Beet Hummus

Okay, I can’t stop eating this. Last weekend I hosted a wine and cheese night with good friends, and as expected everyone brought mountains of cheese and a dozen or so bottles of wine… I think we lost count. Not surprising. It was a perfect evening and the 8 of us were happily in a cheese coma for the next 24 hours. But hey, you have to splurge sometimes, right?

Okay, so back to this beet hummus. I ended up making it to balance out the salty, creamy cheeses and it ended up being one of my favourite things I ate that night. It’s fresh, light and full of flavour. I really like how the beets add a different texture to the hummus and the colour is just gorgeous on a plate. The amount of hummus this recipe makes is also a nice bonus; I had leftovers in the fridge all week, adding a dollop to my quinoa, roasted veggies and tofu!

Beet Hummus

2 large beets

1 can Chickpeas (15 oz)

Juice of 1 lemon

2 large garlic cloves (minced)

2 tablespoons tahini

1/2 teaspooon smoked paprika

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce (optional)

1/2 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

Pepper to taste

1/3 cup walnuts for garnish

1 tsp choppped dill for garnish

Cut beetroots into 1/2 inch cube and place in a double broiler and steam until tender (with lid on)

or

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place chopped beets on a baking sheet with a bit of olive oil. Roast until tender.

While the beets cook:

In a food processor add chickpeas, lemon juice, minced garlic, tahini, paprika, sriracha, salt, olive oil and salt. Set aside. When the beets are cool enough to handle, add them to the food processor and purée all ingredients. You can also leave it a bit chunky, if you prefer the texture!

Serve in a bowl and with chopped walnuts and dill to garnish. It’s best paired with quality crackers and feta.