Beet Hummus
A vibrant and tasty hummus that pairs perfectly with pita and fresh veggies!
Ingredients
- 1 small-medium sized beet, cooked Beet may be roasted, boiled or pre-cooked– see instructions below*
- 1 can 15-ounce can chickpeas
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Dice the cooked beet. (Note: Beets will temporarily stainyour hands and cutting board. Wear food-safe gloves if you wish.)
- Rinse and drain chickpeas. (You may keep the chickpea water, called aqua faba, and use it as an egg white substitute in baking!) Discard anyloose skins.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend untilsmooth. If hummus is too thick, blend in a little more olive oil.
- Serve with pita bread and your favourite raw veggies.
Notes
*You may boil or roast beets, or use packaged, pre-cooked beets found in the produce section at the grocery. Roasting beets accentuates their natural sweet flavour. I suggest making a batch of roasted beets and use the extras in salads like my Quinoa Salad with Beets, Oranges and Arugula.
To roast beets: Preheat oven to 400F. Cut off beet leaves and use for a soup or stir fry. Cut stems leaving about ½ inch of stem attached to the beet (this helps to prevent the beet from “bleeding” during cooking). Wash beets and wrap each one in aluminum foil. Place on an oven safe baking sheet and roast for about 1 hour or until fork tender. Allow beets to completely cool and easily rub off the skins with your fingers. (Beets will stain your hands and cutting board temporarily. You can wear food-safe gloves when touching / peeling the cooked beets.)
To boil beets: Cut off beet leaves and use for a soup or stir fry. Cut stems leaving about ½ inch of stem attached to the beet (this helps to prevent the beet from “bleeding” during cooking). Place beets in a pot of cold water, ensuring that beets are fully covered. Boil beets until fork tender (about 20 minutes for small beets, up to 40 minutes for larger beets).
I found this fantastic appetizer recipe at myrecipes.com. Just 5 ingredients and takes 10 minutes to make. The taste is out of this world! Definitely a keeper!