Pinto Bean Chili Burrito Bowl

Start summer off right with a combo of hot and cool! Ladle some warm Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili over fluffy rice, then top with grape tomatoes, avocado slices, and a sprinkle of fresh green onions. Don’t forget the star of the show—a hunk of golden Buttermilk Cornbread.

Pinto Bean Chili Nachos

Nachos – the perfect meal for sunny days and good times! Spread layers of tortilla chips on a sheet pan and top with dollops of Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili and layers of shredded cheese. Broil until browned, then sprinkle with grape tomatoes, avocado, green onions, and a handful of cilantro.

Mediterranean Bowl

Enjoy a colorful combination of White Bean Hummus, Collard Greens, and rice (served cold or at room temp – your choice), topped with juicy grape tomatoes and savory olives. Pair it with crispy crostini, perfect for dipping and spreading that creamy hummus. Ideal for sunny picnics and laid-back gatherings!

Hummus & Greens Wrap

Enjoy some White Bean Hummus, Collard Greens, crisp julienned bell peppers, and tangy feta – all wrapped up in a large tortilla. Pair it with crunchy crudités like celery sticks and baby carrots for the perfect sunny day meal

Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad

Need a breezy summer lunch? Look no further than this cool Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad. Mix zesty Cowboy Caviar with cold pasta and a generous handful of chopped cilantro. Make sure to scoop some of that delicious dressing from the bottom of the Cowboy Caviar container to toss with the pasta. Top it off with a sprinkling of tangy feta cheese for a refreshing, easy meal.

Collard Greens and Buttermilk Cornbread, all in one bowl. What could be more summer vibes than that? Serve it cold or at room temp—your choice.

Peas, Greens & Hummus Pita Sandwich

This Peas, Greens & Hummus Pita Sandwich is perfect if you need a quick summer bite. Line a pita pocket with creamy White Bean Hummus, then fill it with fresh Collard Greens and zesty Cowboy Caviar.

When the sun’s high in the sky and warmer weather’s on your radar, it’s cool and creamy bean dishes that are most appealing for munching throughout the day. From salads and dips to wrap sandwiches, this collection of refreshing recipes offers something for everyone – whether you’re in search of an easy weeknight dinner, a backyard BBQ side, a quick patio lunch, or an afternoon snack.

White Bean Antipasto Salad

Featuring our Great Northern Beans and fresh veggies in an herby dressing, this antipasto salad makes a great addition to a cheese and charcuterie board.

Red Bean Mediterranean Salad

Developed by Molly Kimball with nutrition in mind, this Mediterranean salad gets extra credit for color and flavor.

Wrap Sandwich with White Bean Hummus and Greens

Roll up White Bean Hummus, Greens, julienned bell peppers, and feta in a large tortilla, and you’ve got a nutritious wrap sandwich that comes together quickly and easily.

Black Bean Hummus

Black Bean Hummus swaps out the usual garbanzos for black beans, lime juice replaces lemon juice, and smoked paprika add deep, smoky flavor.

Tuna White Bean Salad

As a sandwich filling or green salad topping, Tuna White Bean Salad is one of those simple, versatile recipes that’s healthier than traditional tuna salad and mayo-free.

Avocado Cilantro Hummus

For a gorgeous green tint and additional heart-healthy fat, fiber, and potassium, try adding 1 ripe avocado, 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, and 1/2 lime, juiced to 2 cups prepared hummus.

Pasta with Bean Salad

Simply toss made-ahead Cowboy Caviar (which features a great, zesty dressing) with your favorite cooked pasta to make a fresh tasty pasta salad.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Full of color and freshness, this Black Bean Quinoa Salad is simple to make, nutritious, and keeps well in the fridge. Great for grabbing on the go – whether it’s a picnic or lunch at the office.

Warm Asparagus, Mushroom and White Bean Salad

Wonderful as a salad but hearty enough to be considered a side, serve this dish with fish or chicken for great taste all around.

Pinto Bean Burrito Bowl

When it comes to burrito bowls, almost anything goes. This recipe combines cooked Pintos with shredded lettuce, cabbage, chopped cooked chicken, tomatoes, corn, and crumbled cheese.

