Recipe: Make the tastiest hummus ever

Craving a smooth, tangy-sweet-salty appetizer? Try whipping up this Gigante Bean & Blood Orange Hummus from Ophelia's Electric Soapbox in Denver, Colorado.

This gorgeous, jewel-tone spread is courtesy of Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, the new Denver, Colorado-based restaurant. Housed in a building that was a former adult bookstore (yes, that kind of bookstore) and before that a brothel, now the space is packed with memorabilia honoring the building’s past, and hungry diners eager to sample Chef Justin Cucci’s fresh take on dishes made with locally sourced ingredients.

On a recent summer night, we visited the “gastro-brothel” for dinner. We were blown away by this multicolor appetizer: the creamiest hummus we’ve ever tried spiked with a sharp tang of blood oranges. So we were thrilled when Ophelia’s shared with us the recipe, which makes enough hummus for four very hungry people. Enjoy!

Gigante Bean & Blood Orange Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 blood orange, peeled and quartered
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons cooking liquid from the beans (or more water, if using canned beans)
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces gigante beans, cooked (sub cannellini beans if gigante beans are unavailable)
• 8 ounces garbanzo beans, cooked and skins removed
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup roasted garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini paste
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper

Instructions:

1. In a blender or food processor, blend the blood orange, water, and bean cooking liquid. When the mixture is smooth, slowly pour in the extra-virgin olive oil.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until it is very creamy. Taste the mixture and adjust any seasonings.

3. Spoon some of the hummus onto a large plate. Serve with a variety of vegetables, pickled beets, blistered peppers, watermelon radish, toasted pine nuts, and chili oil. Serve immediately.

Craving more hummus recipes? Click here.