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Navy Bean Hummus with Preserved Lemon

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Navy Bean Hummus with Preserved Lemon (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

Velvety soft navy beans are blended into a satisfying hummus flavored with tangy preserved lemon peel. Enjoy this vegan and gluten free hummus as a dip or spread it on a sandwich or some sweet potato toast!

I have a confession to make…I don’t like chickpeas. There I said it! I know it seems a little sacrilegious to make such a bold statement being that I’m a plant based food blogger, but I had to come clean. Though I’ve eaten my fair share of hummus in days past, chickpeas have never been my favorite. I think it’s the combination of their taste/texture and what they do to my digestive system. I haven’t sworn them off for good (I’ll still eat them in small amounts if I’m dining out or if they are served to me) but I much prefer other beans in their place.

Navy Bean Hummus with Preserved Lemon (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

Lately I’ve really been digging navy beans. They have a mild taste that soaks up flavors well and they have the most amazing velvety texture. Last week I experimented with marinating the whole cooked beans in a bit of olive oil, sea salt, and preserved lemon peel as part of my weekly meal prep. Though simple with regards to ingredients, they ended up being really delicious and satisfying. So, I decided to go a step farther this week and make a hummus of sorts.

Navy Bean Hummus with Preserved Lemon (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

Though short on ingredients this hummus is velvety smooth and bursting with the bright, salty tang of preserved meyer lemons. I was gifted several homegrown meyer lemons by a dear friend back in November so I made a quart-sized jar of preserved lemons. BEST DECISION EVER. I’ve been adding them to chopped salads lately for a bit of brightness during the winter months. Having a big batch of this hummus around has made snacking this past week really delicious and filling. And, if you feel like elevating this humble dip, you can try it on some sweet potato toast like I did! The instructions are included in the recipe notes.

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Navy Bean Hummus with Preserved Lemon (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

Navy Bean Hummus with Preserved Lemon

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  • Author: Courtney West
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 servings
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

Velvety soft navy beans are blended into a satisfying hummus flavored with tangy preserved lemon peel. Enjoy this vegan and gluten free hummus as a dip or spread it on a sandwich or some sweet potato toast!

Ingredients

  • 1 can navy beans, rinsed & drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 3–4 wedges of preserved lemon
  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cups water as needed to thin
  • optional garnishes: olive oil, microgreens, and hemp seeds

Instructions

Remove the flesh of the lemon from the peels and discard it, then rinse the peels. Add these to your blender or food processor along with the beans, garlic powder, salt, tahini, and 1/4 cup of water. Blend until smooth. If the hummus seems too thick, add a bit more water and blend again.

Garnish with olive oil, microgreens, and hemp seeds before serving if you like.

Store your hummus in an airtight container in your fridge and enjoy within a week.

Notes

  • Serving suggestion:  Serve the hummus on pieces of sweet potato toast topped them with local micro greens & hemp seeds. To make sweet potato toast, slice sweet potatoes lengthwise no thicker than a quarter of an inch, then toast them in your toaster for 2-3 toast cycles.
  • You can make your own preserved lemons (check out this post from the archives) or you can buy it at well stocked grocery stores or Middle Eastern grocery stores. If you can’t make or source any preserved lemons, feel free to use the zest and juice of a lemon instead and increase the salt to about 1/2 tsp.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: dip

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I love to see what you’re making so feel free to tag me on Instagram @courtweststudio!

Balancing Green Smoothie

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balancing green smoothie | via sweet miscellany #vegan #rawWell hello 2017! It always feels inspiring to start a new year. Maybe because it signifies a fresh start, free from the weight of the last year. It’s a time to reassess and move forward without all the things that are weighing you down. I started a new tradition this year of writing down all that I accomplished last year in addition to what I hope to bring more of into my life in the coming year.  It felt less constricting than the typical “resolutions” and it was pleasant way to recall all of the lovely memories and experiences. What traditions or practices do you guys have for the start of a year? Feel free to share them below in the comments 🙂

balancing green smoothie | via sweet miscellany #vegan #raw

As we move into the new year I’ve been noticing the recurring theme of balance lately. Whether it’s in my yoga practice, life, or the meals I’m eating, the “b” word keeps reappearing. It’s almost as if it’s trying to tell me something…hmmm. I finally started to listen to it and have been striving for more equilibrium in all things. Lately, my focus has been bringing more balance to what I’m eating. As we all know it’s easy to go overboard with indulging during the holidays. I let my meal planning and meal prep sort of go by the wayside towards the end of last year and ate out way more than my body is used to. In order to re-center myself, I’ve been consciously thinking through every meal I eat. I consider what type of nutrients and nourishment it will provide and how it will potentially make my body feel. I’m essentially taking my practice of mindfulness off my yoga mat and employing it everywhere else in my life.

balancing green smoothie | via sweet miscellany #vegan #raw

As is bound to happen, there are instances when I’m short on time or don’t have any food prepped. In these cases my go-to option is a smoothie. As cliche and fad-tastic as they may be, smoothies are a great way to quickly supply the body with nutrition. They are infinitely customizable and are ready in a jiffy (uh did I just use the word “jiffy”… how old am I?!). I’ve developed a formula for the way I like my smoothies so I’ll share it with you below. That way you’ll have more than this one recipe to get you started if you are a smoothie virgin. As for this balancing green smoothie I’m sharing today, it’s meant to do exactly as it’s name suggests: bring balance to the body. It’s full of alkalizing spinach, blood-purifying cilantro, and digestion-boosting ground ginger. Plus, you get the lovely omegas and amino acids from the hemp seeds. Hooray!

building your own smoothie

The recipe below is a perfect example for how I build my smoothies. I usually have 2 cups frozen fruits/veg total then I add filtered cold water until it just covers all of the frozen stuff. Finally I add any supplements/add-ins and then blend away. I’ve been mostly using all frozen fruits/veg lately because it produces more consistent results, but overall I’ve found that adding just enough liquid to cover the frozen stuff usually produces a nice, thick smoothie that isn’t too runny/thin. I prefer adding in a bit of healthy fat to the mix which you’ll see in the form of hemp seeds below, but I also like using cashew or almond butter for this as well. I was using coconut water or nut milk as the liquid in my smoothies but in an effort to save money and eliminate the potential for added sugar, I mostly use cold filtered water. Depending on the day and what I’m looking for I’ll change up the add-ins. For hormone balance and sustained energy, I’ll add maca powder. If I’m strictly looking for sustained energy I’ll use cacao or matcha. For even more greens, I’ll use either spirulina, moringa, or matcha. For digestive benefits and a little spicy kick, I’ll use ground or fresh ginger. For anti-inflammatory benefits I’ll add a good bit of turmeric. For an antioxidant boost I’ll either use a heavy dose of blueberries, acai, or pomegranate powder. I love adding fresh herbs to the mix if I have them. My favorites are mint (good for digestion and has cooling properties) and cilantro (great for cleansing the blood). I’m not too big on protein powders as I’ve been disappointed with them in the past, but I did try one in this smoothie by Amazing Grass that I really liked.

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