If you’re not familiar with meal prepping, it’s simply a thoughtful way to plan out several days worth of meals for you and your family. And what’s not to love about that idea? It’s like taking the age-old question “what’s for dinner?” and turning it on its head.

In the spirit of making life a little less stressful and a little more delicious, our take on meal-prepping involves a collection of versatile recipes that 1) can be easily made ahead of time (Sunday afternoon, here’s looking at you!), 2) make a lot of servings, 3) keep well in the fridge, 4) offer a variety of flavors, colors and textures, and 5) can be combined in creative ways, so that you don’t feel like you’re eating the same thing every day.

Read on for the recipes, a game plan with tips on preparing, extras you’ll want to have on hand, and how to create different combinations throughout the week that will keep things tasty and interesting.

MEAL PREPPING RECIPES:

Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili

White Bean Hummus

Cowboy Caviar

Buttermilk Cornbread

Greens

EXTRAS:

• Additional veggies like grape tomatoes, avocado, bell pepper, green onions, jalapenos, celery sticks, baby carrots, and olives
• Grains and breads like rice, pasta, tortillas, pita bread, chips and crostini
• Dairy/cheeses such as cheddar, feta, sour cream or Greek yogurt

GAME PLAN:

• Familiarize yourself with the recipes, and make a grocery list. Set aside a few hours of weekend time to shop, chop, and cook. Make sure you have lots large food storage containers on hand.
• Note that the chili is made entirely in the Instant Pot, while the hummus and cowboy caviar are cold dishes made with pre-cooked, cooled beans.
• Use your Instant Pot or a pressure cooker as much as possible. Or, multi-task by cooking one batch of beans in the Instant Pot while cooking another batch on the stovetop.
• Feel free to double the White Bean Hummus recipe, which calls for 2 cups cooked Camellia Brand Great Northern Beans. (Cook the entire 1-pound package, and you’ll have 4 cups cooked beans.)
• Cook a batch of your favorite rice and a pound of your chosen pasta. They’ll keep well in the fridge, re-heat easily, and are part of our recommended meal combos.
• The Greens recipe is simple and customizable. Any dark leafy greens will work, such as kale or mustard greens. Cooked greens keep well, can be eaten cold, room-temp, or warmed, and add a healthy punch to meal combos.

MEALS & MEAL COMBOS:

Buttermilk Cornbread in Cast Iron Skillet

Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili served hot, topped with cheddar, sour cream, and jalapenos — and yummy Buttermilk Cornbread on the side.

Pinto Bean Chili Burrito Bowl

A combo of hot and cool, ladle warm Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili over rice. Add colorful grape tomatoes, half of a sliced avocado, a sprinkling of chopped green onions, and a hunk of Buttermilk Cornbread.

Pinto Bean Chili Nachos

Spread layers of tortilla chips on a sheet pan, top with dollops of Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili and layers of shredded cheese. Broil until browned, and sprinkle with grape tomatoes, avocado, green onions and cilantro.

Mediterranean Bowl

A colorful mixture of White Bean Hummus, Collard Greens, and rice (served cold or room-temp — your choice), plus grape tomatoes, olives, and crostini – which are great for dipping/spreading the hummus.

Hummus & Greens Wrap

White Bean Hummus, Collard Greens, julienned bell peppers, and feta, all wrapped up in a large tortilla and served with crunchy crudité like celery sticks and baby carrots.

Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad

Mix Cowboy Caviar with cold pasta and additional chopped cilantro for a fast, easy lunch.  (The Cowboy Caviar marinates in a nice dressing. Be sure to scoop some  dressing from the bottom of the storage container to toss with the pasta.) A sprinkling of feta cheese is a nice addition.

Peas & Greens Trio Bowl

Cowboy Caviar, Collard Greens and Buttermilk Cornbread, all in one bowl. (Served cold or room-temp – your choice.)

Peas, Greens & Hummus Pita Sandwich

Line a pita pocket with White Bean Hummus, and fill with Collard Greens and Cowboy Caviar for a quick bite.

White Bean & Spinach Soup

Warm and satisfying, this soup gets its bright flavor and color from fresh spinach, lemon juice and red pepper flakes.

Tuna White Bean Salad

Make a batch of Instant Pot White Beans, and then use some in this yummy tuna white bean salad. A great go-to for healthy lunches.

