For spicy hummus drizzle some harissa or Middle Eastern hot sauce, such as shatta
Recipe FAQs
Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same thing!
Musabaha comes from the region of Lavant, which includes countries such as Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Syria, parts of Turkey and more. This dish is quite popular in Lebanon so it’s often thought of as Lebanese hummus or Lebanese chickpeas.
You need tahini in this recipe for that nutty, earthy hummus flavor. If you don’t have any, you could sneak in a bit of good quality store bought hummus. Cashew butter will also work though the flavor will change quite a bit.
If you don’t have a regular sized food processor, you can also use a mini chopper. Another way to make musabaha is to mash the cooked chickpeas with a potato masher or the back of a fork. The hummus will have a coarser texture when using this method.
More ideas to try
- Greek Chickpea Salad
- Red Lentil Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Rice (Easy Yellow Rice Recipe)
- Spinach Caprese Salad with Strawberries
- Greek Chickpea Pasta Bake
- Chicken Salad Without Mayo
If you try my Musabaha recipe, be sure to leave me a comment and give this recipe a rating. I would love to hear from you and see how it turned out for you! You can also share and tag me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Musabaha {Whole Chickpea Hummus}
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 lemons juiced
- ⅔ cup drippy tahini
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅓ cup ice cold water
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves for garnish
Garlic oil
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- ¼ teaspoon whole coriander seeds
Instructions
- Boil chickpeas in water with ½ teaspoon baking soda for 20-30 minutes, until soft. Drain.
- Reserve 1.5 cup whole chickpeas and set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor place the remaining cooked chickpeas, lemon juice, crushed garlic cloves, tahini, salt and cumin. Blend until smooth.
- While the food processor is going pour in the ice cold water in a slow stream.
- Transfer the dip into a bowl and stir in the reserved whole chickpeas.
- Serve drizzled with warm garlic oil (recipe below), chopped fresh parsley leaves and more whole chickpeas.
Warm Garlic Oil
- Place olive oil in a small saucepan together with fresh garlic slices.
- Bring the oil to a low simmer and cook for a couple minutes watching the garlic. It’s supposed to brown but it’s easy to burn so make sure the heat is very low.
- Once the garlic is golden brown add whole coriander seeds, lemon peel and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for another 30-60 seconds or so, just to toast.
- Take the oil off the heat and let cool slightly before topping your hummus.
Notes
Nutritional information below is approximate and includes musabaha hummus only (without garnishes).
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
Jerika
Wow! can't wait to try this Musabaha on my vegies!:) YUM! I can finish up plenty of vegies with this! Thanks!:) Love it!
Kayla DiMaggio
This chickpea hummus was so delicious! I loved how easy it was to make as well. Perfect for dipping vegetables!
Amanda
This hummus was so good! It was super creamy and had the perfect pop of lemon to make it great for a summer snack. Very easy to make too!
Marcellina
My family loves hummus but I've never made it like this with some chickpeas left whole so I was interested to try it. But what really won us over was the amazing warm garlic oil! This is addictive! Great recipe!
Brianna May
This hummus is delicious! I am making it again this weekend for a family gathering.