White Bean and Cashew Hummus with Zhoug

White Bean and Cashew Hummus with Zhoug is a series of unexpected twists and turns and the perfect accompaniment to an inspired Meatless Monday. Zhoug, a Middle-Eastern cilantro sauce, adds a spicy note to the depth of creamy and nutty profiles. Enjoy with endive for that touch of bitter finish or your favorite flatbread.

White Bean and Cashew Hummus

Ingredients

1 15.5 oz great Northern beans
1 cup raw cashew pieces
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
½ lemon, zest and juice
½ tsp ground white pepper
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt (or to taste)

Instructions:

First, drain the beans, reserving the liquid to use later. Then, place the cashew pieces in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let soak for at least 10 minutes.

Once the cashews have soaked, place them in a food processor, reserving the water to use later. Blend until the cashews begin to form a thick paste.

Then, pour in ¼ cup of the reserved cashew water and ¼ cup of the reserved bean water and blend to a smooth paste.

Next, add the crushed garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, drained beans, white pepper, coriander, cumin, salt, and olive oil.

Blend until everything is combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Zhoug

Ingredients:

1 tsp cardamom pods
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
3 Serrano chilies, finely chopped
4 large cloves of garlic, crushed
½ small blood orange or navel orange, zest and juice
½ lemon, juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp brown sugar
½ tsp sumac
1 ½ cups cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 cup parsley. coarsely chopped
⅓ cup olive oil

First, lightly toast the cardamom, cumin, and coriander in a small skillet. Let cool completely and then grind in a spice grinder or crush with a mortar and pestle until powdered. Set this aside.

In a blender or food processor, pulse the serrano chilies, garlic, and the spice mixture a few times. Then add the zest and juice of the orange and the juice of the lemon, along with the salt, brown sugar, and sumac.

Next, add the cilantro and parsley and pulse a few times to combine everything. Make sure to not blend it too much as you want some texturer to the zhoug.

Finally, add the olive oil and pulse twice. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.

To serve, place the hummus in a bowl, top with the zhoug, and drizzle olive oil to taste. Add toasted cashews, pomegranate seeds, almonds, etc to garnish.

Recipe by Veda Sankaran (Jalsa By Veda) / Photography by Brooke Lark