White Bean Hummus

A tasty, healthy snack for dipping veggies or spreading on crackers. Making your own hummus is a money-saver, too.

Instant Pot Black Beans

The quickest, easiest way we know to cook a whole lotta black beans that you can then use in delicious dishes all week long.

Black Bean-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

If you’ve never considered or tasted the combo of black beans & sweet potatoes, you’re in for a treat. Especially when they’re loaded up with Greek yogurt, cilantro, and avocado.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Red Beans

You can have your Mondays and eat them, too. We promise you won’t miss the meat in these simple, creamy red beans.

Vegetarian Lima Beans with Mushrooms

The secret to this dish’s amazing umami flavor is dried mushrooms.

Chipotle Pinto Bean Tortilla Soup

Make a big pot of this hearty soup, and then reheat during the week for quick and satisfying lunches.

Cowboy Caviar with Blackeye Peas

This beloved blackeye pea dish is easy to throw together and soaks up great flavor from a red wine vinegar & olive oil dressing. It’s addictive!

When you boil beans in water, the liquid left when the beans are removed is aquafaba.

What is Aquafaba?

When experimenting in the kitchen – whether out of necessity or curiosity – it’s always fascinating to discover new replacement ingredients. Applesauce and mashed bananas can be a low-fat stand-in for butter when baking your favorite muffins. Greek yogurt can take the place of sour cream (or vice-versa), and honey is a golden substitute for white sugar. But perhaps the most unexpected replacement ingredient is aquafaba. It’s simply the liquid left behind after cooking garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas). It whips up into the fluffiest, most perfect meringue you’ve ever seen this side of an egg white.

That’s right – the thick, slightly murky water you cooked your garbanzo beans in last time you made hummus (or the last time you cooked any beans from scratch) is actually a highly successful egg replacement – particularly for egg whites – allowing you to make perfectly light and fluffy macarons, lemon meringue pie, mousse, homemade ice cream, marshmallow cream, frostings and even frothy cocktails, all without egg whites. You can also use aquafaba to make egg-free mayonnaise, flavored aiolis, meatloaf and so much more.

Aquafaba isn’t just for vegans – it’s deliciously economical for everyone.

Even if you’re not interested in giving up eggs, it’s fun to save money with aquafaba! Keep your egg stash for omelets and use the bean-water that you’d normally toss down the drain to create your favorite baked goods, desserts and more. A combination of the Latin word for water (“aqua”) and bean (“faba”), aquafaba went viral in 2015 thanks to the tinkering of Goose Wohlt, a systems engineer from Indiana. While trying to create a vegan meringue, Wohlt ditched the stringy vegan egg replacement he’d bought at the store and tried whipping up bean liquid instead. A wizard-like moment quickly unfolded in perfectly stiff peaks: “Moments later, out of this goopy product, a pillowy, dense foam arose, exactly like you might expect from egg whites,” writes Wohlt in the introduction to Aquafaba: Sweet and Savory Vegan Recipes Made Egg-Free with the Magic of Bean Water. 

Is that an egg-white meringue? No, it’s whipped aquafaba, made with Camellia Brand Garbanzos (aka Chickpeas)!

It’s goopy. It’s thick. It makes the perfect meringue.

The meringues made with aquafaba were practically identical to those made with egg whites – and head and shoulders above those made with commercially available vegan egg replacements. Wohlt shared his story on Facebook with a vegan baking group, and the rest is legume-water history. Home kitchen trial-and-error with aquafaba took off across social media for vegans, those with egg or dairy allergies and anyone curious about the culinary properties that makes something so improbable, work so well.

Five years later, there’s still not a great understanding of why aquafaba is so effective as an egg-white substitute. A study launched in 2018 by the National Institute for Health notes that, “The solution has recently been shown to produce stable foams and emulsions, and can act as a thickener [but] as aquafaba is both new and being developed by an Internet-based community little is known of its composition or properties.”

Aquafaba lovers share their tips and tricks.

