Black Olive Hummus Recipe

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Wondering what to do with that random can of black olives in the back of your pantry? You could stick them on your fingertips like I did when I was a kid, or turn them into a creamy and tasty black olive hummus dip. 

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Types Of Hummus With Olives

Not all olive hummus recipes are created equal. Hummus can be made with black olives or green olives. You can even make a kalamata olive hummus with dark purple Greek olives.

Most of these recipes will have similar ingredients. They might, though, have different ratios of olive oil or garlic. The recipe should take into consideration the natural oil and liquid in the olive as well as the bitterness of the olive. 

Check out our other hummus recipes:

Golden Turmeric Hummus With Coconut

Hummus With Red Pepper

Creamy Pumpkin Hummus

Using Canned Black Olives In Hummus

I choose canned black, pitted olives for this recipe. First, we live in Spain and have not shortage of fabulous olives we can buy at our local market. Most of these are seasoned with olive oil and spices. We have black or green olives of all different varieties, shapes, and sizes. 

Not everyone has this variety of olives on their doorstep. Most people have easy access to simple, store bought, black olives. Look for pitted olives, where the pits are removed. They can be whole, sliced, or diced. 

Serve this hummus recipe with chickpea chips.

How To Prepare The Olives

The black olives should be drained in a colander, but not rinsed. Some recipes I’ve researched suggest reserving the liquid they come in to use in the hummus.

I’m not a fan of that. I just don’t like the liquid from the can. To me, it’s just filled with preservatives and who knows what else. Instead of using the reserved liquid, I prefer to use a good quality olive oil. 

Ingredients For Hummus With Black Olives

The ingredients for this hummus recipe are similar to our traditional hummus recipe. It’s a base of tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh-squeezed garlic. Tahini forms the base of most hummus recipes. It’s a thick roasted sesame paste. Be sure to stir the tahini well before using it. 

Any canned and pitted black olives will work well. They can be whole, sliced, or diced. Drain the olives but don’t rinse them. The chickpeas should be drained in a colander and rinsed with cool water. 

How To Make Hummus With Olives

Use a food processor or blender. Start by adding the lemon juice. Whenever using freshly squeezed lemon juice, I like to add it first. That way just in case a seed accidentally drops it, it’s easier to dig it out. Or, use a lemon squeezer like this one to catch the seeds. Add the olive oil, tahini, and pressed garlic. 

I like to use a garlic press too so that there aren’t big chunks of garlic in the hummus. Try the Zulay stainless steel garlic press, which is easy to use. There’s no need to even peel the garlic ahead of time.

Blend the ingredients well. Add the black olives and the chickpeas. Feel free to reserve one or two black olives for garnish. Blend well. To reach the right consistency add a little more olive oil or a tablespoon of warm water. 

In the end, the hummus should be creamy. It’s like a black olive tapenade but even more creamy. It’s also a good substitution for a tapenade. 

This hummus goes really well with Food Should Taste Good Multi-Grain Tortilla Chips, which you can buy on Amazon here. Or, serve it with carrot or celery sticks or even pretzel sticks. Garnish with a few slices of black olive, a drizzle of olive oil, or a sprinkle of paprika. 

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