Butter Bean Hummus with Fennel and Leeks

This creamy and flavorful dip or spread, made with butter beans, fennel, and leeks, is a delicious alternative to the traditional hummus made with chickpeas.

We all love chickpea hummus, but sometimes, we need some variety in our menus. Make this butter bean hummus when you want a creamy and nutritious mash of beans that can be served warm or cold.

The inspiration: Romanian white bean dip

I was born and grew up in Romania, where our version of hummus is “fasole batuta” (beaten beans). It’s a creamy dip, or spread, made with white beans, lots of garlic, and fried onions with tomato sauce. The oil used is usually sunflower or canola, which is pretty hard on my digestion. So, while I love this dish, I don’t eat it if it’s made the traditional way.

This butter bean hummus is my spin on both the traditional chickpea hummus and the Romanian ‘fasole batuta’. Maybe I’m biased, but my version is more flavorful than any of the two; it’s nutrient-dense and gut-friendly.

It’s perfect as a spread, a dip for raw vegetables or chips, a side dish, or a tapas menu. And the great thing is, it can be served both warm and cold.

Is this butter bean hummus healthy?

This hummus is packed with protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamins (check the nutritional label below the recipe card).

While beans are lectin-heavy and hard for people to digest, how we prepare them makes them gut-friendly. We soak, pressure cook them, and use a combination of spices like bay leaves and fennel seeds that make them easier to digest.

Ingredients and flavors I used to make this butter bean hummus

1. Butter beans (also called Lima beans) – are soaked overnight, changing water four times; then the beans are pressure cooked and the liquid drained. This way, the anti-nutrients in beans, like lectins, that make them hard to digest, are considerably reduced.
2. Aromatics – leeks, onions, and fennel are sauteed in extra virgin olive oil to the point of starting to caramelize. They add sweetness, warmth and umami flavors to this hummus.
3. Italian Passata – also known as tomato passata or simply passata, is a type of tomato purée widely used in Italian cuisine. It is made from ripe, cooked, and strained tomatoes (no seeds or skins), resulting in a smooth and thick sauce-like consistency. Passata is different from tomato sauce or tomato paste. It is thinner and smoother than tomato sauce, as it is not typically cooked for an extended period and does not contain added ingredients like herbs or spices. It adds color and tanginess, balancing the sweet and earthy flavors of beans and aromatics.
4. Garlic – is added raw and fresh to the hummus, adding flavor and nutritional power to this butter bean hummus.
5. Fennel seeds – help with digestion and give this hummus a warm and sweet anise flavor.
6. Extra virgin olive oil – add some extra oil to the dip for a creamy and rich texture, and added healthy fats and polyphenols.

Here is the complete list of ingredients:

TO MAKE THE BEANS:

• 200 grams dry butter beans (Lima beans) – 3 cups cooked
• Water to soak and to boil them
• 3 bay leaves
• Optional: one carrot, some fennel stalks (for flavor)

TO MAKE THE FENNEL AND LEEK SEASONING:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, chopped
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup Italian Passata

TO MAKE THE HUMMUS:

• 3 cups pressure-cooked cooked and drained butter beans
• a few tablespoons of some of the bean water (filtered water)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• the fennel, leek and onion seasoning
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

NOTE on beans: If you want to skip the pressure-cooking step, you can use organic canned butter beans (Eden brand) that have been soaked and pressure-cooked. You can also find them in certain grocery stores like Whole Foods.

How to make butter bean hummus

Pressure cook the beans:

• Soak the beans in the afternoon, and let them soak overnight, changing the water a few times (2 times before you go to sleep, and two more times in the morning, before you cook them).
• Add the soaked and rinsed beans to a pressure cooker, cover with water one or two inches above the beans, add the vegetables if using (for extra flavor) and the bay leaves (for digestion). Pressure cook them, ensuring you follow the instructions on your type of pressure cooker. I pressure-cook them for 26 minutes.

Make the seasoning:

• While the beans are cooking, you can prepare the seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, on medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables, sautee for a few minutes, then add the fennel seeds, salt and pepper.
• Continue to cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they start caramelizing (about 20 minutes).
• Add the Italian passata (tomato sauce), and cook for about 5 more minutes.

Make the hummus:

• Place the beans in a large blender, food processor, or mixing bowl if you use an immersion blender. Blend with a little bit of water and the garlic cloves, until smooth and creamy.
• Add half of the seasoning mixture, blend until incorporated, then taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
• Spread the hummus on a platter, top with the remaining half of the seasoning, and a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper, and garnish with fresh herbs.
• Serve warm or cold, as a dip, spread or side dish. Store in the refrigerator for up to five days, or freeze.

How to serve this creamy and flavorful butter bean hummus

I love that it can be served warm or cold. I love it on a slice of our lectin-free and gluten-free sourdough bread, or with keto crackers with tigernut flour and hemp.

Serve it warm, immediately after you make it, as a side dish, dip, or spread.

Serve it cold as a spread, dip, or tapas dish.

Serve it with tacos or burritos, gluten-free pita bread, or pita chips.

Store it in a jar, in the refrigerator, for up to five days. It can also be frozen.

Enjoy this nutritious and flavorful butter bean hummus!

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Print Recipe

Butter Bean Hummus with Leeks and Fennel

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By Claudia Curici, Health Coach – Serves: 8

Prep Time: 30 minutes – Cooking Time: 45 minutes

This creamy and flavorful dip or spread, made with butter beans, leeks, and fennel, is a delicious alternative to the traditional hummus made with chickpeas. We all love chickpea hummus, but sometimes we need some variety in our menus. Make this butter bean hummus when you want a creamy and nutritious mash of beans that can be served warm or cold.

Ingredients

• TO MAKE THE BEANS:
• 200 grams dry butter beans (Lima beans) - 3 cups drained if you use cooked / canned
• Water to soak and to boil them
• 3 bay leaves
• Optional: one carrot, some fennel stalks (for flavor, to be discarded)
• TO MAKE THE FENNEL AND LEEK SEASONING:
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, chopped
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup Italian Passata
• TO MAKE THE HUMMUS:
• 3 cups pressure-cooked cooked and drained butter beans
• a few tablespoons of some of the bean water (filtered water)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• the fennel, leek and onion seasoning
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1

PRESSURE COOK THE BEANS:

2

Soak the beans in the afternoon, and let them soak overnight, changing the water a few times (2 times before you go to sleep, and two more times in the morning, before you cook them).

3

Add the soaked and rinsed beans to a pressure cooker, cover with water one or two inches above the beans, add the vegetables if using (for extra flavor) and the bay leaves (for digestion). Pressure cook them, making sure you are following the instructions on your type of pressure cooker. I pressure cook them for 26 minutes.

4

MAKE THE SEASONING:

5

While the beans are cooking, you can prepare the seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, on medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables, sautee for a few minutes, then add the fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Continue to cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they start caramelizing (about 20 minutes). Add the Italian passata (tomato sauce), and cook for about 5 more minutes.

6

MAKE THE HUMMUS:

7

Place the beans in a large blender, or in a mixing bowl if you are using an immersion blender. Blend with a little bit of water and the garlic cloves, until creamy. Add half of the seasoning mixture, blend until incorporated, then taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Spread the hummus on a platter, top with the remaining half of the seasoning, and a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper, and garnish with fresh herbs.

8

Serve warm or cold, as a dip, spread or side dish. Store in the refrigerator for up to five days, or freeze.

Notes

NOTE on beans: If you want to skip the pressure-cooking step, you can use organic canned butter beans (Eden brand) that have been soaked and pressure cooked.