As much as I love a big ole' steak, I often find myself contemplating whether or not I should try a vegetarian meal. Roasted vegetable sandwiches, hearty bean soups, pasta with marinara, all have a special place in my heart. This open-faced black bean hummus is no different. Replacing chickpeas for black beans, this spread is just as delicious as the original hummus. Spread it on a toasted piece of good quality bread, top it with creamy avocado, fresh tomatoes, sliced green onions, sea salt, and of course, harissa aioli, and you have one amazing lunch. Black bean hummus tartine anyone?
Black Bean Hummus Tartine
Ingredients
Harissa aioli
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 Fresno chile peppers
- ¼ teaspoon caraway seeds
- ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
Black bean hummus
- 14 oz canned black beans
- ¼ cup liquid from can
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 ½ tablespoon tahini
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- salt and pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 8 slices crusty bread
- 2 avocados thinly sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- ⅓ cup sliced green onion
- sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat broiler to high. Lay bell pepper and Fresno chile peppers on a baking sheet and broil until the skin of the peppers is blackened, about 7-8 minutes. Rotate the peppers while broiling to allow all sides of the pepper to blacken. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 10 minutes. Remove cover and carefully peel and discard skin and seeds.
- Toast caraway seeds, coriander and cumin in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine seeds, roasted peppers, garlic, juice of lemon, olive oil and salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Whisk together 1 ½ tablespoon of harissa with mayonnaise, adding more harissa for a spicier condiment. Transfer remaining harissa to a glass jar and fill with oil until ingredients are submerged by ½ inch. Reserve for next time (keeps for up to two weeks).
- Combine ingredients for hummus (black beans - cayenne) in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Toast sliced bread. Spread black bean hummus on each slice. Top with sliced avocado, chopped tomatoes, and chopped green onions. Drizzle harissa aioli and sprinkle sea salt. Serve.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Since this tartine is a rather simple open-faced sandwich, every ingredient needs to be top-notch, including the bread. I chose a whole wheat sunflower seed country bread which added a nuttiness to the tartine without overpowering the hummus.
The black bean hummus is an adaption of my regular hummus recipe, simply replacing the chickpeas for black beans. If using dried beans, soak overnight and reserve the water to use when blending the sauce together. I cannot emphasize how important it is to add tahini to your hummus. It adds a flavor that cannot be achieved with other ingredients - go and find that tahini!
For the harissa, yes it can seem like a bit of work, but the spicy aioli really completes the tartine. Make a large batch and use it as a condiment for your sandwich or even as a sauce for a fish, steak, or chicken dish. A little goes a long way!
Assemble the black bean hummus tartines and get ready to enjoy several slices - I know I did! Every component from the hummus to the avocado to even the sea salt works together beautifully to make one delicious open-faced sandwich. Who would have thought vegetarians have such great options as well!
For more toast inspiration check out this charred ricotta toast!
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