Red Kidney Bean Hummus

At our spectacular post-new-year's xmas potluck dinner hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie's baking blog, I tried something that I haven't made in about 13 years – hummus made from something other than chickpeas. Meredith* did a great job and mentioned that it was somehow healthier than hummus with chickpeas (I don't recall why, possibly because there's more fibre) so I decided that I was going to make it again myself.

Why would I have made hummus with anything other than chickpeas? When I lived in Peterborough, I had a friend who was allergic to all legumes, but not beans. Being a smarty-pants, I made two batches of hummus using red and white kidney beans and served them together in a wide and shallow dish. I arefully poured and spread the hummus in the dish so it looked like the symbol for Yin and Yang. What a hippie.

Notes:

*Meredith being Elliot's friend Meredith, not my Meredith or Dan's** Meredith

**Dan, being Penny's Dan, not my Meredith's Dan, who is me

Red Kidney Bean Hummus

• 2 small cloves of garlic
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 tbsp tehina
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• water
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
• 1-2 tsp olive oil

1. Mince the garlic in a food processor.
2. Add beans, tehina, lemon juice, cumin, black pepper, cayenne, salt and olive oil and pulse in food processor for 30 seconds.
3. Stir mixture and blend on high for at least one minute, adding water until desired consistency is reached.
4. Garnish with toasted cumin seeds and 1-2 tsp olive oil.

Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen