Description
Beets give traditional hummus a beautiful garnet color that makes this dip so interesting. To keep that color alive, I also decided to use white beans rather than traditional chickpeas, which might have muted the color. The flavor was all still there and so delicious.
Ingredients
8 medium to large beets, different colors are fine
1 32–ounce can of white beans, drained and rinsed well
2 tablespoons tahini
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon each coarse salt and pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup fresh chopped mint
Instructions
1. Roast the beets: preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Carefully cut the ends and peel the beets (I put gloves on to do this job, beets will easily stain your hands and cutting board). Cut the beets into cubes and place on a sheet pan lined with foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 30-45 minutes, until beets can easily be pierced with a fork. You should have about 3 cups of beets.
2. Once the beets have roasted, place them, along with the beans, tahini, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper, and cumin into a food processor. Mix until well blended (you may need to stop and scrape down the sides once or twice). Taste the hummus, you might want to add a dash more salt.
3. Gently mix in the mint. Serve with cucumbers, carrots, or whole grain pita chips.
