Chicago (and much of the midwest) was graced with a 73-degree, sunshiny day this past Monday, and it was glorious. The birds were chirping, the warm breezes were blowing, and the runners of Chicago cast their treadmills aside in exchange for a fine piece of asphalt beneath their feet.
Despite the abrupt return to chilly, sub-40° temperatures, one day like that and my mind is set on spring. Spring clothes. Spring colors. Spring vegetables.
This might look like ordinary hummus, but it's packed with the extraordinary flavors of spring veggies. Leeks and artichokes are the guest stars in this homemade white bean dip. They're sautéed with a bit of olive oil and can either be pulsed into the hummus so that their texture is still detectable or blended in to disperse their flavor. I opted for the latter option because I love super-smooth hummus, but you really can't go wrong.
You'll need just 7 ingredients (minus s + p) to whip up this hummus, and even with the added work of chopping and sautéing the veggies, you'll still be in and out of the kitchen in under 30 minutes. Not too shabby for a dolled up classic.
Creamy Artichoke, Leek & White Bean Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 leeks, washed and trimmed
- 1 15- ounce can artichokes, drained and roughly chopped
- 1 15- ounce can cannellini "white" beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ tbsp tahini
- 1 garlic clove or more to taste
- ¼ tsp sea salt or to taste
- black pepper
Optional Garnishes
- pine nuts
- olive oil
- parsley
Instructions
- Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise (you might need to rinse them again to release any sand or grit) and thinly slice white and light green parts only. Add the leeks to the skillet and saute for 4-5 minutes. Next, add in the chopped artichokes. Cook for another 7-8 minutes or until the leeks are tender and just beginning to turn golden, stirring occasionally.
- While the veggies are cooking, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, beans, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper to a food processor. Pulse a few times and then process until smooth (about 3 to 3 ½ minutes). Add in the leeks and artichokes. At this point you can either pulse 10-15 times to incorporate and roughly chop the veggies OR process for another 1-2 minutes until smooth (I processed until smooth for the photos).
- Adjust seasoning (I add in an additional â…› teaspoon sea salt).
- Transfer to a bowl, garnish if desired, and serve with fresh veggies, tortilla chips, pita bread, etc.
This recipe is right up my alley!! I get bored easily of plain hummus so I love how many flavorful add ins this one has! I wouldn't have ever thought of putting artichokes or leeks into hummus but I love both! Plus I much prefer white bean based hummus over chickpea hummus! I will definitely be making this :)
I think you and I are hummus twins, Karissa, because I agree with all of the above. I hope you enjoy this one! :)
Oh my goodness girl, this is like my dream ingredient combination, and my significant other cannot get enough hummus. Not only am I pinning this, I'm making it next time I need a snack.
Haha! Thanks so much, Tessa. I'm pretty much smitten with the combination of artichokes and leeks, so I figured I'd toss those spring flavors right into a hummus. I hope you and your significant other enjoy it!
I've only ever made hummus with chickpeas before.. so i am loving the idea here to use artichokes, leeks & white beans. Sounds like a delicious combination!
Thanks, Thalia! White beans yield a smoother, creamier hummus which I love. I hope you have a chance to try it!
WOW!!! I bet this one is good... I've made so many of your recipes (and so many times of the same recipe) that I believe this one is going to be in my repertoire!.. How did you come up with this combination...I'm still wondering! Love the fact that you substituted the chickpeas for white beans.. Clever!
Hi, Rosanna! I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying so many of the recipes, and I hope you love this one. As for coming up with the combination, I just really love artichokes and leeks together, and I prefer white bean hummus because it's smoother. I figured why not combine three things I love. :)
Adding these ingredients to my shopping list! This sounds delicious.
Thanks, Sal! I hope you and Fred (and maybe even Lemi) love it!
Yummmm - I am loving the flavor combo in this! Lovely!
Thanks, Alison!
Sign me up! I am a fiend for all things hummus related and this recipe doesn't stand a chance! Love that you used white beans and artichokes too, such a great combo!
this looks beyond incredible. my eyeballs and tastebuds are swooning!! xo
Thanks so much, Lynsey! Happy to hear it has your eyeballs and taste buds swooning -- such an awesome visual! :)
I can't wait to make this - it looks and sounds amazing! I just showed my husband and he can't wait to try it too. Strangely you and I were on the same page the day you wrote this post. I was writing a post for avocado hummus and noted how it snowed on our first day of spring in NJ. I don't think I even remember 73 degrees. LOL. Anyway, great recipe :)
Oh my gosh, Sherri! I just checked out your avocado hummus post, and my heart sank a little bit at the sight of your first day of spring. I feel your pain! It's like a stiff slap in the face to receive all of that snow on the official first day of spring. On another note, that avocado hummus looks amazing!
I hope you and your husband enjoy this hummus. Sending lots of warm, sunny thoughts to you in NJ!
Made this and my boyfriend and I both LOVED it! So creamy and the artichoke/leek favors really enhanced it!! I used marinated artichokes because that's what I had and it allowed me to omit the oil in cooking the veggies. Will be making again!
Hi, Brittany! Thanks for giving it a try, and I'm so happy to hear that you and your boyfriend enjoyed it. Great idea to use marinated artichokes and omit the cooking oil. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your results!