One thing’s for sure, though: the grassroots efforts of online aquafaba lovers have led to plenty of best practices, tips and tricks. For starters, the viscosity (read: thickness or stickiness) of aquafaba from cooked, dried garbanzo beans is far higher and more consistent than that of the aquafaba from a can of beans, meaning that a little bit of extra time spent soaking and cooking down dried beans will mean a world of difference in your final, aquafaba-based recipes. What’s more, canned beans often have plenty of preservatives added in, like sodium, which renders the aquafaba less healthy. And if you’re looking to go extra nutrient-rich with your aquafaba, using dried beans allows for the addition of a type of Japanese seaweed called Kombu, which has been proven to help the bean liquid properly set up while adding additional magnesium to the final product – a real win-win.

Aquafaba can be used to make a creamy, egg-free mayonnaise, perfect for potato salad.

Aquafaba basics – plus our very own recipes.

Aquafaba can technically refer to the liquid from any kind of cooked beans – black beans, lima beans, you name it – but beginners usually stick with the more neutral flavor and lighter color of garbanzo bean water. When cooking the dried garbanzos, a general ratio of bean-to-water is two cups of beans and six cups of water, which will typically yield about 2 to 2 1/2 cups of aquafaba. The liquid will store in the fridge for up to a week (and freeze for up to a month), but keep in mind that the chemical properties of aquafaba mean it’s very susceptible to oil – which will break it down and render it useless – so using an oil-free, squeaky-clean stainless steel bowl or mason jar is the best bet for storage.

After separating out your aquafaba, it’s time for the fun part: putting it to the test. There will certainly be plenty of “learning curve” moments along the way with such a novel product, but whether whipping it up into fluffy cookies with a little help from cream of tartar and sugar, or watching it emulsify into creamy mayonnaise and salad dressings, your kitchen will soon start to feel like a science laboratory. “There is no denying that aquafaba is a revolutionary discovery,” writes Zsu Denver in her book, Aquafaba: Sweet and Savory Vegan Recipes. “This must be what Jack was talking about when he bought those magic beans; it has just taken us some time to uncover this truly magical application of the humble legume.”

Magic beans? Try our recipes for yourself:

Traditional Chickpea (Garbanzo) Aquafaba

Potato Salad with Chickpea Aquafaba Mayo 

Any Bean Aquafaba

Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Black Bean Aquafaba

Make White Beans Your Go-To For a Week’s Worth of Meals

Whether you’re menu planning, meal-prepping, or looking for a way to add more creamy, delicious protein to your favorite dishes, an Instant Pot or pressure cooker and a pound of white beans can really do the trick — with one simple recipe that’ll give you a quick and tasty base for snacks, dips, salads and burgers. Camellia Brand Great Northern beans are especially versatile to use in a lot of different dishes because their delicate, nutty taste complements the flavors of the ingredients they’re paired with (but feel free to use Navy, Cannellini or Baby Lima beans if you prefer). Plus, they add bulk, texture and a nutritious punch to a whole host of favorites.

As always, cooking your own beans is much cheaper and more flavorful than using canned beans; in fact, a 1-pound package of Camellia Brand Great Northern Beans costs about the same as one 15-ounce can of beans, but it yields 5-6 cups of cooked beans, compared to just 1 1/2 cups per can of beans. That’s a lot more to work with when it comes to filling your fridge with a week’s worth of meals.

Instant Pot White Beans

With this incredibly simple Instant Pot recipe, you’ll get quickly cooked white beans that are ready to be tossed into everything from hummus to pasta. A little onion powder, garlic powder, salt, a bay leaf, broth or water, and a 1-pound package of rinsed Camellia Brand Great Northern Beans are all you need. Cook using the Beans/Chili mode. No soaking necessary! And in less than an hour, you’ve got tender, flavorful white beans. (Don’t have a pressure cooker? You can easily make a pot of white beans using this basic stovetop recipe — just replace the pintos with white beans.)

White Bean Hummus

Whip up a quick and tasty homemade hummus. This cool and creamy hummus features great taste and a slightly green tint from the addition of fresh parsley and green onions. Along with fresh lemon juice, tahini, cumin and a dash of cayenne, throw cooked white beans into a food processor or blender for easy, delicious flavor that’ll please a crowd. It’s perfect for snacking and spreading, especially during the warm days of summer. Serve as an appetizer with cut up fresh vegetables and crackers, add to a wrap or a sandwich, dollop on a buddha bowl, or top a green salad.

