White Bean Hummus

I've always LOVED hummus - lemony hummus, garlicky hummus, or red peppery hummus.  Even though we can no longer have gluten (nixing pita chips) or corn (nixing tortilla chips) hummus with fresh veggies satisfies my crunch cravings.

If you're not eating SCD and can tolerate chickpeas, I suggest the Ultimate Hummus recipe from one of my favorite sites, Cooks Illustrated. 

White Bean Hummus

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked white beans, drained (** See note below.)

2 large lemons, juiced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup sesame tahini

1-2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed (start with 1)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (** UPDATE - I'm using 2 teaspoons now and personally like more of the smoky flavor.)

1/4 cup water

Instructions:

In small bowl, mix together sesame tahini and olive oil.  Set aside.  In the work bowl of a food processor, add beans, lemon juice, garlic, salt and cumin and 1/4 cup water.

If beans were freshly cooked and drained (retaining more water), pulse at this point.  If it seems dry, add more water, a few tablespoons at a time, until it moves through the blades well. 

With processor running, add olive oil and tahini mixture in a steady stream through opening in top of work bowl.  Process until creamy.  Enjoy!

NOTE:  I keep dried white navy beans on hand at all times to use in soups, hummus and cakes - yes - I said cakes.  

** To cook beans, soak 1 1/2 cups of dried navy beans in water to cover and let soak overnight.  Drain beans and add to pot with enough fresh water to cover beans about 1-2 inches.  Bring beans to a boil then turn down to simmer.  Simmer for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  If water evaporates, just add more until beans are tender.