Creamy WHITE BEAN HUMMUS is made with fresh basil for a light summer flavor!
I don’t know what it is about summer but it makes me crave light and creamy dips like hummus and tzatziki. Maybe it’s because they are so easy to make, maybe it is the fresh summery ingredients. Maybe it’s my love of healthy snacks recipes. Whatever the reason I am all about a good summer dip and this White Bean Hummus is perfect because it uses all of that beautiful fresh basil I’ve been growing in my back yard.
Classic hummus is made with chickpeas, tahini (a toasted sesame seed paste), garlic, cumin, a little bit of lemon juice, and olive oil all pureed together. Of course, there are a million different versions of it out there adding flavors like roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato, roasted garlic. I’ve even made an avocado hummus before (seriously delicious!). Since I have three planters full of fresh basil growing like crazy on my deck I decided to try an Italian spin on hummus this time around. I used white beans in place of chickpeas and added all of the ingredients of a good pesto, fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic. I pureed everything together slowly adding olive oil a little at a time until it reached the consistency I was looking for. Then I added some salt and a good squeeze of lemon juice to give it a bit of brightness and bring out that fresh summery taste.
This is a great dip for summer parties or just to have around the house for snacking. I like to dip veggies like cucumbers or bell pepper slices in mine, and of course, crackers and pita bread is so good! I even spread it on tortillas and add grilled veggies for a light lunch. There are so many things you can do with hummus and so many different ways you can play with flavors!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place first 4 ingredients in a food processor and begin to puree slowly pouring in olive oil as you go.
- Once you have reached the consistency of a smooth, slightly thick dip add the lemon juice and puree the mixture together.
- Add salt to taste.
- Serve with vegetables, pita bread, or crackers.
Nutrition
If you like this you should try our 5 Layer Mediterranean Dip! It is great for parties!
Leave a Reply