Hummus with Mexican 'Beef'

Hummus with Mexican 'Beef'

We make this one whenever we want something that genuinely surprises people. Hummus is already a crowd-pleaser, but load it up with spiced Mexican-style 'beef' and suddenly it's the dish everyone's talking about. The contrast is everything: silky, creamy chickpea hummus underneath and bold, smoky, warmly spiced topping piled on top. It works as a side, a sharing plate, or honestly just eaten with flatbreads while standing in the kitchen. Make this tonight and watch it disappear.

Cook: 70 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Dried chickpeas soaked overnight (if using dried)
  • Large saucepan for cooking chickpeas
  • Food processor
  • Large bowl
  • Colander
  • Mixing bowl
  • Frying pan

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp baking soda - or maple syrup
  • 250g dried chickpeas or 2 x 400g tins chickpeas
  • 150g creamy tahini
  • 80ml lemon juice or up to 120ml if you need more
  • 40ml olive oil or up to 80ml if you need more
  • 6 roasted garlic cloves or 3 if using raw
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 40ml ice water or up to 100ml if you need more
  • 40-80ml olive oil for drizzling
  • 2 tsp Nooch
  • 1 tsp miso
  • 1 tsp Marmite
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 960ml boiling water
  • 1 tbsp oil - plus 2 tsp
  • 1 plant-based beef stock cube
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 120g textured vegetable protein
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 6 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander
  • chilli flakes
  • handful of tortilla chips
  • nachos - or pitta breads
  • tomato salsa - or guacamole

Method

1

For the chickpeas

  • The night before, soak your dried chickpeas, if using 
  • Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl, cover with water and leave to soak overnight
  • The next day, cook the soaked chickpeas 
  • Drain the chickpeas and tip them into the large saucepan
  • Add the baking soda and fill with cold water
  • Place over a high heat and bring to the boil, then lower
  • to a medium heat and cook for 20–40 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface
  • They are done when they are soft to the bite, but not mushy
2

Blend your hummus

  •  Drain your chickpeas (dried and cooked or tinned)
  • Keep 1 tablespoon aside and add the rest to the food processor
  • Add most of the tahini, keeping a couple of tablespoons aside
  • Add the lemon juice, roasted garlic and salt
  • Blitz for 2–3 minutes until really smooth
  • With the processor still running, slowly pour in enough ice-cold water until you have a smooth, creamy, light consistency, thick enough to keep its shape in a bowl but still nice and light and fluffy (bear in mind that it will harden as it cools in the fridge)
  • Taste and adjust the flavour according to your taste, adding more salt, lemon or garlic as needed to get the flavour perfectly balanced
3

Flavour the TVP

  • Pour the boiling water into the saucepan and stir in the nutritional yeast, the 2 teaspoons of oil, miso, Marmite, sugar, crumbled stock cube and salt
  • Whisk briefly to combine
  • Add the TVP and stir, then leave to sit for 20 minutes to rehydrate
  • Drain the TVP through the colander, catching the stock in the mixing bowl
4

Make your mince

  • Place the frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil
  • When it’s hot, add the drained TVP and season
  • Cook, stirring regularly, for 10 minutes, until browned
  • Crush the garlic into the pan and cook for a further 3 minutes
  • Remove from the heat
  • Add the spices for the spice mix and stir well
  • Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
  • Add the reserved stock and tomato purée
  • Turn the heat up to high and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the liquid has evaporated
  • Taste and season to perfection
5

Serve

  • Measure 2 dessert spoonfuls of hummus into each bowl, using the back of the spoon to create a big swirl with a dip in the middle
  • Add a quarter of the mince into the dip
  • Top with some chilli flakes and chopped coriander
  • Drizzle over the dressing
  • Serve alongside a handful of tortilla chips, some nachos or pitta breads and either salsa or guacamole

Tips & Variations

  • Use dried chickpeas if you can: We know it takes more time, but trust us on this one. The texture and flavour of hummus made with dried chickpeas you've cooked yourself is on a completely different level to tinned. Worth the overnight soak.
  • Blend it warm: Blitz the chickpeas while they're still hot for the creamiest result. Add your tahini and lemon juice gradually and keep going until it's properly smooth. Don't rush this bit.
  • Make it a feast: We love serving this with warm flatbreads, pickled jalapeños, and a big handful of fresh coriander on top. Lay it all out in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in.

Why This Works

The trick is getting your hummus really smooth, and that means not skipping the step of cooking the chickpeas properly from dried if you can. Something we've found is that blending while the chickpeas are still warm makes a huge difference to that silky texture. Then the Mexican 'beef' brings the heat, the smokiness, and a bit of a wow factor that turns a humble dip into a proper centrepiece.