I always love mixing things up the kitchen and easily get bored with foods. Beet hummus is great for that, as it has all the great nutrition of traditional hummus with the addition of bright red roasted beets that give it a lovely earthy flavor and even more vitamins and minerals than the original.
Why Eat Beets?
Beets have been shown to significantly lower blood pressure. This is thought to be on account of their high concentration of nitrates, which convert in the body to nitric oxide, a compound that is effective in dilating blood vessels that in turn causes a temporary drop in blood pressure. Beets have also been studied for their role in improving athletic performance, fighting inflammation, and improving digestive health. Beets are high in water and low in calories and can also help to promote weight loss when eaten regularly.
I like to roast a couple of beets at a time and use one in a batch of this simple dip. Roasted beets are great to have on hand for an easy addition to salads as well, so it makes sense to roast a couple at a time when you do. To make the recipe quicker, you can chop up the beet into smaller pieces, or you can just drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil to roast. If whole, beets take about 40 minutes to 1 hour to roast, while chopped, they can be tender in about 20 minutes. If you are roasting a beet whole, don’t worry about peeling it; once the beet is cool to the touch after roasting, you can slip it right out of its skin.
Serving Beet Hummus
Serve the hummus spread on sandwiches, or as I like to do, with vegetables for dipping. Cucumbers, celery, jicama, and radishes are all great choices. Tortilla chips, pita bread, and any type of crackers work well for dipping too. Serve it with an appetizer spread with other pickles, olives, and cheeses, alongside crackers and vegetables for dipping.
Vibrant Beet Hummus
This twist on hummus is a stunner. It has just enough beet to be a glorious shade of pink. Its perfect for special occasions when you want a healthy, pretty dip for a spread. Serve it cold or at room temperature with cut vegetables or crackers.
Ingredients
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 small beet, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 400F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Step 2 Scatter the beet pieces on a baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, until tender.
- Step 3 In a blender, combine the beets, chickpeas, lime juice, tahini, olive oil, garlic, and salt and blend until smooth.
- Step 4 Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This recipe and many more are in my new book, The Plant-Based Bean Cookbook, that is available for pre-order now. If you are interested in adding more plant-based bean meals to your diet, this book has what you need.
