San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Dip an addictive alternative to hummus
I used to go through a small tub or two of hummus a week. It made for an easy, quick lunch with some crackers and cheese, or a light dinner with carrot and celery sticks.
And as part of a charcuterie platter with red wine? Divine — until it wasn’t.
I’m one of the growing number of American adults who have developed an allergy to sesame, the main ingredient in tahini, which is commonly found in hummus. An August article in the American Academy of Pediatrics News reports that sesame now is “a relatively common food allergen, affecting an estimated 1.5 million children and adults in the U.S.” — a number on the rise.
Sesame recently was added to the list of allergens that must be on labels of most packaged foods sold in the United States by Jan. 1, 2023, as part of the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research Act that was signed into law this year.
So what’s a hummus lover to do? Switch to bean dips, and I don’t mean those of the Frito-Lay variety (although Fritos Bean Dip is weirdly delicious, and I am in no way criticizing it.)
No, I’m talking about something fresher, a little cheffier and
a whole lot dressier that you can feel proud to serve guests or bring to a potluck.
A dear friend introduced me to an herby bean dip by Food Network personality Trisha Yearwood. I’ve tweaked it slightly to make it punchier and the ingredients simpler. It’s truly addicting, and it comes together in a flash as
it all just goes into a food processor or blender.
The base is canned butter beans, but I’ve used other canned white beans and they work, too, though the dip wasn’t quite as smooth.
Serve it in all the ways you would a hummus, with crackers or crudités (the herbiness works
especially well with radishes). The herbs used in the recipe are
really customizable, so use what you can find and what you like. Can’t find tarragon? Double the cilantro or just skip it.