Dreamy Roasted Red Pepper White Bean Hummus

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the red bell peppers in half, removing the stems, pith and seeds. Arrange them in a glass baking dish with the inner part facing upward.

Step 2

Roast the peppers for about 45 minutes (try to leave them undisturbed for the first 30), or until noticeably softened, with the outer skin (the part making contact with the dish) starting to darken and shrivel slightly. Flip the peppers over and roast for another 20-30 minutes, or until very tender and juicy, and significantly decreased in size.

Step 3

Transfer the peppers to a prep bowl and cover it with a plate to trap in the steam. After letting them sit there for another 10 minutes, remove the skins and set the peppers aside. (Tip: you can reserve those bell pepper skins and use them to delicious effect in homemade broth/stock).

Step 4

Add the garlic, tahini, spices, and first 1/2 cup of lemon juice to a food processor, and process until as smooth as possible.

Step 5

Drain the cooking/canning liquid (aquafaba) off of the white beans, reserving 1/3 cup of it.

Step 6

Add the roasted red peppers and about half of the white beans, and process to combine, scraping down the edges as needed. Then add the remainder of the white beans and against process until as smooth as possible.

Step 7

Finally, while continuing to run the food processor, drizzle in the cold aquafaba. Add cold water, too, if needed to get your hummus to the desired consistency and smoothness.

Step 8

Lastly, season the hummus to taste with salt, more spices, and more lemon juice as desired. Every hummus is different and you will need to follow your palate to balance the salt, acid, and heat. If you used white beans that you cooked yourself, or unsalted canned white beans, you will probably need to add quite a bit of salt.

Step 9

Garnish with chopped cilantro (or green onion) and sesame seeds to serve - and a drizzle of olive oil if desired. Leftover roasted red pepper white bean hummus will store in the fridge for a week.