White Bean, Basil and Sun-Dried Tomato Burgers

Make your own healthy, hearty veggie burgers. Combine cooked and mashed Great Northern beans, cooked brown rice, sun-dried tomatoes and lots of fresh basil. Our recipe uses an egg and Parmesan cheese to add moisture and help bind the mixture. Roll handfuls into balls, press into patties, and refrigerate to conveniently cook later. A great vegetarian option for summer cookouts!

White Bean Pesto Pasta

Need a no-brainer weeknight meal or a hearty potluck dish for a weekend get-together? Nothing beats this White Bean Pesto Pasta for a fast, fresh-tasting, protein-packed favorite full of healthy whole grains. Cook up a pound of whole-wheat pasta, add your favorite pesto sauce, toss with cooked Great Northern beans, and top with freshly grated Parmesan. Quick, tasty, and easy.

Tomato & White Bean Bruschetta

For a great-tasting snack or party appetizer, combine cooked Great Northerns with grape tomatoes, oil, vinegar, fresh basil and garlic. A quick spread of goat cheese or cream cheese on toasted baguette slices topped with a dollop of the bean mixture is a great way to graze at a BBQ or picnic.

Tuna White Bean Salad

As a sandwich filling or salad topping, Tuna White Bean Salad is one of those simple, versatile recipes that’s a healthier twist on traditional tuna salad. It’s mayo-free — instead combining canned tuna with cooked Great Northern beans, red onion, grape tomatoes, oil, vinegar, and fresh herbs (a must). You won’t believe how light, tasty, and colorful tuna salad can be; plus, it keeps well in the fridge and makes a quick lunch or dinner.

If you haven’t jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon yet, it might be high time. There’s no faster way to cook a pot of beans, and it’s completely idiot-proof for those of us wary of pressure cookers. Plus, once everything’s in the pot, there’s zero effort required. Need even more convincing? It’s the quickest, easiest way we know (it only takes about 30 minutes and features a simple ‘Bean/Chili’ button!) to cook a whole lotta beans that you can then use in several delicious dishes all week long. And here’s the bottom line — cooking your own beans is just plain cheaper, tastier, and healthier than stocking your pantry with canned beans.

Our basic Instant Pot Black Beans recipe is perfect for making flavorful beans that can be used in so many ways. Serve them over rice with your favorite toppings — or use them in the following vegetarian, gluten-free dishes to add healthy protein, fiber, and hearty flavor to your weekly recipe repertoire.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Full of color and fresh veggies, this Black Bean Quinoa Salad is simple to make, nutritious, and great for grabbing on the go. The base is a mixture of cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, bell pepper, and green onions, tossed with a tangy dressing of olive oil, fresh lime juice, chili powder, lime zest, and garlic. The recipe makes a large batch, so you can meal prep by portioning it out in containers and taking it with you for lunch. And it’s perfect for a potluck or get-together, because it tastes wonderful whether you serve it cold or at room temperature — and it’ll easily feed a crowd.

Black Bean Hummus

A twist on traditional hummus, our Black Bean Hummus swaps out the usual beans (garbanzos) for black beans. Lime juice replaces the customary lemon juice, while cumin and smoked paprika add deep, smoky flavor. And don’t leave out the tahini (sesame seed paste). Tahini has a delicate roasted flavor that adds richness and complexity to any kind of hummus. Add a little fresh cilantro and some good quality olive oil, serve with pita chips and fresh cut veggies, and it’s sure to be devoured. Or, meal-prep by portioning it out into ready-to-eat afternoon snacks that you can pop in your bag.

Black Bean-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

If you’ve never before considered or tasted the flavor combo of black beans & sweet potatoes, you’re in for a treat with these Black Bean-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. Loaded with nutrients and antioxidants, sweet potatoes benefit from the amazingly savory addition of black beans — plus all the other tasty toppings that add creaminess, crunch, and zest. This dish is as easy as baking or microwaving sweet potatoes and then loading them up with beans, Greek yogurt or sour cream, chunks of ripe avocado, a sprinkling of green onions, cilantro, pepitas, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Yum!

