Navy Bean Hummus

After a chat with a new foodie friend, Cyber Penguin, I realized we need to post more recipes here. Here's a recipe for hummus we made when we had the craving but no garbanzo beans. It turned out so good it was worthy of a second make.

Note: we cook by feel and taste and our measurements will get you in the ballpark. Feel free to tweak these measurements to get something more to your taste. If a measurement is specified, it's either because that amount is required for the recipe to turn out or it's the simplest unit of measure.

1 can navy beans, drained but not necessarily rinsed
Good extra-virgin olive oil
Garlic, peeled
1 TBS tahini
Lemon juice
Lemon zest, optional
Salt (we like the taste of Kosher salt)
Freshly ground black pepper (coarse or fine, you decide)

Whir all these ingredients together in this order in a food processor until smooth. Adjust oil, lemon juice, tahini, and seasoning to taste. Serve with oven-warmed pita bread, spread in a turkey sandwich, or use as a veggie dip.

Tahini is a sesame seed paste that has a dry, nutty, bitter flavor essential to making hummus. Its texture is runnier than natural peanut butter and the color more pale and greyish. Stir it well before using it, since like natural peanut butter, the oil separates from the nut paste. You should be able to find tahini in a large supermarket (try the "ethnic" aisle or maybe the organic section) or go to a specialty market. If you're lucky enough to have a Halal market (Muslim foods) in town, go there, as they will have the best quality. We found great tahini at a Halal market in Columbia Heights, MN, a suburb on the north side of Minneapolis.

I tried this hummus recipe once with kidney beans and added cumin. Interesting. Like a cold dip to use instead of cold refried beans. I think I'd like to try it again, increase the seasoning, and blend it with sour cream for a softer creamier dip with tortilla chips. Maybe stir in some salsa, too.


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