Sweet Potato White Bean Hummus

After a few weeks of not really creating anything terribly exciting or new around here, the Test Kitchen is back in business! I am recovered from my half Ironman and happily have the energy to cook again. 2Chili is getting some variety back in his life, and, our dishwasher is getting a daily workout again (though my workouts have decreased in volume). It’s all good.

I guess it’s “getting real in the Test Kitchen cooking pots,” as this guy might say. If you haven’t seen the viral video sensation about the Whole Foods Parking Lot, it’s worth clicking that link and using 3 minutes of your life! But warning, you will not be able to stop saying the chorus, no matter how you try.

And, speaking of Whole Foods, I did an experiment for this week’s Project: Food Budget and bought everything we needed only at WFM. You’ll have to tune in Thursday to see how I did!

Anyway, on to today’s recipe. Y’all know I like sweet potatoes, as I’ve made them into pancakes, muffins, and even risotto. They are a very versatile (and affordable) member of our pantry.

Over the weekend, in one of my mass-cooking extravaganzas, I came across some thawed out white beans in the fridge and for some reason had a light bulb moment that I should mix them with a roasted sweet potato to make hummus.

Typically, I have found I like store-bought hummus better than homemade. I just never seem to get the texture right with homemade chickpea hummus. But, this white bean and sweet potato blend came out just right, and delicious. It’s creamy, tasty, and good for you! I went light on the salt, so unlike store bought, the sodium is pretty low. However, I used prepared white beans, so your sodium will vary if you use canned beans.

I think the secret is in the roasted sweet potato, as the flavor of a roasted sweet is much deeper than just boiling or steaming it. See what you think!

Roasted Sweet Potato White Bean Hummus

Note: This recipe makes a lot, so you probably want to freeze half!

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Time Required:

1 hour to roast sweet potato (passive)
5 minutes to blend ingredients

Makes: Roughly 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato
1.75 cups drained white beans (or 1 can)
1/4 cup lemon juice (juice from one lemon)
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin (optional)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Place sweet potato in a medium casserole dish and roast for roughly one hour. When done, let cool for 20-30 minutes and peel the skin (it should just fall off)
Place all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and puree for one minute, scraping down sides if needed
Add a bit of water if you need to make the mixture blend better (I didn’t add any)

Nutrition:

For a 2 tablespoon-sized serving.