I had a double-take at some of my camera settings as the beetroot hummus was so crimson it almost looked artificial. As well as being delicious, the beauty of this vegetable is its naturally striking pigment.
I love hummus and use it often not just as a dip or spread, but also to add a dollop to the bottom of a serving bowl of soup (for a dash of flavour to encounter), and of course an essential topping for a falafel salad. Traditional hummus is so easy to make and can last for days in an air tight container, and so too with beetroot hummus.
With a few staple ingredients in your pantry you can easily whip up this platter dip in minutes.
If beetroot is in season you are sorted. If not you may need to reach for those frozen pre-cooked zip-locked packs you carefully prepared last season, or some vacuum packed beetroot found in your local supermarket. They’ve already done the messy part (cooked and peeled off the skin) so it’s ready to eat/use.
Other essential pantry items that you MUST have in your larder at all times (in the world according to Julie) are tins of chickpeas in brine and white cannellini beans. They come in handy so many times in both summer or winter recipes. Since dabbling in pescatarian menus they’ve both become a regulars on my shopping list without fail.
Cannellini beans aren’t traditionally in a hummus, but one just needs to experiment and I’m delighted I did. In fact I’ve made two versions of this recipe depending on what is available. The tahini version too is delicious!
Beetroot & Cannellini Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked beetroot, skin off
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 sprig fresh parsley or mint (garnish)
Method
- In a blender, whiz up all ingredients on pulse for 20-30 seconds and season to taste. Ensure you scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure there are no obvious lumps remaining.
- Serve with bagel chips, vegetable sticks or dolloped on bite-sized slices of cheese/tomato. The colour is amazing and beautifully offset with a sprinkling of freshly chopped herbs if you have them handy.
Beetroot & Tahini Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked beetroot, skin off
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 1 Tbsp tahini paste
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp chilli salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- sesame seeds (garnish)
Method
- In a blender, whiz up all ingredients on pulse for 20-30 seconds and season to taste. Ensure you scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure there are no obvious lumps remaining.
- Serve with bagel chips, vegetable sticks or dolloped on bite-sized slices of cheese/tomato. The colour is amazing and beautifully offset with a sprinkling of freshly chopped herbs if you have them handy.
