Hummus Lovers, It's Time To Turn Your Favorite Snack Into Soup

Of all the things Middle Eastern cuisine has blessed us with, hummus surely ranks near the very top (right next to falafel, of course). The creamy texture and nutty, savory flavor of hummus make it a heavenly snack or the perfect mezze appetizer. But with a slight creative touch, your favorite snack can also become a standalone meal we all love — soup. To a western audience, hummus soup might sound like a novelty, but if you're reading this article from sunny and picturesque Cyprus, you've likely had hummus soup before.

The base of the soup begins with your favorite hummus recipe. Chickpeas, lemon, tahini, olive oil, and salt — the usual suspects. Ideally, you'll be peeling the skins off the chickpeas to ensure a smooth soup texture. You can also use leftover hummus as the soup base, in case you have some conveniently sitting in the fridge. Add water to the base, but do so slowly and gradually — you don't want to thin the soup too much. The final consistency should be thick, hearty, and filling. If you think your soup needs more substance, sweet corn or cornmeal are great additions.

For the spices, go with turmeric for a vibrant yellow color, smoked paprika for its sweet undertones, and sumac if you love a hint of sourness. Adding flavorful Aleppo pepper won't disappoint your taste buds, either. With all the ingredients mixed together, the soup only needs to come to a boil and it's instantly ready to eat!

A fully-blended, single-color soup can look a bit on the bland side, so the right presentation is a big part of this particular culinary experience. Because hummus is traditionally a dip, you can play around with this concept by offering your hummus soup in an edible bowl that's made of something you'd usually dip into the hummus. For example, a large bell pepper is a good soup vessel if your go-to snack is hummus with veggies. Another top-notch option is a garlic bread bowl that beautifully complements the soup with a pungent, garlicky aroma.

Last, but certainly not least, don't forget about the garnish. Crispy chickpeas or fried croutons are a great topping that will add a satisfying crunch to the creamy texture of the soup. Send a nod to the original hummus dip with a dash of extra virgin olive oil and add some parsley leaves, or a few thin lemon slices to elevate the soup's freshness in both taste and visuals. Eat the soup as is, or serve it with Greek-style pita bread that you can dip into the creamy goodness. For the ultimate Cypriot experience, however, serve the hummus soup as part of a vibrant, social mezze meal, alongside Greek sausage and halloumi cheese.