One of the reasons I was slow to start on the homemade nut milk train was the amount of nut pulp left over from a batch of milk. As much as I preferred the taste of homemade milk, I spent a couple of years buying Pure Harvest tetra packs because I just didn’t know what to do with the pulp, and it seemed so awful to chuck it out. But I love the customisable nature of making almond milk at home and the fact I can make it without additives or sweeteners, so I set about finding ways to use the pulp.
Well, there’s nothing I love more than a recipe that uses up ingredients that would otherwise go to waste! I give you almond hummus! Practically free, delicious, and nutritious! I say almond, but really, you can make it with leftover pulp from most plain nut milks (as in, unsweetened/unflavoured). This hummus doesn’t taste like nuts, but then again, I would argue that regular hummus doesn’t taste like chickpeas: it tastes like tahini, garlic, olive oil and lemon… Which is what this almond hummus tastes like too!
Recently a lady at my work asked me for recommendations of what to do with excess nut milk pulp, and looked at me crazily as I told her about this hummus – but I say (respectfully, and not to her face) don’t knock it ’till you try it! I urge you to give it a go before writing this one off. You might even be like my Dad who is now making nut milk just so he can have the hummus! Now that’s a recommendation if I ever heard one. Have your milk, and eat it too!
Almond Hummus (raw nut pulp hummus)
This can be made in a food processor adding ingredients in the same order as below, but I like to make it by hand to avoid any excess dishes! This is an extremely flexible recipe, use whatever nut pulp you have on hand, and tweak the ratio of oil, lemon and tahini to suit your tastes. Tahini brands vary in flavour and you may find you need more lemon or oil to balance the hummus if yours has a stronger taste.
I developed this recipe on my own, but unbeknownst to me the amazing Sarah Britton of My New Roots did this first here.
Serves 6-8.
Prep time: 5 min
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1 small clove of garlic
190g | 1 (tightly packed) cup nut pulp (leftover from home made nut milk)
80ml | 1/3 cup water
60ml | 1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil
60ml | 1/4 cup hulled tahini
60ml | 1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt (+ more to taste)
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
Ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh herbs, paprika and olive oil to finish.
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Finely chop or mince the garlic and add it to a small bowl. Use a fork to stir in the nut pulp and water till combined and then mix in the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust to your liking – adding more lemon juice, salt, oil or tahini till it tastes good to you.
Depending on how fresh/dry your nut pulp is, you may need to add a little more water to reach an ideal consistency – add sparingly so you don’t make it too runny. Serve drizzled with more olive oil and topped with your favourite herbs or a dusting of paprika.
Nut milk pulp keeps in the fridge for up to a week, and so will your hummus if you make it the same day as the milk. You can store the pulp in the fridge for a few days before making hummus, but keep in mind that this will shorten it’s shelf life.
