Baked zucchini and butter beans (also known as lima beans) come together into a creamy paprika smoked hummus with bright lemon and roasted garlic. Serve with vegetables or gluten free crackers, as a dip or a side with your favorite protein.
Why you'll love this butter bean mash
- Butter beans (large lima beans) have a creamy texture and buttery feel. They make a great base for this mash that is similar to traditional hummus.
- Zucchini adds a dose of antioxidants and fiber to the protein rich lima beans.
- Super easy to make and the spices add incredible flavor and a nice smokiness to the dish.
- Perfect as a hummus, a dip, a butter bean mash to substitute for mashed potatoes, or as a side dish with your protein for dinner.
Try these other great snack recipe ideas:
- Easy vegan cashew mayo with lemon
- Easy sticky teriyaki sauce and marinade
- Herby sunflower and hemp seed spread
- Mango mint salsa
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Noteworthy ingredients and substitutions
- Butter beans: also known as lima beans, are smooth, mild and creamy. They have a fairly neutral butter flavor and substitute well with cannellini beans, navy beans and great northern beans.
- Zucchini: develops a slight sweetness when baked. It's also loaded with fiber and low in calories. It's mild flavor absorbs spices well when roasted.
- Lemon juice: adds brightness and can be substituted with lime.
- Garlic: develops a milder sweet flavor when roasted.
- Cumin and smoked paprika: work well together adding a warm, nutty smoky flavor to the butter bean mash. Feel free to get creative with herbs and spices depending what you have on hand. Italian spices will give it a mediterranean feel. You could also swap in curry for smoked paprika.
see recipe card for all ingredients and quantities
How to make baked zucchini hummus with butter beans
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and sea salt.
Brush both sided of zucchini with oil mixture and place on baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Cool slightly.
In a food processor or high speed blender, add butter beans, lemon juice and baked zucchini (and mint or cilantro if using). Scrape the remaining oil mixture from the pan into the food processor.
Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed.
Scoop into serving bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes or a dusting of paprika.
Tips, tricks and variations
- Leaving the peel on the zucchini gives the hummus a green tinge. If you prefer a more even, smooth look just peel the zucchini before using.
- I love using butter beans because they are creamy and fairly neutral in flavor. Feel free to experiment with other beans in this recipe.
- Both a food process or high-speed blender work really well at smoothing out the dip. You can also use an immersion blender for a slightly chunkier hummus.
FAQs
Traditional and classic hummus are made with tahini, but you can definitely make hummus without tahini! Rather than chickpeas and tahini I blended zucchini and butter beans (lima beans) to make a nice creamy hummus dip.
You can use any type of beans you have on hand. In this hummus recipe I use butter beans but feel free to get creative. It will change the flavor from a traditional hummus but feel free to experiment with flavorful variations.
Equipment
- Rimmed baking tray
- Food processor, high-speed blender, or immersion blender
Storage
- The hummus dip can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.
- It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and give it a good mix before serving.
Recipe
Baked Zucchini and Butter Bean Hummus
Equipment
- 1 rimmed baking sheet
- 1 small bowl
- 1 food processor or high speed blender
Ingredients
- 2-3 small zucchini, sliced ⅓-inch thick lengthwise
- 1 14- ounce can butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- small handful mint leaves or cilantro, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and sea salt.
- Brush both sided of zucchini with oil mixture and place on baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Cool slightly.
- In a food processor or high speed blender, add butter beans, lemon juice and baked zucchini (and mint or cilantro if using). Scrape the remaining oil mixture from the pan into the food processor.
- Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed.
- Scoop into serving bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes or a dusting of paprika.
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