While the kids and I have been LOVING my homemade hummus, I felt the urge to switch it up today. And in the words of my husband, “it’s legit.”
Beans are a bit polarizing in the nutrition world. They can be inflammatory for some, especially for those with autoimmune issues. If that is you, be sure to soak dry beans for 8 hours or overnight and don’t use the canned kind. Soaking will make them easier to digest. However, for most people, beans are an excellent source of fiber and folate (hello, healthy neurotransmitter function)!
That being said, the key to this recipe is in a secret ingredient – “chiles de arbol,” or “tree chilies,” if you’re a Gringa like me and Spanish is your second language. But seriously, these things are just magical! I blend them with tomato sauce for a quick smoky salsa, so I figured they would add some good flavor to this dip. I start by rehydrating them in avocado oil, along with a couple garlic cloves.
Then once the garlic is releasing that ever-so-delicious aroma and the chilies are rehydrated, I throw them in my food processor with beans, tahini, onion powder, lime juice and salt. You might not need the tahini, but I like the consistency and texture it adds.
Then I blend and add avocado oil as I go until it reaches a hummus-like texture.
I thought it would be darker, as it IS a black bean dip. So unfortunately it doesn’t look as appealing as it tastes. I promise it’s amazing. To quote the husband again, it’s the best thing I’ve ever made.
I think it would be great as the “sauce” for a cauliflower crust pizza, or as a topping for tostadas. You could probably add kale or spinach to it and nobody would ever be the wiser. It’s the perfect dairy-free game day dip!
Ingredients:
2 cups black beans (soak dry beans overnight if beans are inflammatory for you. Otherwise canned is fine)
10 dried arbol chilies
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Avocado oil
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 teaspoons onion powderJuice of two limes
Avocado oil (or olive oil)
Salt to taste
Directions:
Drain and rinse beans and place in food processor.
Place chilies and garlic cloves in a pan with avocado oil on medium heat.
Sauté until chilies are rehydrated and the garlic is starting to brown and smell fragrant.
Carefully remove pan from burner and pour over black beans in the food processor.
Add tahini, onion powder, lime juice and blend.
Once it is mostly blended, slowly pour in oil until the dip reaches desired consistency, pausing to scrape the sides.
Add salt to taste (I probably used about a teaspoon).Using a spatula, empty the dip into a serving bowl or container.
Consume immediately or store in fridge.
Sparking Wholeness with Erin Kerry 