Broad Bean Hummus with Lemon Zest & Mint
Splash of Spring in Winter
“A silk purse out of a sow’s ear if there ever was one”
Nigel Slater on “A green Hummus” , Tender
When last did you hear that idiom? I had to have a little giggle and agree that turning older broad beans into a delightfully bright green hummus was a clever way to spruce them up. Lemon juice and zest (my addition) as well as mint add freshness and little freckles of colour and fragrance.
We’ve had some far from wintery days recently, so I reached for the broad beans I blanched and froze a few months ago made a snack to dunk into with bread and crackers outside on the deck.
I adapted Nigel Slater’s recipe – this is the version with dill. I based my broad bean hummus on his recipe from Tender and it is both an easy and quick recipe.
I thought this delightful hummus would be best showcased on a few elegant charcoal crackers (yes, they contain a very small percentage of charcoal), that I brought from Barcelona. They have the same satisfying creaminess that salticrax do, and provide the perfect canvas for spotlighting a special topping.
Ingredients
160g broad beans
juice 1/2 small lemon
10-12 mint leaves
4 T extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
zest of small lemon
salt, to taste
Method
Boil or steam the beans for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Older beans may need longer cooking. Mine took less time as they were blanched before.
Rinse under cold water and refresh with ice cubes in a colander.
Blitz beans, salt, lemon juice and mint until smooth in a processor or with a hand held stick blender, adding olive oil in a stream until you achieve the consistency you desire. Add more olive oil if needed, and remember a good quality, mild tasting oil makes all the difference.
Once smooth, add zest and taste seasoning. Add more olive oil on top.
Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Blanching
Add beans to boiling water. Blanch for 1 minute.
Remove and drain immediately under cold water.
Dry well and freeze in a plastic bag, removing as much of the air as possible.
What kind of olive oil did you use? I am curious because olive oil can be mild or quite strong. I love the recipe and the crackers are lovely.
Mary Squires
http://www.olivecrazy.com
Thanks for visiting Mary. I used a mild extra virgin estate blend by Willow Creek, a South African olive oil. It’s beautiful stuff!
Love the addition of lemon juice and zest.
Very interesting combination and I love the dark charcoal crackers!
Oh this just makes we want to dance! Beautiful eye catching colours and broadbeans are a particular fave of mine …. add in the lemon zest and mint (my garden is full of it at the moment) sounds perfect … i need a nice crusty panino to smother with it! xxx have an awesome weekend xxx jan
Love the photography Ishay! Very very eye catching. I’d be curious to see whether one can replicate those biscuits.
WOW this looks beautiful! Almost enough to make me want to swish into the kitchen wearing heels…
Wow! I love the look and flavour profile of this hummus. Definitely one to add to the ever growing list of “To Try Later” recipes.
Nice pic too btw, love the contrast between the hummus and the crackers. 🙂
LOVE Nigel Slater – and this looks like a very yummy version using one of my favourite legumes! Going to try it as soon as my broad bean plants are ready to be harvested. Bit of a wait still, sadly…
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You can add some cooked chick peas and blend it. This tastes great and healthy too..
Thanks for the suggestion Sengodi. I’m not convinced that chick pea and mint hummus would work….but I’m willing to taste it 🙂
Great alternative to hummus recipe. I added a small clove of garlic to mine, and blended half the zest/juice into the mixture and added the rest later. It turned out pretty well! Thanks 🙂