Monday, September 20, 2010

White Bean Hummus with Fresh Thyme & Basil


Here is another wonderful recipe from my new favorite cookbook Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. I love hummus. It is so easy to just buy store bought hummus but nothing can compare to hummus made at home. Once you are able to buy typical hummus ingredients like tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garbanzo beans, and garlic you can whip up your own dip in no time. It actually becomes cheaper to make it at home, then buy in the store. Plus you avoid all those "extra" preservatives found in the store-bought hummus.

My mom needed a dish for her monthly bunko group and she mentioned just buying hummus and pita chips. I told her that I have this delicious white bean hummus that I'd love to make. The ending result? Well she came home with a near empty bowl of hummus! The girls loved it. The fresh herbs and the slight red wine tang made this dip very hard to portion control. Good thing it is healthy and has good fats and proteins! I also loved how smooth this dip was. Normally I have to keep adding oil or water for a smoother consistency. Not with this recipe! Luckily I was able to find the recipe online at Dreena's blog and now if you haven't tried it now is your chance! This is a great dish to bring over to a friend's house or serve at your very own party!


White Bean Hummus with Fresh Thyme & Basil By Dreena Burton
Makes 6-7 servings (about 2 1/2 cups) | Wheat-Free

Ingredients
2 cups cooked cannellini (white kidney) beans
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
1 medium clove garlic (I used 2-3 tsp of minced garlic)
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (I used 1 1/2 tbsp)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2-3 tbsp water (to thin dip as desired)- I did not use any water
2 1/2- 3 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (not dried)
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn or chopped (not dried)

In a food processor, combine all ingredients expect water, thyme, and basil. Puree until smooth, gradually adding water as desired to thin dip and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add thyme and basil and puree briefly to incorporate ingredients.

 

I like to garnish my dip with a sprig of thyme and sprinkle of basil. I served it with pita chips. Don't forget to add raw vegetables for dipping!

I ran a 5k over the weekend! Stay tune with how it all went and what I have decided about my running future. I think I "found" a new love!

Talk to you soon,
Fallon

2 comments:

Pam said...

I love hummus - this looks delicious.

Debbie said...

Never made my own hummus...but you made a good point about the preservatives. How long do you think homemade hummus would last?