CHIPOTLE FAVA BEAN HUMMUS​

Have you ever made your own hummus? It’s so easy, and it tastes amazing. You don’t need any particularly fancy ingredients – just throw everything in a food processor, and you’ve got hummus! This time I used fava beans instead of the usual chickpeas – fava bean hummus makes a really nice change, and it’s just as delicious!

I like to start my hummus with a clove of garlic and some fresh herbs. Remember the garlic is going in raw, so choose a small clove unless you’re feeling particularly anti-social. As for herbs, you can use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand – anything will work. This time I went for fresh coriander (cilantro), as it goes really nicely with the spicy chipotle flavour.

Another standard ingredient in hummus is tahini, which is a paste made from sesame seeds. It’s kind of the peanut butter of the seed world, and it helps to make your homemade hummus nice and rich and creamy. If you’ve never cooked with tahini before, don’t be intimidated – it’s easy to find in most good grocery stores. Unfortunately it doesn’t taste quite as good straight out of the jar as peanut butter does, but once it’s in your hummus, you’ll be glad you sought it out.

You can flavour your hummus however you like. I picked up some chipotle paste a while back which I’ve been dying to use in hummus, so that’s what I did here. If you can’t find chipotle paste, just use chipotle hot sauce instead. I also added a few sun-dried tomatoes, mostly just to give my chipotle hummus that beautiful red colour. What can I say, I eat with my eyes.

Once you’ve got a hummus recipe you’re happy with, it’s time for garnish! Hummus may taste delicious, but it can look a bit ugly if you’re not careful. An easy way to transform hummus from a bowlful of unappetising paste into an enticing appetiser is to bring it to life with garnish. It’s a good idea to use your garnish to showcase some of the ingredients you used in the hummus, so I topped mine with some more fresh coriander, and a few Nuttee Bean™ spicy roasted fava beans. They add a great crunch, and they’re perfect for nibbling on the side too.

Set out a bowl of this tasty chipotle hummus at your next party and the bowl will be empty within minutes!