To save energy, I like to soak and cook a big batch of pulses in the pressure cooker for the week ahead, to provide an economical foundation for our daily meals. But by the end of the week, especially if plans have changed, we might be left with a lot to use up. (The same goes for tinned beans: if only part of a tin is needed for a particular dish, we need to find a use for the rest.) Any beans make a great puree, or “hummus”, simply by whizzing them up and seasoning with sea salt. Or take them up a notch by mixing in extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar; tahini, garlic (in sparing amounts) and other flavourful ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes, roast peppers and herbs also make great additions. Use the leftover aquafaba, or bean water, meanwhile (be it from the cooking pot or the tin), to thin the puree; it’s also a great nutritious stock for sauces and stews. Bean ‘hummus’ Hummus means chickpea in Arabic, so any other blended pulse doesn’t quite stand up to the name. That said, “bean puree” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, so I’m going to use artistic licence here. The aquafaba, meanwhile, will not only add flavour to the mix, it will also reduce the need to thin it with other liquids such as olive oil or water, so always reserve it with this in mind, or use it as an egg replacement in the likes of mayonnaise. 120g cooked beans (borlotti, cannellini, butter, adzuki, etc) 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt Optional extras Lemon juice, cider vinegar, crushed garlic and/or tahini, all to taste Optional toppings Extra-virgin olive oil, dukkah, za’atar, toasted seeds, crushed nuts and/or fresh or dried herbs, all to taste Put the cooked beans and oil in a blender with any extra optional ingredients you fancy: I like to add a squeeze of lemon or dash of cider vinegar, a little crushed garlic and maybe a spoon of tahini. Blend to a puree, adding some of the been cooking liquid, if necessary, to bring the mix to the desired hummus-like consistency, then season with salt to taste. Enjoy with optional toppings such as a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and/or a sprinkling of dukkah, za’atar, toasted seeds, crushed nuts or fresh or dried herbs.