Smoky Miso White Bean Hummus | Vegan, Zero-Waste

Today I am sharing a creamy, smoky, and garlicky white bean hummus made from freshly cooked cannelini beans. While the beans do take time to cook, it is so worth it to make a pot of them at the beginning of the week and use some for this tasty white bean hummus. Chickpeas would also be fine here, but I really dig the lush creaminess of white beans in this recipe.

Making hummus from scratch is one of those kitchen tasks that makes me feel so satisfied and a little smug.  Hummus is just better homemade. Whenever I have a fresh batch I think “what kind of sucker buys this when they could make it?” Store bought hummus costs more, contains weird ingredients, and comes in those horrible little plastic tubs.

Recently I’ve been reading about how many western nations sell their recycling to China. However, China doesn’t want to deal with our waste anymore.  Recycling isn’t a perfect solution to our culture’s plastic issue. As part of a larger effort to reduce waste in my home, I’m seeking out more package-free foods to avoid creating unnecessary recycling. Those impulsive or lazy plastic purchases still happen, but I’m working on it!

My advice to anyone who wants to reduce their waste is to first simply open your mind to becoming aware of the amount of potential waste in circulation. Pick a single change you can commit to and get comfortable with that change before moving on to your next goal. Start by making your own hummus this week. You’ll be sipping out of a bamboo straw and buying nutritional yeast in the bulk bins before you know it 😉

Smoky Miso White Bean Hummus

Creamy smoky white bean hummus infused with the flavors of garlic, miso, and smoked paprika.

Refer to the notes of this recipe if you’d like a tutorial on cooking dry beans!

• Author: Jillian Walmer

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups of cooked cannelini beans**
• 1/4 cup reserved bean cooking water or regular warm water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp white miso
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp smoked salt (or more paprika)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (optional, depending on if you used smoked salt or not)
• extra paprika and olive oil to garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Into a large blender or food processor, add all the hummus ingredients except the reserved cooking water and the olive oil.
2. Start to blend, adding enough water to help the process along, followed by the olive oil to make it creamy. Blend until you’ve achieved a smooth texture, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary.
3. Transfer to a bowl and add more paprika and olive oil on top if desired. Store for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

**To cook dried beans, first soak them in water overnight to speed up cooking and aid in digestion. Drain and rinse the soaked beans and place in a pot with enough fresh water to cover the beans by 1-2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender. Here’s a handy chart if you want some guidance on specific bean cooking times.

Thanks for stopping by to check out today’s simple little recipe. If you like the zero-waste aspect of this post, let me know! I’d love to incorporate more content related to waste reduction if it’s something that you find compelling. Find me on Instagram and tag me in your creations if you make any of my recipes so we can connect. Cheers!