Beet Hummus
Lay your eyes on this beautiful and vibrant Beet Hummus – a creamy, subtly sweet, and earthy vegan dip. It’s surprisingly easy to make with a handful of ingredients, giving you gourmet flavors every time.
Ingredients
- 1 small-medium beet (~5 ounces or 140g) (Note 1)
- 1 (15-ounce/425g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (Note 2)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- Heaping 1/3 cup (90g) good-quality tahini (Note 3)
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced (~ 3 TBSP juice) more as needed
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional, for richness)
For Serving
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Za’atar (optional; store-bought or homemade, see Note 4)
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Homemade toasted pita chips, warm pita or flatbread, crackers, or crudités (see Note 5)
Instructions
- Prep the (beets). Preheat the oven to 425°F/218°C. Trim off any beet greens and most of their attached stalks (leave some of the stalk intact to prevent beets from “bleeding” in the oven). If the beest have any skinny tails, don’t trim them, as it results in less juicy beets. Wash and scrub the beets.
- Roast the beet(s). Rub beets with a bit of olive oil so they have a thin coating. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish or ovenproof pan for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Add ½ cup (120 mL) water, and cover tightly with foil or the lid. Roast for 45 to 60 minutes, or until fork-tender (medium-sized beets usually take 60 minutes; small beets 45 minutes). While still warm but not hot, run the beets under cool water and peel off the skins (they're easier to peel when warm). Wear food-safe gloves to avoid temporarily staining your hands. Cut the stems off and discard. Roughly chop the beets.
- Simmer the chickpeas. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to a saucepan, cover with an inch or two of water, and add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chickpeas start falling apart.
- Drain and rinse cooked chickpeas. Remove any loose skins, but no need to peel the rest. Transfer chickpeas to a food processor or small-capacity high-powered blender (Note 6). Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until you have a smooth puree, scraping down the sides as you go.
- Blend the hummus. Add the cooked beet, tahini, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, all of the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, ½ heaping teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Add the olive oil for a richer mouthfeel. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides with a silicone spatula as you go. Check the consistency. To make it a bit looser, add 1 tablespoon of ice water and blend again. If you prefer a thicker texture, omit.
- Once you reach your desired texture, taste for seasonings, adding more salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, or cumin/coriander as needed.
- Transfer the hummus to a large plate and use the back of a spoon to make waves or to make a well in the center. Drizzle with olive oil in the well and garnish with Za’atar if using, cilantro or parsley, and a pinch of flaky salt.
Notes
Note 1. This is about 5 ounces/140g of a cooked beet. I recommend roasting a few beets at once and then you can incorporate the other beets into your weekly meals. You can buy steamed beets from the produce section at the grocery store, but you’ll get more flavor if you roast them yourself.
Note 2. Again, you can just use plain canned chickpeas without simmering them, but the texture will be less smooth and more chunky.
If you want to make this with dried chickpeas, use 4 ounces (113g) dried chickpeas* (½ cup + 1 tbsp). Soak the chickpeas overnight by covering with cold water and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; drain and rinse.
Then, cook the chickpeas in a medium saucepan with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 3 cups (720 mL) of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pot, and rapidly simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and add 1 tsp kosher salt; cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chickpeas are very soft and smush when pressed, Drain well.
Note 3. For tahini brand recommendations, check out the FAQ section.
Note 4. For a simple homemade Za’atar: In a small bowl, mix together 1 TBSP minced fresh thyme, 1 TBSP toasted white sesame seeds, 1 tsp sumac, and 1/4 tsp coarse or flaky sea salt. Mix well and store leftovers in the pantry for a few weeks.
Note 5. For toasted pita “chips,” preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC. Arrange a rack in the second shelf below the broiler. Brush the top sides only of a few whole pita rounds with olive oil. Slice each into 8 triangles. Transfer wedges to a sheet pan. Bake for 6 minutes, then turn on your broiler on (use a medium setting if you have it). Broil for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, keeping a close eye to prevent burning, until nicely browned on the edges.
Note 6. If you want the ultimate smooth texture as you see in these photos, use a high-powered blender. You’ll need a small blender container though, as there isn’t any liquid in this recipe. I used a 32-ounce (1 L) Vitamix container with the tamper.
Recipe by Rainbow PlantLife
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