It’s all about the hummus for me today! Such a great dish, very easy and very healthy. I confess I’m addicted, and a loyal fan of the chickpea, but there are plenty more fish in the sea, just as versatile and perfect for everyday eating, today we’re talking butter beans.

This recipe is creamy and indulgent. Topped with yummy red pepper, garlic and thyme pesto, it’s quick and satisfying as a dip with veggie sticks or pitta bread and the perfect side dish as well. What else can I say? A fail-safe and then some!

Homemade hummus is quite addictive (definitely not a bad thing). This one is slightly more effort than usual, but we’re merely talking a little extra time to roast the garlic and the peppers, it’s not labour intensive at all, and as with most of my dishes there’s no strict measuring of ingredients.

Butter Bean Hummus with Red pepper and Thyme Pesto

PREP/COOK TIME - 30 MINS | DIFFICULTY RATING - EASY | SERVES - 3,4 | RECIPE TYPE - LUNCH

Ingredients -Hummus

• 1 tin butter beans

• 3 roasted cloves of garlic

• Seasoning

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Water to loosen

• Juice of half a lemon

Ingredients - Pesto

• 1 average sized red pepper

• 1/2 a red chilli

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

Instructions

1. Roast the red pepper in slices or chunks with a little olive or rapeseed oil.

2. Spray the garlic cloves with a. little olive or rapeseed oil and roast in the oven at 120 degrees for 10 mins or until the flesh squeezes out from the husk easily.

3. Blitz the beans, along with all other ingredients in a mixer, add seasoning to taste and extra water to loosen if necessary. Once the garlic is cooked, add the flesh and pulse until combined.

4. To make the pesto, blitz together the red pepper, extra virgin olive oil, thyme and chilli until you reach a creamy consistency.

5. Taste and season.

My notes and tips

There is very little room for error; it’s almost laughable! However, as with any hummus, my main pointer to advise you go easy on the seasoning, lemon and herbs, you can always add more. Same for the garlic, in fact, unless you aren’t a big garlic lover (for me there’s no such thing as too much!), go ahead and throw all three cloves right in. The roasting of the garlic does lessen the potency to be fair, and it’s quite a sweet taste.

When making the red pepper pesto, same advice really - taste as you go along, and make it to your preference.

Hope you enjoy making my butter bean hummus, let me know what you think.

For more alternatives to chickpeas check out these fabulous recipes from some of my favourite food bloggers.

Creamy Bean Hummus by super stylish Anna at My Primrose Hill Kitchen

Homemade Hummus…Italian style by the lovely Kate at Cooking and Carafes