Must-Have Black Bean Hummus

 

This. Hummus. Rocks!

Ingredients:

1 medium White Onion, finely choopped

3 cloves of Garlic, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons Olive Oil*

1 teaspoon kosher Salt

½ teaspoon of ground Paprika (I prefer smoked paprika)

½ teaspoon of dried Basil

½ teaspoon of ground Black Pepper

1 can organic Black Beans (O), drained and rinsed

1 fresh lemon, squeezed

2 tablespoons tahini or all-natural peanut butter (for a richer, nuttier flavor)

 

*You may need more depending on your preferred texture. Keep it handy. 

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, saute your onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the black beans and all spices, including the garlic chunks. Allow to heat through, but don't let the beans get mushy.

There are two key things that will insure your hummus is deliciously smooth: put the ingredients in the food processor in the correct order and let the processor run for as long as it needs.

Place the lemon juice, the second tablespoon of olive oil, and tahini (or PB) in the food processor and let it run until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. You may have to stop it, push the ingredients down the side with a spatula and then run it again.

Now add about half the black beans mixture. Run the processor again until the ingredients are nearly smooth. Last step, put all the remaining ingredients into the food processor and let it run until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy. 

Depending on the strength and brand of your machine this could take up to a minute or more. If you like a super smooth texture, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Making this recipe with natural peanut butter also ups the creaminess factor!

Serve with triangle of warm pita bread. Enjoy!