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When I went vegan 9 years ago, I lived solely off of hummus, guac, salsa, and tortilla chips from Trader Joe’s. I was 19 and living in downtown Chicago as a broke college student. When I think back to the options that were available to vegans, there was hardly anything. Daiya foods wouldn’t be developed until a few years later… and there was no Field Roast or Gardein either.
Chicago thankfully had a great company called Chicago Soy Dairy which has amazing products like Temptation Ice Cream and Teese which is readily available at all the natural grocery stores in the city and used at places like Chicago Diner and Pick Me Up Café. The company is still going strong in that market but unfortunately hasn’t expanded much over the years to other places.
With very few options and most of them being expensive anyways, I fell in love with hummus. It’s thick and creamy, a good source of protein, and it’s so cheap! Typically hummus is made with chickpeas, but lately I’ve been really into using white beans.
White beans are awesome. Their flavor is super delicate which makes for a nice light hummus. In addition, their composition is a little different compared to chickpeas. They have about 50 less calories per 100 grams which goes a long way if you’re counting calories or dieting.
My favorite thing about hummus is how versatile it can be. You can slap it on some toast in the morning for a little extra protein! It pairs great with falafel sandwiches and is a great dip for veggies too! Or maybe you can water it down a little and make it into salad dressing. Oh and have you ever had white bean hummus as a base for pizza instead of pizza sauce? You’ve gotta try it!
I almost always have some hummus on hand because of how filling and convenient it is. I find it especially nice to have around my office in that weird hour where your lunch wears off a couple hours before you get to go home. All I need is a couple pretzels with hummus and I’m energized enough to finish out the day.
Another great thing about hummus is its versatility flavor-wise. Sometimes I love squeezing sriracha over plain hummus, but other times I love blending in spice mixes like curry powder or fajita seasoning to add some extra dimension too. If you have any creative combinations for flavored hummus, you’ll have to let me know in the comments!
Thankfully hummus is not only cheap to make, but easy to make to make too! Just drain and rinse a couple cans of beans, add some lemon, tahini, garlic, oil, salt & pepper, and blend away! I used to use a food processor for hummus, but I found my Nutribullet yielded a way creamier less grainy product. You can always use a food processor for this recipe, but keep in mind, the texture might be a little chunky.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment or tag me at #hellyesitsvegan on Instagram. Cheers!
White Bean Hummus
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 15.5 oz can great northern beans
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp tahini
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp water
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Drain and rinse great northern beans.
- Using a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients until they’re smooth and creamy.
- Serve with assorted olives, tomatoes, tofu, & parsley or any combination of veggies and crackers. Nutritional info is an estimate.
try smoked paprika on it
Yes! I love adding sumac too.