Korean Soybean Hummus

THE FOOD

Korean Soybean Hummus

As it turns out, chickpeas are NOT universal.  Sure Korea has them sometimes, but is it really worth all the effort to find them?  Not always.  Especially when there is a perfectly good substitute for those of us who are trying not to eat a ton of imported items.  So what can you sub for chickpeas? Dried soybeans of course.  I'm actually a big fan of this new hummus because it has kind of a rich buttery flavor.  Give it a try.  You might just love it as well.

THE QUANDARIES

1. Some recipes ask for yogurt and we can't eat cow milk.

2. Chickpeas are hard to find and expensive.

3. We like things with a bit more kick now.

THE SOLUTION

2 cups Soaked and Cooked Soybeans

3/4 cup Tahini

1/4 cup goat yogurt (optional)

1/2 cup lemon juice

2-3 cloves of garlic

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

1 tablespoon Korean red pepper

1/2 cup olive oil over the top

1 teaspoon paprika or red pepper for garnish

water if you want to thin it

FIRST STEP:  Prep you soybeans by letting them soak for a few hours.  Then boil for 45 minutes.  You want them VERY soft. 

Prep Note: For a super smooth hummus you can remove the "skin" from the soybeans after it boils.  We don't always do this because we are lazy, but it does make a smoother texture.  It's your choice.

First they look like this.

Soak until they look like this.

SECOND STEP: Combine in your food processor or bowl - soybeans, tahini, goat yogurt (optional), lemon juice, crushed/minced garlic, sea salt, cumin (optional), Korean red pepper.  Blend until smooth. Add a little of this and a little of that until the taste is perfect for what you want that day.  This is just where we start and then we customize based on our mood.

THIRD STEP:  Add the deliciousness to a bowl and garnish with olive oil and paprika or red pepper.  We usually also add fresh tomatoes and some olives to the mix when we eat it :)

MENU IDEA

Eat it with Korean Falafel wrapped in a flatbread. Here we used a tortilla.  We also recommend mixing in lots of local seasonal greens whenever you can.