Recipes for Fava Bean Hummus & Cilantro Mint Sauce
Mezze simply refers to appetizers or small plates of food that are meant to be shared. It is very common to see mezze listed on Greek and Middle Eastern menus. Sometimes, we even make a meal of mezze at my house. I love setting out a beautiful platter with assorted breads, dips, and vegetables. The kids enjoy serving themselves and nibble on some very creative combinations!
Cilantro and mint are currently growing like fairytale beanstalks in my courtyard! The combination of these two herbs is so fragrant, vibrant, and yields the perfect pairing of fresh and a bit spicy. There are many recipes available using these two herbs, and the directions below describe how I make this in my kitchen. Cilantro mint sauce pairs perfectly with some of the side dishes listed in the post for Mezze Part 2. Fava beans are among my favorite type of bean to prepare. The fresh beans are amazing, but only available for a very short time each year. For this hummus recipe, I like to use dried fava beans. I think they create a fabulous, creamy spread that is a wonderful addition to your mezze platter.
Fava Bean Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried fava beans*
- 1/2 cup reserved liquid from soaking beans
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1 lemon juiced
- 4-6 cloves garlic
- 5 ice cubes
- salt to taste
- za'tar for topping (optional)
- olive oil for topping (optional)
Instructions
Soaking and Cooking Dried Beans
- Measure 1 cup of dried beans into a large glass measuring cup.
- Cover completely with water. (Water should be at least 3 inches higher than beans as they will expand while soaking.)
- Soak in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours.
- After soaking, drain and rinse beans.
- Either use a multi-cooker to quickly cook beans (follow the manufacturer's instructions) or fill a large pot of water and simmer beans for 1-2 hours until they are soft and falling apart.
- Remember to reserve at least 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.
Mixing Hummus
- Add cooked beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of salt to a blender. Pulse a few times.
- Add 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid from the beans and blend until smooth.
- While blender is running, add 5 ice cubes and blend until smooth.
- Taste and add seasonings.
- If hummus is too thick, slowly add more of the reserved liquid and blend until you reach desired consistency.
- Top hummus with olive oil and za'tar if desired.
Notes
Cilantro Mint Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed fresh cilantro (leaves and stems) roughly chopped
- 20 fresh mint leaves
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 serrano pepper seeds removed (or substitute dried aleppo pepper)
- 1/2 tsp honey (substitute sugar if vegan)
- 1/4-1/3 cup non-dairy unsweetened yogurt (I typically use cashew yogurt)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender, starting with 1/4 cup of yogurt and process until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings and add more yogurt until reach desired consistency.