Chickpea and Olive Dip
Somewhere between hummus and tapenade — creamy chickpeas, salty olives, lemon and a generous pour of good olive oil, blitzed into a dip that disappears fast. Five minutes, one bowl, and a great deal more interesting than plain hummus.
This is the dip to make when plain hummus feels a little tame. The olives bring salt, depth and a faint bitterness; the chickpeas and oil make it creamy; the lemon keeps the whole thing awake. It reads like a Levantine cousin of Provençal tapenade, loosened into something you can scoop rather than spread.
What goes in, and why
The beauty of this dip is that everything in it earns its place. Understand what each part does and you can adjust it to whatever olives and oil you have to hand.
| Ingredient | What it does |
|---|---|
| 1 tin chickpeas, drained | the creamy body; mild and nutty |
| A handful pitted olives | salt, depth, faint bitterness — the whole point |
| 1 small garlic clove | backbone; keep it modest so it does not shout |
| Juice of 1 lemon | lifts and brightens the richness |
| 1 tbsp tahini (optional) | rounds it out toward hummus |
| Good extra virgin olive oil | creaminess blended in, then more raw on top |
Method
Blitz everything except the finishing oil to a coarse or smooth purée, as you like it, loosening with a splash of water or more oil until it turns creamy. Taste before you reach for salt — the olives usually bring plenty. Spread it in a shallow bowl, make a well in the middle with the back of a spoon, and pour good oil into the hollow.
Green or black?
Green olives give a brighter, sharper, more herbaceous dip; a firm Picholine or a buttery Castelvetrano both work well. Black Kalamata pull it deeper and wine-dark, closer to tapenade. There is no wrong answer — but do use a proper brined olive, not the rubbery pitted rings sold for pizza, which taste of little but salt.
- Salt last. Olives and tahini both carry salt — taste before adding any.
- Texture is a choice. Leave it coarse for a rustic dip, or run it smooth for a slick one.
- The raw oil on top matters — you taste that layer first and unheated, so make it your best bottle.
- It keeps two or three days covered in the fridge; bring it back to room temperature before serving.
Chickpea and olive dip: common questions
Is this just hummus with olives?
Close, but the olives shift it: more savoury, saltier and less nutty than classic hummus, and you can skip the tahini entirely if you want the olive to lead.
Which olives work best?
Any good brined olive. Green (Picholine, Castelvetrano) gives a brighter dip; black Kalamata gives a deeper, tapenade-like one.
Do I need to add salt?
Usually not, or very little. Taste first — the olives and any tahini already bring salt.
Can I make it without tahini?
Yes. Tahini rounds it toward hummus; leave it out and the olive and oil carry the dip on their own.
How long does it keep?
Two to three days, covered, in the fridge. Let it come back to room temperature and stir in a little fresh oil before serving.
The move that turns this from ‘fine’ to ‘more, please’ is the raw oil on top. Blend a decent everyday oil into the dip for body, then flood the surface with a fresh, peppery extra virgin just before it goes to the table. You taste that top layer first and unheated, and it lifts everything under it. Scatter a few chopped olives and a pinch of paprika or za’atar over the pool, and serve with warm bread.
A house recipe in the olives101 kitchen, built on the Levantine chickpea-and-olive tradition.