Beet Hummus

Following hot on the heels of my curry hummus is this delicious roasted beet hummus. It's a must-try vegan dip that is smooth, creamy, sweet, tangy and savoury and great served as an appetizer, lunch, snack or as part of a meal.

The key to the amazing flavour in this beet hummus is roasting the beetroot and onion in the oven to make them extra sweet and delicious. Once blended up with the usual hummus suspects like chickpeas, tahini, lemon and garlic, the flavour and colour are just incredible!

Enjoy this creamy, smooth and super flavourful beet hummus with veggies, pita bread, chips or flatbreads. It's perfect for serving when you have guests over because it looks so vibrant and beautiful. Maybe with some snickerdoodle hummus for dessert?

This quick and easy snack is made with a handful of flavourful ingredients. Here’s what you need at a glance:

And a few ingredient notes:

• Beetroot - Fresh beets that you can peel and roast yourself for the ultimate flavour. You can even get the roasting done and out of the way days ahead of time. Don't use pickled beets!
• Chickpeas - The star ingredient. Canned or cooked from dry chickpeas are fine. If you are cooking them yourself though make sure they are nice and soft. It's better to slightly overcook them than undercook them.
• Onion - This adds so much flavour and compliments the beet flavour perfectly. Roasting the onion with the beets softens it up, making it easier to blend into the hummus and makes it sweeter and more delicious too.
• Garlic - For a delicious garlicky pop and depth of flavour. 
• Tahini - Made from ground sesame seeds, tahini is a rich, smooth, nutty paste. It gives hummus its classic nutty flavour and velvety texture. It's important to use good quality tahini. Cheap ones can be really bitter.
• Lemon juice - For brightness and tang and to cut through the sweetness.
• Spices - All you need are salt, pepper, and cumin. Cumin and beetroot are a match made in heaven!

Making homemade hummus with beets is really easy:

Step 1 - Roast the beetroot and onion together until fork tender. You can do this ahead of time if you like. I cook mine when the oven is on with something else. Then just store them in a container in the fridge until it’s time to blend up the hummus.

Step 2 - Add everything to a food processor or high-powered blender and process until smooth. Don't rush this.

Step 3 - Thin as required, taste and adjust the seasonings, then serve!

For the best results when making this recipe take note of these tips:

• I rarely do, but for extra smooth and creamy hummus, peel the chickpeas. It makes a big difference to the texture of the finished hummus. It doesn't affect the flavour though so don't worry about it if you can't be bothered.
• I strongly recommend roasting the beets to get the best and most rich flavours. Boiling, steaming, or using canned beets is possible but the flavours won’t be the same. Pickled beets will not work in this recipe.
• Use gloves when handling the beets unless you want pink hands.
• Don't rush the hummus. Run the food processor for a good 4 to 5 minutes.
• If the hummus is too thick, blend in a little aquafaba (chickpea liquid), water, olive oil, or a combination of olive oil and aquafaba to thin it out.
• Serve beet hummus at room temperature.  The flavour is better and it will be creamier.

Serve your beet hummus the traditional way: Swirled onto a plate or shallow bowl. Use the back of a spoon to spread it and make swirls across the surface. Scatter over toppings of choice (I've given some ideas below) and then drizzle over a generous glug of good-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

It's great with:

• Warm flatbread. I have a no-yeast flatbread and delicious yeasted flatbread recipes.
• Pile my spicy roasted cauliflower on top, some flatbread on the side, and call it dinner!
• As a dip for a veggie platter with pita bread or vegan naan.
• Spread onto toast and in wraps. 
• Spooned onto salads for a colourful topping.
• Diluted to make a salad dressing: Simply mix in some extra lemon juice, water and oil.
• With crackers and pita chips for a quick and healthy snack.
• As a centrepiece on a vegan charcuterie board with vegan cheese, sliced seitan, and vegan pate.
• Dolloped on a burger or sandwich. This beet hummus works great with my black bean burgers.

Beet Hummus Topping Ideas

• Diced beets
• Chickpeas
• Vegan Feta Cheese (the saltiness of the feta works incredibly with the sweet beet hummus).
• Fresh parsley (the pop of green against the hot pink looks amazing!)
• Thinly sliced radishes
• Toasted hazelnuts (they are incredible with beetroot!)
• Pine nuts
• Sumac or za'tar
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Chili flakes

Tips For Storing

Leftover hummus will keep for up to a week in the fridge. Make sure to store it in a sealed jar or container. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then give it a good stir and add more extra virgin olive or a drop of water to thin it if necessary.

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