Scallion-Miso Aduki Bean Hummus
There just aren't enough aduki bean recipes out there. Aduki beans. Maybe they are so uncommon that you aren't even familiar with them. You wouldn't be alone on this.
Even in my 100+ cookbooks I can find only a handful of recipes featuring aduki beans. Why is that? When they are so cute and red and ever so tasty...
Aduki beans, also called adzuki or azuki, are used in traditional Japanese and Chinese dishes, especially in desserts where the beans are sweetened with sugar and mashed into a sweet bean paste.
But these little gems are good for so much more than desserts. Because of their small size and delicate flavor, they are one of my favorite beans to toss into salads, such as my Anti-Cancer Massaged Kale Salad.
But until recently I had never tried to use them to make hummus. (Why in the world not?)
Looking to Japanese and Chinese cuisine as an inspiration, this hummus also includes miso (in lieu of salt) and scallions to give it a bit of zip.
Hummus is a mainstay in our house. It keeps the kids eating veggies and ensures there's always a snack handy. But it's definitely good to mix it up sometimes.
Do all your regular hummus-y things with this: use as a dip with crudités, crackers, pitas or pretzels, put some in a wrap or use as a sandwich spread. I like it with cool, crisp cucumbers, which offer a nice contrast to this hummus' stronger flavors. Slice cukes into 1" pieces and use a melon baller to create a little bowl. They fill 'em up and enjoy a nice 2 bite snack.
Scallion-Miso Aduki Bean Hummus Makes about 2 cups
2 cloves garlic 2 scallions 2 TB tahini 2 TB lemon juice 4 tsp white miso 2 cups aduki beans gomasio (for garnish, optional)
Add the garlic and scallions to the bowl of food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until they are finely minced.
Add the tahini, lemon juice and miso and process again until smooth.
Finally, add the aduki beans and process until smooth. If you'd prefer a thinner hummus, add water a tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
Enjoy right away or refrigerate for a couple days.
When ready to serve, sprinkle with gomasio (a mixture of sea salt and toasted sesame seeds) to make it an extra pretty.
