I love hummus almost, maybe as much, as I love craft beer. I eat it almost everyday. Despite it being super easy to make I often buy it from the store, which I almost always feel guilty about. Not only is making it at home cheaper, but you know exactly what is going into it and you can add things to it like fresh herbs and beer! So, I was glad I found the time to make some this week and can share it with you. This recipe came about for a few reasons:
1. My house was dangerously low on hummus
2. I had an overgrown, quite wild herb garden outback that I needed to put to use
3. I love saisons and have been wanting to create a dish with one for far too long
With these three elements on my hands, the recipe was born and hummus was made. Hummus needs a decent amount of moisture to come together and the flavor profile of most saisons complements the flavors of hummus quite nicely, so I combined the two into a creamy, rustic dip. I was planning to make a traditional chickpea hummus at first, but after seeing all the overgrown herbs in my backyard I switched to white beans which are a better base to highlight the herbs. When making this dip you can feel free to change up the ratio and types of herbs to your liking. It is best served with toasted bread or pita, but makes a great topping for all sorts of things.
To give you a little more info about the beer, saisons (“season” in French) are considered farmhouse ales and were first thought to be brewed in the cooler winter months of November – March by farmers during their low season, to be consumed in the summer months when work on the farm was in full swing. Saison yeast is very tolerant of high temperatures, so the beer could last through the warm summer months without refrigeration. The yeast produces nice peppery flavors, which are a great compliment to this hummus. Saisons also tend to have citrus forward flavors, like lemons, which make this beer style an excellent hummus addition. In general, the lemony, peppery flavor of a saison combined with it’s dryness and moderate hop bitterness make it a great food beer to pair and cook with. It certainly did the trick here.
What you need
- 2 cans cannellini beans (15.5oz), drained and rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/3 cups lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1.5 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup Saison (I used Allagash’s Saison)
What you do
Add the beans and garlic to a food processor and blend for 30 – 45 seconds. Next, add in the tahini, lemon juice and salt. Blend for another 30 – 45 seconds, until blended and fairly smooth. Add in all your herbs and begin to blend again. While the food processor is running stream in the olive oil then beer through the feed tube. Allow everything to blend for another 30 – 45 seconds until everything is combined and smooth. Chill the hummus in a covered container in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with toasted bread or pita chips.
