Lemon Artichoke White Bean Hummus

Ever since I started college, hummus has been one of my go-to snacks. I especially love roasted red pepper or spicy hummus. It’s the perfect snack to go along with veggies or crackers.

Hummus is typically made from puréed chickpeas, tahini (which is simply ground sesame seeds), olive oil, garlic, and other spices or flavors. Chickpeas are great and all, but I realized there was a type of hummus I liked even more – white bean hummus. White beans, such as Cannellini, Great Northern, or Navy, are softer than chickpeas and have a smoother texture when puréed. White beans have a similar flavor to chickpeas, but contain no fat whereas chickpeas contain a small amount. Chickpeas have slightly more protein, however, so it’s a bit of a trade-off.

This hummus combines two of my favorite things – lemons and artichokes. While others may have a sweet tooth, I’ve always had what I like to call a “sour tooth” – I love sour flavors. Lemons and limes were typical snacks for me growing up, and I can’t say no to sour candy like Sour Patch Kids or Warheads. I’ve also come to learn how wonderful lemon flavor can be to cooking, and how it can add brightness to any dish.
Artichokes, on the other hand, are a food I’ve only liked since I was a teenager. Canned artichokes are a pantry staple for me; I love adding them to pasta or dips, such as this hummus. Lemon and artichoke are often paired together in many traditional recipes, and are a match made in heaven in my opinion.

This Lemon Artichoke White Bean Hummus is creamy, tangy, and makes a perfect healthy afternoon snack. I love to eat it with Wheat Thins, but it would also be delicious spread on a sandwich or wrap! I’ve made this hummus a few times now and it has quickly became one of my favorites.

Lemon Artichoke White Bean Hummus
makes approximately 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or other type of white bean, such as Great Northern or Navy)
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• juice from 1 lemon (about 2-3 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• pinch of cayenne pepper or paprika
• 1 cup canned artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained*
• salt and pepper, to taste

*To make optional artichoke garnish as shown in photo, reserve 1/4 cup of the artichokes and blend separately with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Directions:

1. In a 3-cup or larger food processor, combine white beans and olive oil and blend until smooth. If mixture is too thick, extra oil or water may be needed.
2. Add all remaining ingredients except for the artichoke hearts and blend for 30-45 seconds.
3. Add artichokes and blend until desired consistency is reached. I left mine a little bit chunky.
4. Serve with crackers or veggies. Store in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 5-6 days.

Blend your beans, olive oil, tahini, and spices in a food processor until smooth

Add artichokes and blend to desired consistency (mine needed a little extra cumin)

Serve with crackers or veggies and enjoy  

Kale Salad with Honey-Tahini Dressing

At UMass, there’s a cute little vegan/vegetarian cafe called “Earthfoods”. It’s a student-run organization and they serve up fresh, healthy meals daily. Prior to eating there, I knew I enjoyed a lot of vegetarian food, but knew little about vegan food. The first time I ate there was at the beginning of my junior year with my friend Nik. He told me to get the steamed kale as a side choice, so I did. I had never eaten kale before but I knew it was somewhat similar to spinach. After a few bites, I wasn’t really into it, so I gave my kale to Nik, who happily devoured it. Then I looked around and realized just about everybody surrounding us was also eating a huge plate of kale. What is with these people and their kale? I thought to myself.

Fast forward to a few months later: I was one of those people also enjoying a big plate of kale. I guess it just grows on you.

Their kale is cooked perfectly and always ripe and sweet. My favorite part is the tahini dressing that many people pour over the kale. It’s nutty and tangy and complements the kale perfectly. Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. If you’re a hummus-eater, you’ve probably eaten tahini at some point or another. Tahini is one of the main ingredients in most types of hummus. It adds that tangy, slightly bitter taste. It’s often used as a substitute for cream in vegan meals because it has a very smooth, thick consistency. Trader Joe’s sells small tubs of it (already mixed with lemon juice and garlic) that you can find in their hummus section, or in the natural foods section of your local grocery store.

The tahini dressing at Earthfoods contains oil, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley and is super tasty. For this particular salad, I decided I wanted a slightly sweeter dressing so I added some honey. Pour that on top of your kale and add some toasted almonds, dried cranberries, and shallots and you’ve got one delicious, healthy salad! If you’re not a fan of kale, feel free to substitute your favorite greens. This salad would be great with baby spinach.

Instead of steaming the kale for this method, I used the “massaging” technique to soften it. It’s exactly what it sounds like – gently massaging oil or dressing into the kale leaves (using your hands) until they become softer and turn bright green. This helps break down the toughness of the leaves and bring out some of the natural moisture.

Kale Salad with Honey-Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

• For the dressing:
  • 2 Tbsp tahini
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
• 5 stalks kale, rinsed and torn into pieces
• 1/4 cup sliced roasted almonds (or to toast your own, see directions below)
• 2 Tbsp dried cranberries
• 1 small shallot, sliced thinly (or 1/4 cup sliced red onion)

For the dressing

For the salad

Directions:

1. To prepare the dressing, simply combine the first 5 ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until combined.
2. Pour the dressing over the kale leaves and using your hands, gently massage the leaves until they soften and turn bright green. Set aside.
3. To toast the almonds, add 1 tsp olive oil to a small frying pan and heat over a low flame. Add the almonds (and a sprinkle of salt, if desired) and stir constantly for 30-45 seconds. The almonds toast very quickly so you have to keep and eye on them. They’ll be done within 1 minute.
4. Toss the kale with the almonds, dried cranberries and sliced shallot and enjoy.

Mix the dressing up

Toast up some almonds

Massage the dressing into the kale (this is what it looks like before)

And this is what it looks like after. Notice how the leaves have turned bright green?

One nice thing about kale is that it holds up well to moisture. You could prepare this salad in the morning, dressing and everything, and it will barely have wilted by lunch time.
I really love the toasted almonds in this salad because they are nice and crisp and almost taste like pumpkin seeds!