Beet Hummus

Beets were a vegetable that I was slow to warm up to for some reason. I spent a long time thinking that they were just another weird healthy food that my sister liked, much like lentils, quinoa, or tofu. But once I tried them for myself, I immediately loved them, just like all those other “weird” foods that now appear frequently in my meals (except tofu, which I’m still slowly working up the courage to try).

There are so many delicious ways to enjoy beets, but this hummus recipe is definitely my favourite. It would also be the perfect recipe to use to try to convince any beet-hater that beets are actually delicious. The hummus has the perfect combination of sweet and slightly spicy, and its colour is so gorgeous that I don’t see how anyone could resist giving it a try. And once they’ve tried one bite they won’t be able to stop!

I like to eat this with homemade pita chips (see my post on mojito tilapia bites for a recipe), but when I want to make it a really healthy snack I’ll eat it with baby carrots, which also go really well with the hummus. This recipe makes a lot, so you can easily share it with others, or just keep it in the fridge and enjoy it all to yourself all week like I do!

Beet Hummus

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Makes about 2 cups of hummus

Ingredients:

~3 medium beets (~1 cup cooked and chopped)
1 (19 fl oz) can of chickpeas
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tahini
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
Generous pinch of salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Cut the stems off the beets, wrap them in foil, and roast at 400ºF for about an hour, or until tender. Cool, peel and slice into chunks. Put everything but the olive oil into the bowl of a food processor and purée, pouring the olive oil in through the feed tube as it blends, until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning (you may wish to add more salt, lemon juice, and/or cumin depending on your tastes) if needed. If it’s too thick, add more olive oil or water. Store in the fridge.