Boiled Peanut Hummus: Put Some South in Your Mouth

When I was a kid growing up in the south, anytime my Daddy would pass a sign for hot boiled peanuts, it was on like Donkey Kong. I realize they’re not everyone’s bag o’ nuts, but THOSE PEOPLE ARE WRONG. They’re soft and salty and warm and despite their inherent juiciness, make an excellent road snack. To this day, like my father before me, I will never throw a sack of boiled peanuts outta bed. It just won’t happen.

So imagine my glee when, on a little overnight getaway to Alabama with my college besties recently, I discovered that there’s such a thing as BOILED. PEANUT. HUMMUS. I mean, it makes perfect sense. As all you die-hard paleo peeps well know (and perhaps much to your chagrin), peanuts are actually a legume, which makes them primped + primed to be the unsung heroes of hummus-dom. And in my humble and always correct opinon, they’re farrrrr more flavorful than your average chickpea. I had to come home and recreate this brilliant southern spin on one of my favorite dips immediately, if not sooner.

The recipe is super simple. The raw peanuts do need several hours in the crockpot before they’re edible and hummus-ready (although I’ve heard rumors that 45 minutes is all they need in an Instant Pot, so I’ll have to try that next…), but that’s all hands-off prep. Hands-on time is minimal – maybe 10 minutes or so.

But for the love of Dolly Parton, please make sure you buy RAW peanuts, not roasted like you’d normally buy for snacking. This is crucial. Also, I always go ahead and cook an entire bag of raw peanuts even though the hummus only calls for 1 cup. This way, we have some leftover for munching on, and trust me, they are a HIT in our house! I used to make them alllll the time for football games in college, and then just got out of the habit when I moved to SoCal and married a yankee. But now that we’re back in the Dirty South, these old friends are back in biz, with their hot, hummus cousin added into the mix. This stuff is insane, y’all. You’ve gotta try it.

Print Recipe

Boiled Peanut Hummus

THE best hummus I've ever had in my life. If you love boiled peanuts, this is a game changer. If you don't love boiled peanuts, seriously, get your sh*t together. This is super simple + hands-on prep time is minimal.

Ingredients

Boiled Peanuts

• 1 lb shelled RAW peanuts (you can also use in-shell green peanuts, but they are harder to find)
• 2 1/2 tbsp sea salt

Hummus

• 1 cup boiled peanuts
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 1 peeled garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• pinch sea salt

Instructions

• First thing's first: soak the raw peanuts in water overnight in the fridge to soften them up. If you use green peanuts, you can skip this step + stick 'em right in the crockpot.
• Drain the raw peanuts + add to a crockpot. Stir in 2 1/2 tbsp sea salt + fill with just enough water to cover the peanuts by about an inch or so. Set on HIGH + cook for 5 to 6 hours. (I've heard this only takes about 45 min or so in an Instant Pot...) 
• When the peanuts are done cooking, drain them + measure out 1 cup to go in the food processor. I stick the rest in the fridge for snacking on (Luke + Jack looooove them!!). Or you can make a double batch of hummus too, whatever gets your flag up the pole. 
• Add the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic clove, cumin, onion powder + salt to the food processor + process until everything comes together. 
• Through the feeder tube, with the machine running, slowwwwwwly drizzle filtered water into the food processor until the hummus becomes your desired consistency. You'll probably end up needing a few tbsp, depending on how thick you like it.
• Scoop it out into a bowl + drizzle a little more olive oil on top to serve. This is great w/raw veggies, crackers, whatever you like.

Notes

*Make sure you buy RAW peanuts, not roasted