Hummus became a staple in my diet about a dozen years ago. I don’t remember how or why I started eating it. It could have started with a trip to the Grand Canyon where Eric introduced me to it although it is also highly probable that it was a 7th grade project of Kelly’s. Either scenario is possible since Kelly & Eric are the basis of all the cultural food experiences around here. Not that hummus is unusual any more, it has gotten quite mainstream. I like it as a dip for raw veggies or pita chips and I eat it 5 days a week as a spread on some toasted sandwich thins as part of my weekday lunches.
I’m always trying to make things at home from basic ingredients instead of having to run to the store when we run out of prepared items. Part of that is the inconvenience of running to the store since the closest grocery store is nearly 10 miles away and part of that is frugality. When I run across a recipe for something like hummus that I eat so much, I try it out. Recently, a garlic & white bean hummus caught my eye since I had leftover dried white beans from a craft project. What seemed like a perfect way to use up those beans turned into my new go-to hummus spread. Using canned beans is a convenient alternative to the dried beans.
Garlic & White Bean Hummus Yield: 2 cups
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 15-ounce can white beans rinsed
- 4 heads of garlic, roasted
- 2 tablespons + 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 tablspoons tahini
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
(If you are going to use dried beans, soak 1 cup of beans in a medium pot filled with water for 4 (or more) hours at room temperature. Cover the pot with a paper towel or the lid of the pot. After at least 4 hours, drain the water out, add new water to cover the beans and bring them to a boil. When the beans start to boil, reduce the heat and simmer the beans for 1/2 to 2 hours, until the beans are easily squished. When the are very tender, drain the beans and let them sit until the onions are cooked.)
Start by roasting the garlic. Cut the tops off of each head of garlic and brush a bit of olive oil on them.
Cut off the tops of the heads of garlic to expose the tops of the cloves.
Wrap them all together in aluminum foil and put them in a 425° oven for 35 minutes. Allow the garlic to cool for 15 minutes with the foil open.
Brush the tops of the garlic heads with a touch of olive oil and roast them.
Squeeze out the garlic from the outer coverings. There should be about 1/2 cup of garlic. Mash it with a fork to break up any large chunks of garlic.
Squeeze the head of garlic to extract the garlic puree, removing any green shoots present.
Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the onion and salt in a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat until the onion is softened but not browned, about 6 to 9 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Give the beans a quick saute after the onions are cooked.
Transfer the bean & onion mixture to a food processor. Add the roasted garlic puree, 1/2 cup of olive oil and the lemon juice and puree until it is smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.
Blend it all together until the hummus is smooth.
Serve warm or cold.
Hummus & pita chips go very well with spiked lemonade out on the deck!
Enjoy some Middle Eastern comfort food! ~Linda
Garlic & White Bean Hummus Yield: 2 cups
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 15-ounce can white beans rinsed
- 4 heads of garlic, roasted
- 2 tablespons + 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 tablspoons tahini
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
(If you are going to use dried beans, soak 1 cup of beans in a medium pot filled with water for 4 (or more) hours at room temperature. Cover the pot with a paper towel or the lid of the pot. After at least 4 hours, drain the water out, add new water to cover the beans and bring them to a boil. When the beans start to boil, reduce the heat and simmer the beans for 1/2 to 2 hours, until the beans are easily squished. When the are very tender, drain the beans and let them sit until the onions are cooked.)
Start by roasting the garlic. Cut the tops off of each head of garlic and brush a bit of olive oil on them.
Wrap them all together in aluminum foil and put them in a 425° oven for 35 minutes. Allow the garlic to cool for 15 minutes with the foil open.
Squeeze out the garlic from the outer coverings. There should be about 1/2 cup of garlic. Mash it with a fork to break up any large chunks of garlic.
Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the onion and salt in a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat until the onion is softened but not browned, about 6 to 9 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Transfer the bean & onion mixture to a food processor. Add the roasted garlic puree, 1/2 cup of olive oil and the lemon juice and puree until it is smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.
Serve warm or cold.