There’s something about fresh basil. Whenever I inhale its scent, my imagination is whisked away to a sunny afternoon in Tuscany. I adore basil in many dishes; pesto is a particular favorite of mine. It’s winter now, but for some reason I’m craving warm weather Mediterranean flavors. The answer? An Italian-inspired hummus infused with the flavor of pesto. Luckily, in most cities fresh basil can be found year-round. Even in the middle of a polar vortex, we can whip up a batch of pesto and find ourselves transported to a sun-drenched Mediterranean shoreline.
This hummus gets its burst of flavor and color from roasted garlic, lemon juice and fresh basil leaves. Basil is quite common in Mediterranean cuisine, thought it’s actually native to India and areas of Northeast Africa and Southeast Asia. Throughout history basil has inspired intense feelings of both love and fear. Sweet culinary basil, Latin name Ocimum basilicum, derives its name from the Greek words okimon (smell) and basilikon (kingly/royal). Okimon is obviously linked to basil’s unique and attractive fragrance. The basilikon reference is likely due to basil’s flowers, which bloom a historically regal shade of purple.
Greek philosopher Chrysippus (279-206 B.C.E.) wrote that “Ocimum exists only to drive men insane.” Historians believe that the negative folklore associated with basil stems from its Latin name, basilicum, which sounds quite similar to basilisk, the dangerous mythical serpent. Sound familiar, Harry Potter fans? On the other hand, basil has also been used as a powerful aphrodisiac in love spells. In Italy, the sweet variety of basil is known as bacia-nicola or “kiss me Nicholas.” If a pot of this basil is left on a windowsill, it is often done in hopes of attracting a potential lover.
Basil and white bean hummus are a match made in heaven. Drizzle this White Bean Basil Pesto Hummus with olive oil and sprinkle with pine nuts to complete the flavor symphony. Serve with crispy Italian breadsticks, olive and fresh crudités for a Mediterranean appetizer platter your guests will love!
How do you like your hummus- plain? Spicy? Garlicky? Roasted red pepper?
Recommended Products:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
White Bean Basil Pesto Hummus
Ingredients
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 3 1/2 cups soaked and cooked cannellini beans (or 2 cans)
- 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for garnish
- 3 tablespoons tahini paste
- 2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar (use agave to make vegan)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- Salt to taste
- Fresh basil leaves and pine nuts, optional garnish (if serving to guests with nut allergies, omit the pine nut garnish)
- Crudités, breadsticks, pita and/or crackers for serving (for gluten free and/or vegan, please make sure accompaniments are gluten free and/or vegan)
NOTES
Instructions
- In a small saucepan on the stovetop, roast the garlic cloves in the olive oil over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring every so often, till golden and soft. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Separate the garlic cloves from the oil; reserve both.
- In a food processor, combine the roasted garlic cloves with the cannellini beans, tahini paste, water, basil leaves, lemon juice, honey and cayenne pepper.
- Process for a couple of minutes, scraping the sides every so often, till a chunky hummus forms.
- With the food processor running, drizzle in the roasted garlic oil. Continue to process till the hummus is smooth and creamy. Taste and add salt if needed. Typically canned beans have already been salted, so you may not need to add much more. I usually add between 1/4 tsp- 1/2 tsp of salt. Be sure to add carefully, as the mixture can become too salty rather quickly. If you would like to adjust the texture of the hummus and make it softer, add more water 2 teaspoons at a time and process till the texture is to your liking.
- Transfer the hummus to a container or serving plate and chill in the refrigerator. If desired, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pine nuts before serving (to keep this recipe nut free, omit the pine nut garnish). Serve with toasted pita or pita chips, crudités or your favorite cracker.
Nutrition
Hummus makes a great pasta sauce, just add evoo, and fresh parsley, etc
Roasted red pepper..spicy 🙂
Any way you wanna fix it for me is my fave!
Yes!
I do the blood tpe diet and am not suppsoed to have garbonzo’s, so I love the white bean take off.
all of the above!
THIS SO GOOD MADE LAST NIGHT
Roasted red pepper…..
Pine nuts
Roasted Garlic Hummus.
Garlicky,spicey, and lemony.
Yummy!
I like the roasted garlic and roasted red papper hummus – readily available and cheap and a good way to consume raw crudités that I wouldn’t eat cooked – such as broccoli and carrots and celery – those strips of red and yellow peppers look good !
Thai chili
roasted red pepper.
Spicy please!
Like roasted red pepper, three tribes organic roasted red pepper And their forty spices is great too.
With a little kick
Have to make this recipe. YUMS
This looks lovely!