03 September 2009

Faux hummus, aka Fancy bean dip


I'm not a vegetarian, but I'm all for incorporating as many non-meat meals as I can into our repertoire. Plant proteins are usually cheaper and healthier than animal proteins, and my kids have never been big meat-eaters.

This is my take on hummus. This is not traditional hummus, as it contains no tahini and no garbanzo beans. So I suppose it's bean dip, but it's sooo much more than plain old bean dip and very hummus-like. I serve this with crackers, tortilla chips, and assorted cold stick-like vegetables (carrots, celery, cucumber, stiff green beans, etc.).
Faus Hummus
2 cans white beans
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 sprig fresh rosemary (or 1tsp dried)
1/4 cup (packed) flat leaf parsley*
Salt and pepper to taste

*I would not substitute dried parsley for the fresh here. If you don't have fresh parsley, you can just leave it out. Or substitute both herbs for whatever fresh herbs you have. Chives would be yummy!

I forgot to include my fresh lemon in the ingredient photo above, so I thought I'd add it here. Ah, there's just nothing like freshly squeezed lemon juice. (Hey, I squeezed the bottle...does that count?)

Place all ingredients into food processor.
If you have a tiny food processor like I do, you may have to do this in two batches. If so, it's best to put half of all the ingredients in each batch. That is the best way to get the ingredients blended together. This method can actually be quite beneficial--if you get too much salt in the first batch (or too much of any ingredient), you can adjust the level in the second batch and just stir them together really well when you're done.

Blend ingredients together until they reach the consistency of a thick paste. There should be no lumps--just smooth, even, creamy goodness.

If you're having trouble getting it smooth, try adding more lemon juice and/or olive oil until it comes together. And keep blending! It always takes longer than I think to get to this stage.

Now get some veggies and dip! This is great for an appetizer, or summer lunch. My 5yr old daughter has been taking this in her lunch all week (like this), and proclaims to me every day, "I ate all my lunch today!"