We prefer leaving this earthy, umami-rich, beanbased spread slightly chunky. Our favorite eating M.O. is to slather it on rustic whole-grain bread or crackers, like The Seed Crackers, for a great savory protein-packed snack. If you have a hard time finding affordable dried mushrooms, this recipe is a breeze to halve.
Ingredients
- 2 packs (0.88 ounces, or 25 g, each) dried mushroom mix of choice
- 2 cups (470 ml) vegetable broth, boiling
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, grated or pressed
- 2 tablespoons (8 g) sun-dried tomato halves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1½ cups (246 g) cooked chickpeas or (266 g) cannellini beans
- ¼ cup (64 g) tahini
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) liquid from jar of capers
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) capers, drained and minced
- Salt and pepper
How to Make It
- Quickly rinse the dried mushrooms and place them in a medium bowl. Add the broth on top and soak for 20 minutes. Gently squeeze the liquid out of the mushrooms, without discarding it. It will be used when processing the spread and the leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week to replace vegetable broth in any recipe.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Lower the heat to medium and cook until lightly browned and fragrant, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Place the cooked mushrooms, chickpeas or cannellini beans, tahini, olive oil, caper liquid, lemon juice, and onion powder in a food processor. Process until slightly chunky. Add the capers and pulse a few times until the capers are mixed throughout the spread.
- Add the mushroom-soaking broth as needed if the spread is too thick for your taste, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
- Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight to let the flavors meld. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Add additional mushroom soaking broth if the spread is too thick for your taste after refrigeration, stirring to thoroughly combine.
