CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — This week's Made in Chicago highlights Homegirl’s Hummus, which is giving area residents a healthy way to satisfy their hunger.
Niehla Ollie founded Homegirl’s Hummus in 2021, but it was an experience in Milwaukee — years’ prior — that inspired her to start playing around with the dish.
“I was craving some green hummus one night [that] I had in Milwaukee,” Ollie said. “I was like, ‘You know what? I’m not driving all the way out to Milwaukee. I’m a smart girl. I can figure this out.’ I didn’t even know what the flavor was; I just knew it was green. So, of course, I got a lot of spinach, and I started messing around.”
She told WBBM the resulting hummus was even better than what she had initially been craving. Now, Homegirl’s Hummus has built up a dedicated base of followers from its home base on Chicago’s Near West Side.
“We work out of Kitchen Chicago, which is a shared, commercial kitchen space,” she said.
Ollie said their No. 1 seller is the Chicago style hummus, which features roasted garlic hummus topped with mild giardiniera on top.
“It is like having an Italian beef without the guilt,” she said.
A big source of growth for Homegirl’s Hummus has come from its presence at local farmers markets, Ollie said. They can be found in Naperville, Tinley Park, Evergreen Park, Lincoln Park and Logan Square.
“We put our Black girl magic on it, so it’s very, very different,” Ollie said. “It’s a fun time, and everyone that tastes it always says, ‘I’ve never tasted anything like it.’”
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