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Home / Recipes / Broad Bean Hummus with Za’atar and Sesame Crackers

Broad Bean Hummus with Za’atar and Sesame Crackers

broad bean hummus

Broad Bean Hummus with Za’atar and Sesame Crackers

Try out Steve Dent’s (The Circus Gardener) delicious broad bean variation on what we know as classic chickpea hummus.

Steve tells us a bit about his recipe:

“Hummus is Arabic for chickpeas, but fresh broad beans (known as fava beans in the United States and several other countries) work really well as a vibrant substitute in this delicious recipe. Once you’ve blanched and skinned the broad beans the rest is a doddle.

“This would make a great starter or light lunch.”


    for the hummus

    1. 400g freshly podded broad beans (from approx. 2 kilos of broad beans)
    2. 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
    3. juice of half a lemon
    4. 1 tbsp tahini
    5. ½ tsp ground cumin
    6. ½ tsp sea salt
    7. 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

    for the Za’atar and sesame crackers

    1. 4 pita breads
    2. 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    3. 2 tbsp za’atar
    4. 2 tbsp sesame seeds


  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4). Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Carefully drop the podded broad beans into the water and bring back to the boil. Cook for 2 minutes then drain and instantly plunge into a bowl of ice cold water to arrest the cooking process. Drain the cooled beans and slip off the skins from the beans.
  2. Place the peeled broad beans into a blender or food processor with the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, ground cumin, sea salt and olive oil. Process until you have a fairly smooth mixture which still retains some texture.
  3. Split the pitas lengthways and then slice diagonally across each half. Place the pita pieces on a baking sheet. Brush the side of the pita facing you with half the olive oil and sprinkle with half of the za’atar and half of the sesame seeds. Place in the pre-heated oven and cook for 4-5 minutes until the pita chips are starting to brown and become crispy. Remove from the oven and carefully turn over the pita chips. Brush the other side with the remaining olive oil, za’atar and sesame seeds. Place back in the oven for a further 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and remove the pita crisps from the tray.
  4. Serve the broad bean hummus accompanied by the pita crisps.

Recipe & photo from Steve Dent AKA The Circus Gardener’s Kitchen