The scene at my kitchen table was this: me, my pal (the lovely Tina Dang), 1:30 in the afternoon, mid-week, a tangle of just-baked whole wheat pita strips, and a bowl of mung bean hummus. Sounds strange, I know. Mung beans. For hummus. But they're one of my very favorite ingredients. And they were there, already cooked, in the refrigerator. So I made a quick snack for us - the smoothest, creamiest hummus I've made to date - from mung beans. No joke, consider shelving your chickpeas. Topped with shallot oil (leftover from this), and the resulting crispy shallot bits, fresh chives, and za'atar. So good.

Mung Bean Hummus RecipeMung Bean Hummus RecipeMung Bean Hummus Recipe

Leftovers were great spread on thinly toasted bread, topped with ripe avocado (and more za'atar). And with the last of it, I thickened it up with some crumbs and a bit of egg, then shaped it into little patties. Good for pan-frying. Hope you enjoy this twist as much as I did. Look for mung beans (tiny, bright green) in the dried food bins of natural food markets, Whole Foods, and the like.