Anasazi Bean Hummus

I love this Anasazi bean hummus with a little fermented coconut milk cream cheese spread and fermented veggies piled on a cracker.

I love hummus and my husband loves bean dip, but he doesn’t like chickpeas. Every time I cook pinto or Anasazi beans, he begs for bean dip, but I want something that is a little more than just dip. After a little experimentation, I came up with a recipe that we both love. It is gluten and dairy free, but always check canned or packed ingredients to be sure they are gluten/dairy free.

Anasazi beans are common in the Southwest and are considered an heirloom variety that has been grown here for centuries. I’ve grown them in my garden and they grew much better than other varieties. They are very similar to pinto beans in taste, but when raw have big reddish brown and white spots. They are a little softer than pintos and cook more quickly at this high altitude (6,500 ft).

Dry Anasazi beans

We eat this as a meal on chips with other toppings to make nachos. We also just scoop it out of a bowl with crackers or chips for a snack. I’ve eaten it on bagels topped with a little smoked salmon and loved it though smoked salmon may be an acquired taste for some people. We spread it on flour tortillas (gluten free or regular) and eat as is or stack on more veggies and/or meat to make a wrap sandwich or soft taco. I like it on crackers with a little dollop of one of my veggie ferments on top. It is also good using something like fresh cucumber slices to scoop it up. Lots of possibilities!

I’ve made it with raw pumpkin seeds but it left little crunchie bits in the hummus. Boiling them for 15 minutes fixed that but if you don’t mind little crunchies, you can skip the boiling or soaking.

I've also made it with black beans and it was equally good, though I would drain and rinse them before adding to the food processor. I have not yet tried it with white beans, but I'm sure that is in the future.

Let me know in the comments if you try it or try variations of it. Enjoy!!

Anasazi Bean Hummus
Serves; 4-6
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds, boiled or soaked
• 1 small bunch cilantro
• 2 green onions
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 3 tablespoons Lime Juice
• 1 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• Salt to taste if needed
• 2 cups cooked Anasazi beans (can substitute a 15 oz can or 2 cups cooked pinto beans)

Steps

1. Soak pumpkin seeds overnight in water or boil for 15 minutes to soften. To boil, place in saucepan and cover with about two inches of water. Bring to a boil and let cook 15 minutes. Drain and add to food processor.
2. Add all remaining ingredients to food processor and process on low to reach a paste or hummus consistency. Set to high for a few seconds. If too thick, add a little water, 1 Tbsp at a time, to reach desired consistency.
3. Serve with crackers or chips, spread on a bagel or toast and add favorite toppings.