tangy black & garbanzo bean hummus

I've always somewhat enjoyed hummus, but never enough to have it on hand in my fridge at all times.  When I decided to try a vegan diet, hummus was the first food I turned to.  I knew that it was a great source of protein and it was delicious.  My first attempt at making hummus was from this recipe.  It was very delicious and I made it quite a bit.  I then moved onto a recipe with roasted red peppers in it and didn't like it very much.  Growing tired of the same flavor, I ventured on my own and created this recipe.  The first try came out kind of runny at first but firmed up after a bit. Even then, it doesn't have quite the same consistency as store bought hummus, but is just as delicious.  I added 2 tbs of water before I really checked the consistency, so I might try only adding 1 or none at all next time, depending on what I'm using it for.  When it was first out of the blender and runny, I put it on some lettuce as a dressing and it was delicious!  I was really happy with how it turned out.  A little spice and lingering heat, mixed with tangy lemon juice and nutty tahini.  I like to use dried beans for less sodium, but you can use canned beans as well- the conversion isn't exact- so if you are using canned beans, your hummus might come out a little thicker and require more water to get the right consistency.  Look below for my guide to using dried beans.

 tangy black & garbanzo bean hummus

1/3 C lemon juice

1/3 C tahini

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp sriracha

1 tsp salt

3 tbs olive oil

1 C black beans or 1 can drained (1/3 cup dried)

1 C garbanzo beans or 1 can drained (1/3 cup dried)

1-2 tbs water

tangy black & garbanzo bean hummus

Put lemon juice and tahini in a blender or food processor.  Make sure to stir your tahini really well before adding.  Process together until mixed well.  Add garlic, cumin, sriracha, salt and olive oil; process until mixed well.  I scrape the sides and bottom at this point and add half of the beans.  Process until well mixed.  Add the second half of the beans and process until smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom and add 1 tbs of water at a time until extra smooth and creamy.  The black beans will leave little black flecks in the hummus so if you want hummus that looks store bought you could use 2 cups of garbanzo beans instead.

hummus is a perfect dip for your favorite veggies

I love toasted pita or veggies for dipping, but even better is replacing your dressings and condiments with hummus.  We use it as a mayo replacements for sandwiches, creamy salad dressing, or tossed with hot pasta.

I hope you try it and you like it!  I would love to hear your comments on what you tried, and if you liked it or what you would change!  

Tip for using dried beans:

I don't know why I don't make this recipe with canned beans.  It is easier and A LOT less time consuming, that is for sure.  I think I am a completionist (imagine that is a word) in that if I am making home made hummus from scratch it needs to be 100% from scratch.  I could claim it is cheaper and that there is less sodium, so I think I will.   

For conversions, keep this in mind: 1 can of beans is approximately 1 cup once drained, and 1/3 cup dried beans is approximately 1 cup cooked beans.   I like to measure out my beans the night before I am going to use them.  There are methods mentioned all over the internet that don't involve soaking, but this is the first method I used and am too lazy to try any other methods.  I measure the beans and put them in at least triple the volume of water to soak in the fridge over night. (Most will take over 8 hours to soak, so this is the preferred method for me)  I cook them the next day by boiling them for about an hour.  Some beans take more time than others.  I boiled the black and garbanzo beans together for only 45 minutes, and they turned out just fine.  Just keep an eye on the pot so it doesn't 

overflow or get too low on water.  You will want plenty of water to boil the beans in.  To check if they are done, the beans should squish very easily.  How is that for exact?  I have read a bunch of guides on how long to soak and how long to cook and with how much water.  I  have never followed them exactly but gotten the results I needed, so see what works for you.