Cranberry Bean Hummus

I picked up a bag of dried cranberry roman beans at an Amish store in Pennsylvania for 40 cents. I remember buying them before at a post-Thanksgiving sale and liking them.

I couldn't remember what I made with them last time, but googling found me this. I used its vague memory to create this recipe.

Cranberry Bean Hummus
1 pound dried cranberry beans
1/2 small onion, peeled
2-3 dried bay leaf
1 large zucchini {about a 9 inch veggie}
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tahini
2-3 small clove garlic, chopped
Juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt

Soak the beans overnight. Drain, rinse, and put back in the crockpot. Add sufficient water, the onion and the bay leaves with a pinch of sea salt. Cook until cooked :) Mine cooked on low about 8 hours because I was at work, but I think they're done a lot faster than that.

While the beans are cooking, wash and chop the zucchini into stick-shaped pieces. Saute in olive oil until soft. I actually cooked these the night before for ease. Set aside.

Once the beans are cooked, drain again, saving some beans water. Take out the bay leaves, but leave the onion. Put beans and onion in food processor with zucchini, tahini, garlic and lemon juice. Puree. Add sea salt to taste. Add beans water if you want a thinner consistency. Mine was quite soupy, but very yummy.

This is great served warm or cold. You cannot taste the tahini (a plus for us because my husband isn't a huge fan). Even my 4 year old loved it. We dipped veggies in it.