10 Sabra Hummus Flavors, Ranked

As more individuals shift to plant-based protein sources to incorporate into their daily consumption habits, the market for hummus has expanded. Sabra has been at the forefront of this expansion. Its arsenal of delicious, nutritious, and creative hummus varieties is impressive.

Sabra takes great pride in sourcing the highest quality ingredients to produce its diverse hummus flavors, particularly the chickpeas. These non-GMO legumes are grown on family farms across the Palouse region, spanning the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington in the Northwestern U.S. Most of their flavors are also gluten-free and kosher.

We recently had the opportunity to try a diverse selection of Sabra hummus varieties. As passionate enthusiasts and regular consumers of hummus, Sabra has consistently been our top choice. With a discerning palate, we assessed each based on its unique aroma, creamy texture, inventive ingredients, and overall robust flavor. To be honest, the results of our assessment were not entirely a surprise.

Read more: The 15 Best Store-Bought Barbecue Sauces, Ranked

Stubb's Barbecue Hummus

At the bottom of our list of Sabra hummus varieties is Stubb's Barbecue Hummus. This is one of the most recent flavors introduced by Sabra in conjunction with Stubb's. This hummus has a scent and flavor profile distinctly that of barbecue sauce, with notes of brown sugar, molasses, and vinegar permeating the dip.

Once the initial flavors of barbecue sauce kick in, a hint of spiciness emerges, followed by a smoky aftertaste. The texture of this dip is notably thicker than some of the more classic varieties of Sabra. While this is not problematic, it is distinct.

We enjoyed this hummus variety, but the barbecue sauce somewhat overwhelmed the flavor of chickpeas and tahini. It tastes like something you'd serve as an accompaniment at a summer cookout alongside burgers, baked beans, fresh corn, and apple pie rather than a permutation of a Middle Eastern dip. Its inherent hummus identity is somewhat lost among the other flavors. For this reason, it ranked at the bottom of our list.

Frank's RedHot Buffalo Hummus

The Frank's RedHot Buffalo Hummus flavor is next on our ranking of Sabra hummus varieties. This is another one of its newest flavors. This unique variety is a collaboration between Sabra and Frank's RedHot, makers of the sauce responsible for the invention of buffalo wings in 1964 by the ​​Anchor Bar & Grill in Buffalo, New York.

The aroma of this hummus is mild, which may be surprising given the presence of Frank's RedHot. It is not until you taste this hummus that the heat starts creeping up on you. While this hummus is spicy, it is not overwhelming, allowing the chickpeas and tahini to remain the stars.

The texture of this hummus is quite thick but not pasty, making scooping it with a cracker a bit more challenging but certainly not impossible. We quite appreciated this flavor, even if it is not our favorite. As spicy varieties go, other Sabra flavors fit our palates more suitably. We would still recommend this flavor if you love Franks RedHot sauce.

Southwest Hummus

Next on our list is the new Southwest Hummus flavor. This variety incorporates Tex-Mex elements with classic hummus ingredients. It is an ideal marriage of cultures, bridging tradition with flavors that complement rather than distract.

At the initial sniff, notes of cumin and garlic are immediately prominent. As you dig into this hummus, the chili powder shines through. These flavors are smoky, a bit sharp, and spicy. The heat is not overpowering but rather a warmth that creeps down your throat without dulling your senses. The texture of this hummus is again slightly thicker than many of the classic Sabra varieties but still creamy.

The Southwest is our favorite among the most recent inductees to the Sabra hummus catalog. It taps into our sensibilities with nuanced flavors that remind us of iterations of hummus we have eaten while in North Africa. With that, it still couldn't beat out some of the tried and true varieties we have been eating for a long time, landing it where it did on our ranking.

Roasted Pine Nut Hummus

The Roasted Pine Nut Hummus is one of the flavors where some ingredients are decoratively perched atop the dip. When you peel back the vacuum seal of the package, you must stir the whole thing together for the flavors to be thoroughly mixed up. These decorative garnishes are roasted pine nuts, dried parsley, and red pepper.

The aroma of this hummus is distinctly pine nut-forward, with hints of the dried parsley creeping through. Its flavor is slightly spicy but not overly so. The bell pepper is noticeable, tempering the creamy and delicately bitter flavor that pine nuts can have. Pine nuts can be an acquired taste, even causing a somewhat metallic residue in the mouths of some individuals. We enjoy them but recognize they are not everyone's cup of tea.

An underlying acidity pervades this hummus that is a bit more aggressive than some of the other varieties, and we found the dried parsley flavor lingered a bit too long on our tongues after eating it. While this hummus is good, it is not our favorite, landing it toward the bottom of our list.

Supremely Spicy Hummus

Never has a product had such an apropos name. This hummus is, in fact, supremely spicy. The combination of hot chili peppers, red peppers, and garlic delicately perched on top of the classic hummus packs quite a punch. We recommend not stirring all the ingredients together if you are sensitive to heat. You can scoop just a touch of the chili topping with your hummus to tailor each bite to accommodate your heat tolerance.

