I had some left over kidney beans from my favorite homemade bean recipe, so I thought I would make one of my favorite Middle Eastern foods: Hummus!

Traditional hummus is made with garbanzo beans (chick peas) tahini (sesame seed paste) lemon, garlic, salt and olive oil. Once blended together, garnished with a little olive oil and paprika, you have a delicious bean delicacy. Hummus adds a punch of flavor and protein to any dish. It is great on pita, crackers, kabobs, on raw veggies, sandwiches, or salads. Hummus is versatile.

I have been avoiding oil in my cooking for almost two years now and have felt the difference. My biomarkers have never been better. Sesame seeds don’t always agree with me so I’d like to avoid the tahini. So what is a hummus fiend like me to do?

It turns out that hummus can be made with (almost) any kind of beans depending on your taste. The recipe below can be used to make hummus from black beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, butter beans, fava beans, or almost any mild, neutral flavored bean. Ready to try something different? Here we go:

Ingredients
• 1½ cup cooked beans (or any mild or neutral bean)
• 1-2 cloves garlic (peeled & chopped)
• Juice of ½ lemon or lime
• ½ -¾ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1-2 tbsp of fresh cilantro.

Method
• Put all ingredients into food processor
• Blend until smooth.
• Spoon into bowl for dipping.
• Garnish with additional cilantro and lime juice.
• Enjoy.

Off The Grid Health Recommends:
• Using organic ingredients.
• If using canned beans, find beans packed in BPA free cans to avoid an endocrine disruptor commonly found in traditional cans. (The can will say BPA free.)
• Try roasted (gluten-free / oil free) tortillas.