Red Bean Hummus

Exploring “round two” ideas is a passion for me. I don’t like just serving the same left-over in its original form. And so was the case with my dish of red beans I had in the refrigerator from a few nights before. I had been thinking of making hummus and, before long, I had reviewed a list of ingredients in my head, all of which I knew were on hand; I went to get the food processor.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups cooked red beans
• 1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas, drained
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon granular garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or Cajun seasoning (or more, to taste)
• 6 Tablespoons tahini (or 2 Tablespoons peanut butter)

METHOD

Drain most of the liquid from the red beans, using only about 1/4 cup of the liquid to start. Drain all of the liquid from the chickpeas along with the rest of the ingredients into a food processor. Process for about 1 to 2 minutes to desired consistency. Add a Tablespoon of water (or two) while processing, if desired, for a smoother texture. For hummus, I don’t like it to be chunky at all, so I keep running the processor until it’s fairly smooth and doesn’t feel grainy to the taste. Add tahini or peanut butter at the end of the processing, after mixture has become smooth, and pulse a few times to fully incorporate.

Depending on the consistency of the beans, you may need to drizzle in a little more olive oil, lemon juice or water, to your desired consistency and taste.