Black Bean \”Hummus\”

This is NOT really the place for innovative vegan cooking. Lindsay Nixon over at The Happy Herbivore does that better than most, I think.

However, I will share something that I eat…OFTEN. It\’s one of my \”foundational foods\” and I use it for EVERYTHING. Well…except for soap. And toothpaste…I don\’t use it for that. And motor oil…that would be bad.

I use it a lot.

It\’s a \”hummus\” in name only, mainly because it contains chick peas, but I use it as a spread for sandwiches, a base for veggie burritos and tacos, a dip for vegetables (especially baby carrots…SO good!) and sometimes just out of a spoon. It\’s really great and so easy to make.

Here\’s what you\’ll need:

• 1 Can of Reduced Sodium or No Salt Added Black Beans
• 1 Can of Reduced Sodium or No Salt Added Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans)
• 1 Lemon
• 3 Cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 TSP of Crushed Chiles
• 1/4 TSP of Red Pepper seasoning
• 1 TSP of Paprika
• 1 1/2 TSP of Cumin
• 1 1/2 TSP of Fresh Cilantro
• Low Sodium Vegetable Broth, which we\’ll use as needed

First thing I do with all canned beans is put them in a colander and wash them thoroughly. This gets rid of some of the salt and also helps in making the beans less…um…\”whistle-worthy\” in a manner of speaking. If you\’re using dry beans, be sure to note they won\’t have as much moisture in them, so you\’ll add more vegetable broth when blending. Might want to add a little more lemon juice in that case, too. Not too much, though. Because PUCKER!

When that\’s done, I put the black beans and chick peas into my blender. We have a NINJA blender…which I like to say because it\’s fun…\”We have a NINJA!\” It does a great job with this kind of stuff because of the rows of horizontal blades. I haven\’t tried it with another blender, so let me know how that goes.

We usually mince the garlic with our mincer from Pampered Chef. It seems to get the flavor in there better than just peeling cloves and throwing them in the blender.

Juice the lemon and pour that in.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the Vegetable Broth, which we\’ll add later…maybe.

When everything is in, go ahead and blend the ingredients. We\’re basically blending until you get the consistency you want. I like it a little thicker…almost like refried beans, but we get it a little thinner sometimes, too, and that still tastes great.

If your mixture starts seizing up from being too dry, just add the vegetable broth. Don\’t add too much at a time, though. Your hummus can get runny in a flash, and that\’s not great.

Serve it hot or cold. It\’s wonderful, I tell you.

Feel free to improve this. I\’m not a chef in any capacity. This is just a recipe I came to love through experimentation. I hope you\’ll make it better!