White Bean Hummus with Tahini and Tarragon

A few years ago, I was given a bag of dried black beans, and decided to try out this alternative to canned beans. Like many of my first attempts, I was unsuccessful at turning my dried beans into something edible, and I went back to buying canned beans. Recently, however, I decided to give dried beans another try, and I bought about 3 cups each of chickpeas and white beans. Not thinking clearly, I decided to make the entire 3 cups of white beans last week.

3 cups of dried beans yields a HUGE batch!

Needless to say, I have been getting creative with uses for these guys this week. First up was salmon and white bean salad with Lemonaise. Next up, I made a quick “stew” with chorizo, white beans, and tomatoes. Having barely made a dent, I realized I needed to make something that would use a lot of white beans. Enter hummus!

Cookbook–for inspiration and reference

My mother-in-law gave me this cookbook a while ago, and while I’ve perused it and liked what I saw, I had yet to actually make any of the recipes! I looked at a few different recipes to get a sense of the proportions and basic ingredients. I was surprised to see that you need twice the amount of white beans as chickpeas, holding the amounts of the other ingredients constant. Interesting… At the last minute, I decided to add the fresh tarragon, and I am so glad that I did!

White Bean Hummus with Tahini and Tarragon

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked or canned white beans
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 cup tahini
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh tarragon

Ingredients (though I ended up not using the garlic!)

Method

• Process the beans in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until mashed.
• Add the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Add 1 to 3 Tablespoons of water if the mixture is too thick. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
• Scatter the tarragon over the top and pulse until just incorporated.
• Transfer to a serving bowl. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Appetizer Spread

When I took my first taste of the finished hummus, I was beyond excited. The slightly sweet, anise-like taste of the tarragon is perfectly matched by the white beans and tahini. This dip is delicious! As with chickpea hummus, I have been loving this dip on carrots. The pretzels have been a great pair, too. I’m planning to use the remaining hummus on a salad for lunch this week.

Carrots and Dip

Seriously, this combination of flavors is divine. I highly recommend that you make your own ASAP. So easy, and so tasty!

-L