What legume is the main ingredient in hummus?

The main legume in hummus is the chickpea.

Traditional hummus, more fully called hummus bi tahini, is made from cooked and mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Olive oil, parsley, paprika, or whole chickpeas are often added as garnishes. Chickpeas provide the creamy body of the dish, while tahini contributes a rich sesame flavor.

Hummus is a Levantine dish commonly served as part of a meze, often with pita bread or fresh vegetables. Its exact origin is debated across the Middle East, and no single modern country can be conclusively identified as its birthplace. Written recipes for chickpea preparations resembling hummus appear in medieval Arab cookbooks, including a 13th-century Syrian source.

A frequent misconception is that hummus is primarily a sesame dish because tahini is an important ingredient. Tahini is essential to many traditional versions, but it is a paste made from sesame seeds, not a legume. Fava beans, lentils, and black beans can appear in regional spreads or modern variations, but they are not the standard legume in hummus.