Cucumber Hummus and White Bean Puree Cups

White bean hummus and cucumbers is one of my favorite snacks. I put a little twist on it and turned them into appetizer cups.

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Ingredients:

Ingredients for Hummus

• 2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved

• 1/2 cup tahini, optional

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, or to taste

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Add cayenne to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish

• Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed

• Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Ingredients for the Beans

• 1 cup (1/2 pound) small dried white (I use cannellini) soak for 8 hours or overnight

• 2 cloves garlic, smashed

• 2 bay leaves

• ¾ teaspoon sea salt

Ingredients for the Puree

• ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

• 1/4 to ½ cup olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

• Freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

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Instructions:

Hummus

1. Put everything except the parsley in a food processor and begin to process; add the chickpea liquid or water as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth puree.

2. Taste and adjust the seasoning

3. Serve, drizzled with the olive oil and sprinkled with some parsley.

Cups

1. Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Transfer the beans to a large stockpot and cover with fresh water by 1 inch. Bring to boil over medium-heat and cook for 3 minutes, skimming off any foam or scum that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to low, add the garlic and bay leaves, and simmer, covered with a tilted lid, and continue cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the beans are very tender. Remove from heat and let the beans cool to room temperature, uncovered, in the cooking liquid.

2. When the beans have cooled, discard the bay leaves and the smashed garlic and drain well.

3. Put the beans in a food processor add lemon juice, ¼ cup of olive oil, chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin. Turn the machine on and process until the mixture is smooth and thick.

4. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

5. Transfer to bowl, cover and refrigerate for two hours or until well chilled.

6. Serve cold with Kalamata olives.