Roasted Beet Hummus has been popping up on trendy restaurant menus lately, and it’s no wonder why. Visually appealing with its bright pink color, the beets add another earthy element to the hummus we all love, as well as an extra dose of nutrition. You’ll dazzle your guests when you place a bowl of this pretty dip on your buffet table.

Most of the time required for this recipe is in roasting the beets. You can save time by roasting beets ahead of time and storing them in your refrigerator. We recommend roasting them yourself because it’s easy, there’s always a good opportunity to use roasted beets in other recipes, and commercially-bought beet puree does not provide as vivid a color for the hummus.

It’s easy to roast your own beets. First, remove the beet greens and save them for sautéing or chopping in the salad as you would spinach or Swiss chard. Next, wash and trim the beets, but don’t peel them. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees F for an hour or until tender. Remove them from the oven and let cool. Once they’re cool enough to handle, remove the aluminum foil and the beet skin will easily peel off with your hands. Then just take out your food processor, and the other ingredients for the hummus, and you’re ready to go.

If you think hummus is perfect just as it is, we’d like to point out that as delicious and nutritious as the original recipe is, beets pump up the nutritional volume. Beets are high in vitamin C, folate, and manganese, as well as nitrates, which have been shown to lower blood pressure. And, beets are low in calories, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain—in flavor, nutrients, and visual pizzazz—from making your next batch of hummus with beets.

Roasted Beet Hummus

Serve this jewel-colored hummus at your next gathering and get ready for raves! Not only do the roasted beets give this dip its gorgeous color, but beets also add a wallop of nutrition. Serve with fresh crudités, pita triangles, or crusty bread.

• Author: Norann Oleson
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8 to 10 1x
• Category: Sides & Sauces

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 medium-large beet, trimmed
• 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, liquid reserved
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water or the chickpea liquid from the can
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Optional garnishes: dukkah (blend of nuts and spices), roasted hazelnuts, or black sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wrap the beet in aluminum foil and place it on a baking sheet. Cook for one hour or until tender.
2. Remove the beet from the oven and let it cool. Rub the skin off and dice it into medium-sized pieces.
3. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, reserving the liquid from the can if you plan to use it instead of water.
4. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. You may need to add more water or chickpea liquid, one tablespoon at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.

Notes

• Makes 2 1/2 cups

Have you tried Roasted Beet Hummus? What did you and your friends or family think? Let us know what you thought about this recipe.