I admit it: I have a hummus problem. I used to have it under control, back in the Olden Times when I thought it was only about the chickpeas. Once I understood the breadth and depth of this particular canvas, though, things got a bit more (deliciously) complicated! This recipe features black beans, cilantro, chipotle and lime, for a spicy Southwestern twist on a classic vegan favorite — because chickpeas shouldn’t get to have all the fun.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon tahini
- 1/3 cup water or light vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
- 1/8 cup chopped scallions (green part)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup unchopped cilantro leaves, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
- 1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil (optional)
- pinch dried parsley or cilantro
- pinch chili powder or ground smoked paprika
Directions
1. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the black beans and 3-4 cilantro leaves, for garnish.
2. Combine tahini, lemon juice, lime juice, and water or broth in a blender container. Puree until very smooth and creamy; add the rest of the black beans to the blender along with scallions, garlic, cilantro, smoke flavoring, chipotle, and salt. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. Adjust salt and chipotle pepper to taste.
3. Transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with dried parsley or cilantro, dried chili powder or paprika, and reserved black beans. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with pita bread, chips, crackers, or fresh sliced veggies.
Production Notes
Please use fresh citrus juice! You can happily substitute all lemon or all lime juice, if needed, but don’t use the bottled stuff: it’s not the same flavor.
To save grocery bucks, consider cooking dry black beans rather than using the canned variety. Substitute 1-1/2 cup cooked beans for one 15-ounce can. The key to happy cooking with dried beans is to plan ahead! Cook big batches of beans that you might want to use for soups, stews, or casseroles and freeze them for later use. Then when you want hummus: presto defrosto, no problem! If you use canned beans, look for brands that don’t use BPA-lined cans.
Please add ingredients to the blender in the order recommended: making tahini cream first yields a smoother result, compared to the dip you’d get by simply blending everything together at once.
For a tasty variation and additional depth of flavor, add 1/2 cup roasted red bell pepper to the other ingredients in step two.
For best results start with 1/8 teaspoon chipotle pepper and build from there, according to your taste buds’ dictates; if you’re not a fan of hot-and-spicy, substitute cumin or smoked paprika for the chipotle pepper.
Enjoy!
Image by the author, all rights reserved.