These are just a few versatile ideas for how to put Instant Pot beans to good use and feed your family. In fact, any of our dried beans, peas and lentils will work with this basic recipe. Use your creativity, get your hands on an Instant Pot if you haven’t already, and add quick and easy cooked beans to a whole host of favorite dishes – from Refried Beans, Fresh Two-Bean Salsa, and Shrimp and Black Bean Skillet Casserole to Bean & Bacon Breakfast Tacos, Chipotle Pinto Bean Tortilla Soup, and Flourless Black Bean Brownies. And if you end up not polishing off all of your cooked beans within a week, portion what’s left into small storage bags, and freeze. Then, the next time you need beans for a recipe, just grab them from the freezer instead of reaching for a can.

What else can you cook in an Instant Pot? Well, it’s also an awesome way to make all kinds of one-pot wonders, especially Red Beans & Rice. So check it out, and give it a spin — you certainly won’t be sorry.

The Perfect Dish

Hummus is hands down the perfect dish to enjoy during the heat of the summer — when you’re craving something cool, creamy and delicious. It’s also incredibly versatile. Sure, you can serve it as a dip with pita, crackers and fresh veggies, but it’s also wonderful in a wrap or on a sandwich, dolloped on a salad, spread on a flatbread pizza, or tossed with hot pasta. And homemade hummus tastes so much better than store-bought. Once you realize how easy it is to whip up hummus from scratch, you’ll never go back. Read on for winning tips on how to make it great.

Insider Tips for Smooth & Silky Hummus

Tip #1: Soaking

Using dried garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas) to make hummus is key. (The canned variety just won’t give you the same great flavor.) But be sure to soak your dried garbanzos overnight first. They’re tougher than other beans and take longer to soften; soaking will give you a head start and shorten cooking time.

Tip #2: Baking Soda

Once you’ve got your soaked garbanzo beans covered with fresh water and simmering in a pot on the stove, add in a bit of baking soda. Baking soda works to tenderize both the skin and the bean, helping you achieve a silkier hummus texture.

Tip #3: Cook, Cook, and Cook Some More

Chefs who know their hummus swear by cooking the garbanzos until they’re practically falling apart. So, don’t cut your cooking time short. If you’ve soaked them first, simmering till very soft should take about 1-1.5 hours.

Tip #4: Heat Helps

The best time to make your hummus is when the garbanzos have just finished cooking and are still hot. This helps with extra creaminess, as well.

Tip #5: Cooking Liquid = Liquid Gold

Before draining, reserve the garbanzo bean cooking liquid (also called aquafaba). You’ll want to use it when blending the hummus (more flavorful than adding water). And it makes as an amazingly healthy vegan alternative to dairy and eggs.

Flavor Possibilities

Now that you’re ready to get cookin’, it’s time to consider all the flavor possibilities. Purists might want to stick with our traditional Hummus recipe. But if you’re willing to experiment, we’ve come up with amazing twists on our classic recipe that add color, flavor, health benefits, and fun – all with just a few additional ingredients.

Traditional Hummus

Whether you’re making hummus for the 1st time or the 50th, this foolproof recipe will become a hands-down favorite. With just the right proportions of olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, and garlic, the texture is right on (if you follow the tips above), and the flavor is fresh and deliciously balanced. And because the recipe calls for a pound of garbanzo beans, it yields about 6 cups of hummus. Which means there’s plenty to use in the recipe variations spelled out below, or simply plenty to snack on all week long. Note: the recipe doesn’t call for refrigerating the hummus before serving, but a lot of folks like it served cool vs. warm. Your call.

Avocado Cilantro Hummus

For a gorgeous green tint, even more fresh flavor, and additional heart-healthy fat, fiber, and potassium, try adding 1 ripe avocado, 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, and 1/2 lime, juiced to 2 cups prepared hummus. Whip it up in a food processor, and voilá — you’ve got a yummy new take on a classic. For a fast snack or lunch, warm a whole wheat tortilla, spread with Avocado Cilantro Hummus, top with fresh baby spinach and shredded carrots, roll up, and enjoy.

Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus

This beautifully-tinted orange version comes together with 2 small, baked sweet potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and a few shakes of Tabasco brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce (or chipotle powder). Add all to 2 cups prepared hummus and whir till blended. Adjust seasonings to your taste, and try spreading Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus on a turkey sandwich or scooping it up with tortilla chips.

