beans, beans, the magical fruit. [white bean hummus]

In my opinion, beans are one of the most universal fruits (or legumes). You can eat them plain, pile them in burritos, use them to flavor soup or in my case, blend them for hummus. In addition to their versatility, the variety of bean types is extensive.

The other day I was browsing through a healthy food magazine my mom purchased in South Carolina. I was looking for a quick and healthy recipe that offered lots of flavor. I decided on white bean hummus with grilled rosemary flatbread.

I’ve found that hummus is one of the most simple dips to make. Just throw all the ingredients in a food processor, blend the mixture and voilà! The white bean hummus was delightful and fresh; however, the flatbread was a disappointment. I’m not even going to include the recipe because I’d rather you not waste your time. Although I enjoyed making the flatbread from scratch, it was bland, dry and lacked texture. I would recommend buying Arabic style flatbread or making homemade lavash (recipe found in post “when eggplant met salsa”) instead.

My mom surprised us the other day and brought home some Arabic flatbread, still warm and crispy from the oven. I can’t describe how much of a difference the bread made—it boosted the flavor of the hummus dramatically.

Hummus recipe:

1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed (19 oz.)

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt (2 oz).

1/4 cup packed fresh basil

1 clove garlic, sliced

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tbsp. diced roasted red bell pepper

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Pulse beans, yogurt, basil, garlic, zest, lemon juice, pine nuts and 1/2 tsp. salt in food processor until blended. Transfer hummus to a serving bowl; garnish top with diced peppers and 2 tsp. oil.