The Easiest Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

Looking for the perfect recipe that can work as an appetizer, snack, or main meal? Then this Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus is just what you need in your life! Made with a few simple ingredients, like canned beans, this is hands down the easiest Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus you’ll ever make.

Disclosure: This post was in collaboration with Bush’s Best to help raise awareness around canned beans. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting the work that keeps the Shaw Kitchen thriving!

If you’re tired of spending a ton of money on expensive pre-made dips, spreads, and hummus, then you’re in the right place. I’m going to show you how to turn an affordable can of beans into a gourmet hummus that will appease your entire crew!

Trust me, I’ve done it before in this Sweet Hummus Recipe and I’m about to show you how I did it again!

Why You Need to Make This Hummus

If you don’t remember from my 5 Benefits of Canned Beans post here, let me refresh your memory! Canned beans are not only a convenient addition to a plant-based diet, but they’re also extremely versatile.

Need a quick protein source that doesn’t break the bank? Choose canned beans.

Want to add more plants to your diet? Canned beans count as a vegetable!

Have a guest coming over with food allergies and not sure what to serve? Hello, make a meal starring canned beans!

Needless to say, canned beans are like your best friend that happens to your neighbor… they are there for you no matter what life throws your way!

Case in point, you can whip up this Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus for a snack tray or serve it as a sauce on top of a flatbread or pasta. You have endless opportunities when you #OpenThePossibilities with canned beans!

What You Need to Make this Hummus with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredient Notes + Swaps

Canned Chickpeas: A standard 15.5-ounce can of garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, is perfect for this recipe. If you have an alternative white bean, you can also use that in here, just note the flavor will be slightly different (yet still delicious!) You can use a no added salt or low sodium option if you prefer, but rinsing your canned beans before using regardless of labeling on the can will help to further reduce the salt content by up to 41%.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil: You won’t regret adding a can or two of sun-dried tomatoes in oil to your pantry staples. For a standard size recipe yield, you’ll use about ¾ of a 7-ounce container. However, if you can’t find them and want to make this using sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil separately, you certainly can do so! See below for my recipe tips on that.

Cucumbers: Vary your veggies! I love the crisp taste of thinly sliced cucumbers with this dip, but the more vegetables, the merrier! Create a seasonal snack tray with the fruits and vegetables that are in season, and consider adding in a few nuts, seeds, and dried fruits to add texture and unique flavors as well.

Whole-Grain Pita: I love the taste (and nutrition) that a soft, pillowy whole-grain pita provides, but you can also serve this with fresh bread, crackers, or whatever salty crunch suits your fancy!

Cooked Pasta: I love keeping a chickpea-based cooked pasta on hand for the added fiber and protein. Get creative with your shapes, like the fun cavatappi pasta I have here! It’s a great way to get younger eaters excited about trying a new food, like this hummus with sun-dried tomatoes.

How to Make This Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus Recipe

If you have got 5 minutes and the two staple ingredients you need, then you have enough time to make this no tahini hummus recipe!

To show you seriously how this is the easiest recipe you’ll ever make, I took pictures of the steps along the way!

Simply toss the canned chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, and oil into your food processor or high-powered blender. Process until desired consistency is reached, scrapping down the sides as needed. After about 2 to 3 minutes, the hummus is usually done!

Serve it in your favorite dish alongside a variety of veggies, whole-grain breads or crackers, and heart-healthy nuts!

Or, if you have a pizza obsessed house like I do, you can easily take the hummus as is and spread it on a flatbread of choice, top with your favorite veggies, and bake for a few minutes in your oven or air fryer at 400 degrees F.

Viola, crispy flatbread perfection!

Now, if you’d like to take the Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus Recipe and turn it into a creamy sauce for that pasta, then simply add 2 to 3 tablespoons of a plant-based milk (or preferred milk) of choice.

In just a matter of seconds, it’ll turn that delicious hummus into a creamy sauce that coats pasta perfectly!

Recipe Tips

I created this recipe for all my fellow busy people who want a delicious and nutritious option in no time. Keep these tips in mind as you prepare this recipe to ensure it’s a sure-fire success every time!

• Spend the time to really drain the water from the canned garbanzo beans after you rinse them. This helps to ensure you don’t have an excess amount of liquid going into the recipe! If needed, gently pat them dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel.
• Don’t have time to measure out the sun-dried tomatoes and oil? No problem! It’s pretty hard to mess this recipe up, so feel free to pour about ¾ of the 7-ounce container of the sun-dried tomatoes and almost all the oil into your blender. The flavor will be there but you’ll save yourself a few dishes! Store the remaining sun-dried tomatoes from the jar in the refrigerator and use as an extra topping on the flatbread or pasta you whip up!
• On the same note, if you can’t find the sun-dried tomatoes in oil, but found sun-dried tomatoes and have olive oil on hand, you can still make this recipe. Simply use about ½ cup of the sun-dried tomatoes and soak them in roughly 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil overnight (this helps them have the time to really soak up the oil) with 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Toss this mixture into the blender with your canned garbanzo beans, adding 1 tablespoon or so more of oil and 1 tablespoon of water to reach desired consistency.

FAQs: Canned Beans

Does the nutrition vary in canned beans versus dried beans cooked immediately for use?

No! Whether you pick up a can and pop the top to enjoy a serving of canned black beans or pressure cook your dry beans and do the same, the nutrition will not differ.

The only slight variation will be in the sodium and seasoning content, depending on what you add to your own cooked beans versus what is in the can of beans you have on hand.

I have a hard time eating vegetables. Do canned beans really count as a vegetable?

Yes, they certainly do! The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) actually classifies beans as a subgroup of the vegetable group as well as a part of the protein foods group. This means canned beans actually deliver two times the nutritional punch!

Plus, because there is no standard definition of what a “plant-based diet” entails, this way of eating doesn’t require my fellow carnivore loving friends to nix their meat all together. Rather, it embraces allowing all foods that fit into a healthy dietary pattern to be enjoyed based on individual preferences and budgets, as well as dietary needs.

I know this can seem confusing, so the way I always paint this picture for my clients is using the “center of the plate” analogy. You want your plant-forward menu items, like canned beans, to be in the center of your plate while adding your favorite animal proteins, like meats, as a fun side or topping. Just checkout the variety of easy and delicious recipes below with canned beans to get your creative juices flowing!

Is BPA (bisphenol A) still used in can linings?

No! According to the Can Manufacturers Institute, the industry has transitioned away from BPA, and today 95% of canned food manufacturers use linings made from acrylic, polyester, non-BPA epoxies or olefin polymers.

These new, innovative linings were developed to respond to consumer preferences and have proven to be safe and effective. They are approved by regulatory authorities.

Other Easy Recipes Featuring Canned Beans

• Sweet Hummus Recipe
• Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Chili
• Chickpea Cookie Dough