ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS

Steps:

• If using dried beans, soak them overnight in the refrigerator.
• Drain, rinse and place in a large saucepan and cover with 2 quarts water. Add the baking soda and bring to a boil. Cook until the beans are firm but tender, about 1 hour. (Garbanzo beans can be tricky and can require as much as 2 hours to cook so keep testing them. You want the beans tender but not mushy).
• Drain and cover with cool water. Agitate the beans to remove as many of the skins as possible. They will separate and float to the surface and can be removed with a small strainer (this will make the texture of your hummus nice and smooth).
• Drain the beans and allow them to cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Coat the red pepper with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake until the outside is charred, 30 to 40 minutes. Alternatively grill the pepper until it is charred and soft.
• Place the pepper in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow the skin to steam off, about 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
• Once the pepper has cooled, remove the skin, stem and seeds and coarsely chop.
• Place the roasted red pepper, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, cumin, black pepper, 3 cups of garbanzo beans and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a food processor and process until creamy, 5 to 7 minutes.
• To serve, drizzle with olive oil and top with the crumbled feta cheese if using.