Recipe courtesy of Vanessa Kimbell, Food for Thought
Vegan-Friendly Black Bean and Mint Dip
The most ethical and sustainable way to eat is to have a diet loaded with locally grown and seasonal vegetables. Now, I don't have the discipline and dedication to commit to a diet without meat, eggs or dairy, and find myself dipping in and out of ways and styles of eating. As a teenager I tried to be vegan, but failed. When I got over the initial guilt, I realised that what I could do was choose to eat vegan-friendly food occasionally. Today, when I cook my family a vegan meal no one actually
misses animal products. This recipe makes something very much like hummus, but instead of using chickpeas - the word hummus means 'chickpea' in Arabic - I use dried broad beans (sometimes labelled fava beans) or black beans. It's easy to make, stores for up to three days in the fridge and has many uses. It is superb spread on toasted sourdough bread, makes an excellent sandwich
filler, and is a treat on a warm jacket potato. If you are in a hurry you can make this using canned beans, rinsed and drained: you then don't have to soak and boil the beans; just start the recipe at the point where they go into the food processor with the other ingredients.
SERVES »4-6
200g dried black beans or broad beans
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
5 tablespoons tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint,
plus extra to garnish
sea salt
Pomora olive oil (www.pomora.com) and sliced red chilli,
to serve
- The day before you cook, cover the dried beans with twice their volume of cold water. Stir in
- the bicarbonate of soda and leave to soak for 24 hours.
- The following day, drain the beans, rinse well under cold running water and tip them into a large pan.
- Cover with fresh cold water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer
- gently until the beans are tender enough to squash easily - this can take between 1 and 4
- hours, depending on how old the beans are.
- Do remember to keep the water topped up, as you don't want them to boil dry.Leave the beans to cool in the water.
- Drain welland reserve a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid and a few of the beans as garnish.
- Put the beans, tahini, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor and pulse to make a pureÅLe.
- Add the mint, a generous pinch of salt and just enough cooking liquid (or tap water, if you've
- used canned beans) to make a soft paste. The dip should hold its shape and not be too wet.
- Check the seasoning and add more lemon juice, garlic or salt, according to taste.
- Scrape the pureÅLe into a bowl, and when you are ready to serve, drizzle it with some olive oil and garnish with the reserved beans, more mint leaves and some sliced red chilli.