Wednesday 25 May 2011

Creamy Soya Bean & Black Bean Hummus

Kitchen Play List:  Billy Joel ~ She's Got A Way
                                      Thunder ~ Yesterdays News
                                      Slash ft Iggy Pop ~ We're All Gonna Die
                                      Madeleine Peyroux ~ Careless Love
                                      Shakira ~ Don't Bother
                                      No Doubt ~ Underneath it All

I firmly believe that you can never have too many Hummus recipes. And as I probably have about a hundred of them..it's a good belief! lol. I haven't always liked hummus but to be honest I hadn't even heard of it until about 10 years ago. It was during my first visit to My Love's parents house that I tried it. Instantly I was hooked and I couldn't understand why I hadn't tried it before. But I wasn't brought up in a 'hummus' household...if you know what I mean. My Mum experimented with lentils and soup mixes in stews and soups but lentil/bean dishes weren't part of household eating style. When I left home I experimented more but somehow the simple hummus slipped by me. Not now! I am now a card carrying paid up member of the chickpea fan club and enjoy all types of hummus. One of my favourites is made with pinto beans..not a chickpea in sight. lol. I use many different types as toppings for my lunch time salads and never tire of them. 

A few years ago I started to react badly to the preservatives in pre-made/produced foods and unfortunately hummus was one of them. So I make all of my own hummus now and if I do have a pre-made shop bought one, I find them too acidic and I never feel good later. 

So today I didn't have a topping for my salad and I'm still craving the comfort that I was seeking on Monday. Weather/hormones/My Love being away...yada yada yada. lol. I would love to say this is entirely my creation but it really isn't. I adapted the Black Bean Hummus from Joanne Stepaniak's wonderful Vegan Deli. 

The results were a deliciously creamy and light hummus. The flavours were subtle on the whole and then you pick up a little heat from the cayenne pepper. And it brought out the wholesome flavour of the salad ingredients. 

It doesn't look that great as it's beige, with flecks of black but what it lacks in appearance, it really does make up for it in taste. I hope you try this for yourself...

And I feel I should take the oppurnity to say thank you to my In-Laws for introducing me to the lovely stuff! lol

Creamy Soya Bean & Black Bean Hummus
Creamy Soya Bean & Black Bean Hummus
(Recipe adapted from Black Bean Hummus in Vegan Deli/Stepaniak)

1 14oz carton of Soya Beans, rinsed well and drained (Sainsburys sell them!)
1 14oz carton of Black Beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp tahini
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce/tamari
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Put the drained beans into a processor and pulse until broken down. Add the remaining ingredients and leave to blend until it is a smooth paste. You may need to get the spatula out and push everything down a couple of times but it's worth the effort. Store in a airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. 

Enjoy! ~R~