California Pizza Kitchen's Tuscan Hummus

Oh, how I love CPK's hummus! Creamy, smooth, rich - I couldn't figure out why I liked their hummus so much more than others. After I happily purchased California Pizza Kitchen Pasta, Salads, Soups, And Sides, I discovered their secret: they use cannellini beans, not garbanzos! Eureka!

I tweaked the recipe just a bit. This makes a generous amount of hummus - I would say more than enough as an appetizer for six to eight people.

Hummus Ingredients

5 medium garlic cloves
30 ounces drained and rinsed canned cannellini beans
1/2 cup sesame paste (tahini)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup cold water, if needed
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

California Pizza Kitchen Checca Ingredients

3 or 4 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2" dice
1 tablespoon minced garlic (don't crush the garlic, as it will make this too bitter)
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
kosher salt, to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Hummus:

In a food processor, process the beans and pulse the machine a few times to chop them coarsely. Add the garlic clove and process them until finely minced. With the machine running, puree the mixture slowly pouring the sesame paste through the feed tube. Still with the motor running, pour the olive oil, lemon juice, and soy sauce through the feed tube, stopping the processor occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Stop the processor, open the lid, and add the salt, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Process until thoroughly blended. If the puree seems too thick, pulse in the 1/4 cup cold water (or more, if needed, to reach the consistency that you are looking for). Transfer the puree to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate to chill well before serving.

Checca:

In a bowl, combine the Checca ingredients, mixing them thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

About thirty minutes before you plan to serve it, place the chilled hummus in a bowl and arrange the tomato Checca on top. Garnish with the chopped parsley and surround with pita triangles or crackers.