Balsamic Caramelized Onion Hummus

While Balsamic Caramelized Onion Hummus is slightly more involved, the result is totally worth it. Thinly sliced onions are slowly cooked down in olive oil, along with 1 teaspoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, until caramelized. Then a balsamic reduction is made by simmering 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar until it’s thick and syrupy. The caramelized onions are blended in a food processor, along with 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar and 2 cups prepared hummus. For a beautiful presentation and amazing flavor, serve Balsamic Caramelized Onion Hummus topped with extra caramelized onions and a drizzle of balsamic reduction — surrounded by fancy crackers and crudités. A fabulous way to entertain friends and family!

Hummus by Any Other Name.

Ah yes, hummus. The age-old dish that has taken the U.S. by storm. It’s rich. It’s tangy. It’s satisfying. It’s healthy. It’s … it’s … a bean dip.

That is to say, hummus is made of cooked, ground beans that are blended with various flavor-enhancing ingredients.

I have made a lot of hummus at home. So much so that I can say with good confidence that I can put Sabra to shame. I started to think about using other beans in place of chickpeas, and when red beans, those kidney-shaped little odes to Louisiana, came to mind, it was easy to connect the boudin balls to make this a bona fide Cajun dish.

What’s Cajun About Hummus?

How to make a Middle Eastern dish Cajun? Simply using red beans and adding some all-purpose seasoning is not what makes this hummus Cajun. This dish combines true Louisiana flavors together to make a dish that is not only Cajun, but incredibly good. It’s one of those dishes that draws people around. Keep the chips coming — you’re going to need them!

Instead of the traditional tahini paste, I used pecan butter. They are essentially the same thing, as both pecans and sesame seeds are seeds. Red beans and chickpeas are too, for that matter. When ground, the pecans surrender their oil and the result is a paste. The same is true for tahini.

Onions and garlic are used in the cooking of the red beans, which adds more depth of flavor and reminds me of a pot of simmering red beans and sausage — which is a mainstay in so many Louisiana kitchens, mine included.

Cajuns Can’t Help Themselves When It Comes to Smoked Meats.

Because this is a Cajun version, I added some tasso and finished with some sliced green onions to give the dish that unmistakable South Louisiana flavor. Tasso, as you may know, is highly seasoned, smoked ham. Cajuns can’t help themselves when it comes to smoked meats.

Hummus Considerations:

While using a pressure cooker is not mandatory here, it does make short work of cooking the red beans without sticking or attention. My Cuisinart electric pressure cooker rendered those dark red beauties to soft perfection, ready to be pureéd beans in 45 minutes flat.

While a mortar and pestle can be used to grind the pecans, a food processor does a flawless job in a fraction of the time.

Only use fresh lemons for the juice. Trust me, it makes a difference.

When it comes to red beans. I only use Camellia Brand. They are more consistent in size, have fewer broken or cracked beans, if any, and they simply taste better.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Camellia Brand Red Kidney Beans
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups whole pecans
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Juice of two large lemons
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
• 1/2 pound tasso, diced small
• 
1 bunch green onions, sliced

Directions:

1. Place the red beans in a heavy pot or pot of pressure cooker, rinse, and fill with enough cold water to cover the beans by one inch. Let soak for at least 1 hour, preferably 2-3 hours.
2. Add onions and garlic.
3. Cook until very soft. If cooking on the stovetop be sure to stir occasionally to avoid sticking and scorching.
4. While the beans are cooking, place the pecans in a food processor and process until a paste is formed. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Reserve to a small bowl for later use.
5. Allow the beans to cool until they can be safely handled.
6. Add the beans with cooking liquid, pecan butter, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and all-purpose seasoning to the bowl of a food processor and process until very smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning.
8. Stir in cubed tasso, reserving a small amount for garnish.
9. Top with sliced green onions and diced tasso.

A Cajun Flavor Explosion.

Pita chips are used to dip into traditional hummus. Cajun hummus demands pork skins. Don’t ask, just go with it.

Stay Hungry.

Recipe originally appeared in From the Boot