A Divine Beetroot Hummus Recipe

Put me in a room with a big bowl of hummus and I'm a happy camper.  I can totally get satisfied with a nice hummus/cracker or bread display - see, I'm not hard to please.  But the same old hummus recipe can sometimes get a wee bit boring, so how about we kick it up a notch ( as Emeril Lagasse would say) - and add some beets to the mix.

It's amazing how versatile hummus can be.  It goes with everything and can always be jazzed up by adding something like beets to the list for a change of color and flavor.  It makes a table look stunning by drawing in attention - those who've never had it, suddenly become converts to a new way of enjoying a traditional Middle Eastern dish.  You can't lose with hummus.  I love how healthy this meal is too, full of healthy fats and all kinds of vitamins.  Getting high on hummus dip- that's what it's all about (especially for a hummus fiend like me).

Here's the recipe....

Beetroot Hummus

4 small beets (peeled, boiled until soft)
1 can organic chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
Juice squeezed from 1 lemon
2 TBSP. tahini
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 green onion, thinly chopped to garnish
sesame seeds to garnish

Let's get started....

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

• Rinse your beets well, then take a fork and pierce them a few times, place them on a small greased baking dish, and cover with aluminum foil.

• Roast your beets until they are tender (about 45 to 60 minutes). Set aside to cool.

• As the beets roast in the oven, starting adding the chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, pressed garlic, sea salt, and paprika to the bowl of a food processor. Don’t combine yet. Set aside.

• When the beets are ready, take them out and let them cool for a bit, then peel them, dice them and add them to the food processor along with the other ingredients already waiting inside.  Start the blender and puree.....

• Puree everything until it's smooth (or chunky, if you like). You may need to add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to thin out if you like it creamier.  

• Serve and enjoy! - Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds, as many as you wish.  

xxx

Photographed by Susan Brooks - Dammann