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White Bean Hummus

White bean hummus, with mini baguettes

Open my pantry and you’ll see all kinds of canned beans. They’re just so useful – good in soups, chilis, tossed in salads or processed into hearty dips – that I will always keep plenty around.

Dips especially are a favorite of mine to make because I usually have something around that requires dipping, whether it is a bag of tortilla chips, a batch of pretzel sticks, fresh veggies or some homemade pita chips. This white bean hummus goes well with all of them and is an easy, satisfying snack to make for yourself or if you are entertaining friends.

I was inspired to throw this together after going through some old bookmarks and coming across Orangette‘s White Bean Hummus recipe. I made some significant changes, blending her recipe with a more traditional hummus recipe by using half white beans and half garbanzo beans. I also cut back on the tahini and (as you might have guessed since I already cut back on the tahini in the recipe) skipped the optional step of drizzling the finished product with olive oil. Tahini sometimes can have a slightly oily feel to it on its own and I simply prefer hummus to be a bit thicker and less greasy. Plus, I’m the kind of snacker who likes to scoop dips, not simply to dunk a chip and move on.


White Bean Hummus
2 cloves garlic
1 15-oz can white beans, drained and rinsed well
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans
1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)*
3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp cumin, or to taste
pinch cayenne pepper
water

Combine all ingredients, except water, in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until mixture is relatively smooth. Add in water a tablespoon or two at a time until hummus is very smooth and has reached a consistency that appeals to you (thick or thin).
Transfer to a serving bowl if eating right away, or store in an airtight container in the fridge if not. Hummus will keep for at least several days.

*Note: If you find the taste of tahini to be too strong, feel free to substitute half the amount for olive oil instead of using all tahini.

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4 Comments
  • Amelia
    February 3, 2008

    Hey! I’ve heard a lot about Hummus but have not tried it before. What other foods can you dip with Hummus? I shall try your recipe real soon… 🙂

  • a. grace
    February 4, 2008

    i’m completely obsessed with all things hummus.

    while orangette’s white bean version sounds great, i’m glad you didn’t exclude the chickpeas. they mean a lot to me. 🙂

    good stuff.

  • Jennifer
    February 4, 2008

    I LOVE hummus, but I never make it as often as I’d like (dragging out the food processor is something I tend it avoid if at all possible). I’m not a huge fan of tahini, so I usually leave it out and just drizzle some olive oil instead. My favorite has to be roasted garlic, I highly recommend roasted garlic hummus! 🙂

    And I totally second you on the scooping and not dunking 😛

  • […] give anything this year, I just made dinner — a light serve-yourself selection of dips* and spreads plus the requisite bread and veggies, as well as roasted red pepper soup and curried […]

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