The capsaicin from the hot chilis is immediately apparent in the aroma of this hummus. You will start sweating, and the intense heat will permeate your taste buds when you bite into them. Ours is a home divided where heat is concerned. Some like it quite hot, others have less tolerance for it.

For this reason, we ranked this hummus lower on our list. It is delicious, but not for everyone, making it more of an acquired taste than something universally beloved. Anecdotally, this hummus was great on a classic tortilla chip, having the flavor profile of hummus and salsa. We might even consider garnishing it with fresh avocado slices to temper the heat.

Olive Tapenade Hummus

Yet another flavor that will be controversial is the Olive Tapenade Hummus. Some people love olives, while others will not go near them with a ten-foot pole. We love them and this hummus. The tapenade atop the hummus is made from green olives, Kalamatas, and garlic combined with soybean oil. There is also a hint of dried parsley scattered around as a garnish. To obtain the full flavor of this variety, stir the hummus and olives thoroughly before sampling.

The salty olives paired with the creamy chickpea and tahini purée are a delightful juxtaposition. While there is a hint of lingering bitterness from the dried parsley, it is less evident with the other assertive flavors in this variety. For this reason, we ranked it above the pine nut hummus. Try combining this hummus with fresh goat cheese in a layered dip and serving it with naan or fresh pita for an elegant appetizer. Goat cheese and tapenade are a match made in heaven, and the creaminess of the hummus makes it an even more perfect union.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

People tend to have a love-hate relationship with peppers. Part of this is because raw peppers can be challenging to digest, according to WebMD. The solution to this problem is roasting the peppers, making them more subtle in flavor and far more easily digestible. The Roasted Red Pepper Hummus takes advantage of this by topping its classic hummus with chopped bits of slightly smoky and sweet roasted peppers.

Once you stir the peppers into the hummus, the slight char from the peppers permeates the creamy dip, giving it a complex flavor and texture. This combines well with crudités and plain crackers that don't hide the inherent flavor of the peppers. This variety of Sabra makes a regular appearance on our grocery list as we are super fond of it.

To incorporate this dip into your recipes in a fun way, try using it as a garnish on a tomato bisque in place of plain sour cream. The creaminess with the slightly smoky sweet flavor of the pepper will amp up your soup and turn it from a nostalgic trip down memory lane into a sophisticated grown-up delicacy.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

You may want to skip eating this hummus if you are a vampire or heading out on a date. For everyone else, the Roasted Garlic Hummus is a revelation. The roasted garlic is minced with red peppers and delicately placed atop the classic creamy hummus.

This quantity of raw garlic would be overwhelming for even the most enthusiastic garlic aficionado. When roasted, the natural sugars of the garlic sweeten, creating a mellow, rich, and delicately smoky flavor. Anyone who has ever eaten a recipe with whole-cooked garlic cloves will understand what we mean by how it can transform after being slow-cooked.

Once stirred together, the roasted garlic punctuates the creamy chickpeas and sesame with a slightly sharp yet round taste that is complex. This hummus variety is best enjoyed on some quality fresh naan or pita, where you can scoop every last bit out of the container. We give this dip a solid A grade, landing it in the top three of our rankings of Sabra hummus varieties.

Caramelized Onion Hummus

Our second highest-ranked Sabra variety is its Caramelized Onion Hummus. To understand the complexity and beauty of a perfectly caramelized onion, try eating a carefully crafted, slow-cooked French onion soup. One cannot achieve the beautiful browned hue, sweetness, and delicacy in the flavor of a caramelized onion without spending time cooking it over a low, slow heat. It takes a long time to coax these flavors out of sliced onions, and the specimen atop this hummus has undergone this careful preparation.

Once these onions, cooked with a hint of brown sugar, are mixed with the classic hummus, the whole container is turned into an umami bomb. We plowed through this container of hummus in one sitting quite easily and hope to make it a part of our regular hummus rotation. Try using this as a base for a Middle Eastern-inspired bruschetta topped with sun-dried tomatoes, feta, and microgreens. Your guests will think you spent hours on this sophisticated appetizer.

Classic Hummus

Let's get back to basics. By that, we mean Sabra's Classic Hummus. All of its hummus varieties start with this as a base, with various flavors either added into or atop it. This hummus takes the cooked, non-GMO chickpeas it carefully sources and combines them with water, tahini paste, oil, garlic, salt, and preservatives for a smooth, creamy, delicious dip.

One of the reasons we have always gravitated toward Sabra hummus over all other brands is its simplicity and dedication to preserving what makes hummus such an integral part of the cuisines of countries across the Middle East. Many hummus varieties tend to be overly grainy, giving them a poor mouthfeel. That is never an issue with Sabra, which is consistently smooth and creamy.

Other hummus brands are also shy about incorporating significant amounts of tahini and garlic. While we understand that these have pervasive flavors, they are what make a proper hummus. Without the tahini in particular, a paste made of ground sesame seeds, you lose the quintessential flavor profile of hummus, rendering it a mundane watered-down chickpea purée. Sabra doesn't compromise, so we will always be faithful consumers of this brand.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.