This is truly the BEST beet hummus under the sun and is so easy to make. Beautiful to look at, an amazing balance of flavors and a smooth, creamy texture to boot!
I have been veggie-loading my recipes for quite some time with just about every veggie under the sun. And during this time, I have learned that beets intimidate the heck out of many people.
And I totally get that. While beautiful to look at, with their vibrant natural red color, beets tend to have an earthy flavor that puts many people off. It can be a struggle to know what to do with a beet once you take the plunge and buy one at the store.
If this sounds like your relationship with beets, guys…all of that is about to change. Because this, the BEST beet hummus, is going to change how you look at beets from here on out.
Easy to make in your food processor and SO MUCH BETTER than store bought hummus, I have balanced out the earthy flavor of the beet with the perfect amount of lemon and garlic. Combined in your food processor and blended to a smooth, creamy perfection…. this is truly is like a beautiful taste explosion in hummus form.
Health benefits of beets
So why do you want to add beets to your hummus? Other than to make it a stunning shade of fuchsia? Beets, with their natural vibrant red color, bring such an impressive amount of vitamins and minerals to the table. In fact, just a 3 1/2 ounce serving of cooked beet serves up (source) :
- Protein: 1.7 grams
- Fat: 0.2 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Vitamin C: 6% of the RDI
- Folate: 20% of the RDI
- Vitamin B6: 3% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 6% of the RDI
- Potassium: 9% of the RDI
- Phosphorous: 4% of the RDI
- Manganese: 16% of the RDI
- Iron: 4% of the RDI
How to cook a beet
First, let me tell you that if cooking your beets is stressing you out, fear not! Many grocery stores have pre-cooked and peeled ones ready to go in the refrigeration section of the produce area. I often find mine by the other prepped veggies and herbs.
But if you already have a raw beet in hand, there are lots of different ways to cook a beet. Some methods I have used are…
What is hummus?
If you are thinking “Well, this looks pretty and sounds interesting…but what the heck is hummus?”, I got you covered.
Hummus is a classic dish from the Middle East and Mediterranean made mostly from chickpeas/garbanzo beans, tahini (ground sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic and salt. There are lots of variations on hummus (like this one with added beets), but those 5 ingredients are the base for pretty much all hummus recipes.
While you can certainly buy hummus at most grocery stores here in the United States, fresh homemade hummus is stinking delicious and is so so so easy.
Different ways to eat hummus
Okay, you are excited about this beet hummus, but are a little new to the hummus game. How the heck do you put it to use once you make it? Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy this beautiful chickpea spread:
- with veggies or crackers. Just use it as a dip! It adds a punch of protein and flavor to a veggie tray!
- as a cheese replacement in a quesadilla. True story, when you put hummus in between two tortillas and then grill it, it gets all melty kind of like cheese and is a great dairy-free option!
- added to sandwiches or wraps. Skip the mayo a smear some hummus onto you bread for added flavor and color!
- on toast. If you haven’t had hummus and avocado toast, you haven’t really lived yet.
- on salads. I like to dollop hummus on my salads instead of dressing and mix everything together.
Tips
- Make sure your chickpeas are very soft. Whether you are using chickpeas you have cooked from dry or canned ones, hard chickpeas will result in a grainy hummus. The perfect chickpeas for hummus are very soft (some would even say a bit over cooked) and their skins fall off very easily. If your cooked chickpeas are too firm, just throw them in a pot of water and simmer until soft…usually 15-20 minutes.
- Adjust the taste to preference. While developing this beet hummus recipe, I shared it with A LOT of different people to hear about the flavor balance. Everyone had a little something different to say. Some liked it with more garlic. Some with less. Some wanted more salt. Others wanted less. It is all a matter of your personal preference, so if the finished hummus doesn’t quite have you head over heels, adjust according to your personal taste.
- Blend A LOT. Creamy, smooth hummus is where it’s at. And it doesn’t take much time. But don’t be quick to stop the food processor. Let it run an extra 30 seconds to a minute longer then you think it need to make sure your hummus is truly smooth.
The BEST Beet Hummus
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cooked, peeled and diced beet see above notes for cooking suggestions
- 1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
- 1/4 cup well-stirred tahini
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 large cloves garlic, minced to taste
- zest of one lemon
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp water or more to obtain desired consistency
Instructions
- In your food processor with the "S" blade, combines tahini, water, olive oil, cumin, salt, garlic lemon zest and lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
- Scrape down the sides of the food processor and add in the chickpeas and cooked beet. Run for 2 minutes minutes. Stop. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Run for an additional 2 minutes or until hummus is very smooth. If needed, add an additional tablespoon of water to obtain your desired consistency.
- Taste and season with additional salt, minced garlic, cumin, and/or lemon juice if desired.
- Enjoy. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil or a little black pepper if desired. See above for pairing ideas. Store leftovers in an air tight container in fridge for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Okay to make this without the oil??
I’ve never tried but I think it would work. I’d add a little extra water if needed for consistency.