Broad bean hummus

Broad bean hummus

broad bean hummus in bowl

It was meant to be a sweet post today, but I came to my senses. I realised that if I post dessert recipes as often as I would like to, I will have to exercise twice as much as I do now. Still, I wasn’t quite sure what to do, loads of ideas where banging around in my head. I went to my local green grocers to get inspired. As soon as I saw a pile of young broad beans (still in their pods) I couldn’t resist getting shedloads of them. Firstly, because when you buy them in pods, it’s actually quite tricky to gauge how much edible stuff you will end up with and secondly, because I really like them. They remind me of my childhood summers when my brother, my two cousins and I used to stuff our faces with them. My gran would cook a huge pot of broad beans and then give them to us as an afternoon snack (I know – how healthy were we?). We loved podding these little guys and popping them straight into our mouths. They tasted so good. I miss being a kid sometimes…

I don’t know about you, but my ideal Springtime lunch is heaps of crunchy salad, nice bread and a selection of bread spreads. Not only are they delicious, healthy and easy to make but they also make your table look amazing. All these bright colours: bright pink, yellow and, ahem…murky beige…To add a splash of bright green to the mix, I decided to make hummus out of my broad beans. I’m not sure if I’m right to be calling it ‘hummus’ as I did not use tahini paste in this one, but other than that the idea behind it and method of preparation is similar to hummus. Thanks to young broad beans, mint and a pinch of chilli, the taste is very different. In Duncan’s words ‘it tastes like Spring’ and judging by how quickly it disappeared, I’m confident that it was a hit.

preparing broad bean hummus

hummus in bowl

broad bean hummus lunch

serves
4 as starter
PREP
30 min
COOKING
5 min
serves
4 as starter
PREPARATION
30 min
COOKING
5 min
INGREDIENTS
  • 550 g / 3 cups podded beans (=400 g / 2 cups of shelled one)
  • approx. 80 ml of water
  • 3 and ½ tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed
  • 1 level tsp of fine sea salt
  • about 12 fresh mint leaves
  • a few grinds of fresh pepper
  • a few pinches of hot chilli (optional)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)
METHOD
  1. Boil a pot of water on the stove. Put podded and washed beans into boiling water and simmer for about 5 minutes. Test one to make sure the inside is cooked.
  2. While your beans are cooking, put a few ice-cubes into a bowl of cold tap water. As soon as the beans are ready, drain them and then chuck them into the bowl with icy water. This step isn’t necessary, but it will ensure that the beans keep their vibrant colour.
  3. Shell the beans (ie remove the outer shell) by making a tiny incision at the top of the bean and pressing the inside out.
  4. Place shelled beans (you should get about 400 g or 2 cups), minced garlic, lemon juice, mint leaves, salt, pepper and chilli (if using) into a food processor.
  5. As the processor is churning the mixture, gradually add cold water (about 80 ml) until the mixture loosens up. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, although you can skip it if you want.
  6. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with a bit of extra virgin olive oil (1 tbsp) on top – it will prevent the spread from drying up once served. Serve with bread and chopped up veg sticks.
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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
486
24%
sugars
10 g
11%
fats
2 g
3%
saturates
0 g
2%
proteins
37 g
73%
carbs
84 g
32%
*per serving
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5.0
6 reviews, 16 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Deb:
Can I freeze this? I have bucket loads of broad beans ready from my allotment but I'm going away this week... don't want them to go to waste!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Deb,
    Sure, I don't see why not. Hope this helps. x Ania
Tricia.:
I had heaps of broad beans and wasn’t sure what to do with them. This was a big hit. Had to add more water and salt for taste. I also served with fresh sourdough.
Thank you for the recipe.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Great to hear that it was a hit, Tricia! And I'm very jealous of your fresh broad bean bountry! Thank you for taking the time to review. x Ania
Jason:
I've just made this, it is AMAZING. I appreciate the comment saying it's not really hummus, I think this is even better. Top top recipe!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Jason, so glad you enjoyed it! x Ania
Suzeq:
My husband is middle eastern and bought broad beans. I wasn’t sure what to do with them and ran across this recipe. Super tasty and easy to make. I followed the recipe with the exception of adding cumin. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much for your lovely comment! I'm delighted to hear that you and your husband enjoyed this dish and plan to make again. x Ania
Rachel Roach:
It tastes great! About to Instagram...
    Ania
    Ania:
    Yay! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Looking forward to seeing the photo! x Ania
Rachel Roach:
Hi
I haven't got quite enough broad beans, but do have fresh peas, can I add these?
Thanks!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Rachel,
    I know what you mean, it's really hard to know how much beans you'll end up with when buying them in pods as their size can differ a lot - I have had this happen to me too. Absolutely, yes! Peas and mint are such a classic combo, it will work well. Ania PS: this one is quite lemony so go easy if you would prefer things less tangy.
Sue:
I just tried this, and it's so easy and absolutely delicious! I just looked up something to do with my leftover cooked broad beans, and I happened to have all the ingredients for this so even better. I will definitely make it again. Thank you :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Yay, thanks so much for your lovely feedback, Sue! I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed it so much that you are planning to make it again. Ania
Steve Turner:
I've just made this Broad Bean hummus and its delicious!
Have you tried freezing it before? and if so did it effect the taste significantly?
Thanks.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Steve,
    I'm so glad to hear that. No, I haven't tried freezing this, I'm afraid, but freezing is generally known to dull flavours so you may need to adjust the seasoning again once thawed. Hope that helps! Ania
Mary:
I just tried this recipe as I have tonnes of frozen broad beans for some unknown reason so I have been busy trying new recipes each weekend.
This dip was so delicious! Easily made with frozen as well (uses exact same quantities as was perfect).
    Ania
    Ania:
    Lovely to hear, thanks Mary! x Ania
Makrom:
A hummus is not a hummus if it is not made with chickpeas (Arabic name for them is hummus) and when we make hummus paste and essential ingredient is sesame paste or what we call Tahina . On another thought my favorite broad bean dish is when you get them very small and you cook them without shelling them in a bit of water. When they are soft you add olive oil garlic which has been crushed, and minced coriander.. salt to your taste... We eat it with pita bread
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks for sharing!
Krista Piek:
I liked it...it reminded me a little of guacamole. I did't have fresh mint so used dried...couple of pinches.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Great to hear, Krista :) Ania
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