Everything is better with color and this Beet Hummus is no exception! Super creamy, this homemade beet hummus is perfectly pink and delicious. If you haven’t tried homemade hummus before – you have been missing out!!! It is so much better than anything you will ever buy, and this recipe is my new go-to. It’s a little spicy thanks to the fresh garlic, and the fresh lemon adds the perfect zing.
I love how fun and fresh this homemade hummus is, it makes for a great snack or addition to a meal. My only issue with it is that it never lasts long in our house 🙂 You could say we’re big hummus lovers in the Colodny household and this beet hummus is testament to that!
And if you’re looking for a new way to enjoy your hummus, try spreading it on a slice of this Easy Herb Quick Bread. It’s a savory toast combination that’s absolutely unreal!
Ingredients in Beet Hummus
Chickpeas – Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are the base for all hummus recipes. Make sure to drain and rinse them before adding to the hummus!
Beets – Use fresh beets and follow my directions for cooking them. They give a slightly sweet flavor to the hummus as well as the vibrant pink color.
Lemon – You’ll need a fresh lemon since this hummus recipe calls for both lemon juice and zest. Adds a fresh zing of flavor to the mix!
Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves makes this beet hummus just a little bit spicy and who doesn’t love garlic?
Tahini – A spread made of ground roasted sesame seeds with creamy texture and a slightly nutty flavor. I always use Soom Tahini because it’s made from 100% roasted and pressed Ethiopian sesame seeds. No added ingredients and it’s amazingly creamy and delicious! There are some other brands of Tahini that are too bitter so make sure you use a high-quality brand. If I don’t have Soom on hand, I also like the in-house brand from Whole Foods that you can find in store next to the nut butters.
Cumin – A warming spice that compliments the flavors of this beet hummus and gives a slight peppery kick to it.
Salt – Needed to balance out the beets and elevate the overall flavor. **Note: I used unsalted chickpeas so adjust as needed depending on the chickpeas you use.
Green Onion – An optional garnish that adds a kick of flavor to compliment the slight sweetness of beets. You could also sub it for chopped chives, parsley, or dill.
How to Boil Beets
If you’ve never prepared beets from scratch before, don’t worry! It’s much easier than you’d expect and can be just as (if not more) tasty than the prepared beets at the store. When it comes to preparing beets, you can enjoy them thin sliced and raw, roasted, or in this case, boiled and then blended into a recipe.
My first tid bit of beet wisdom is to be careful with the beet juice. It’s a beautiful color but will stain immensely. Clothes, countertops, and even your hands will be a pink/red color after handling them so watch out!
To boil the beets, the first step is to cut beets in half, top to bottom. Add the beets to a saucepan and cover with water then bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a low boil.
Continue to boil for 25-30 minutes until a knife easily cuts into the thickest part of the largest beet. When the beets are softened and done, drain them and soak in cold water until completely cooled.
You can then use a vegetable peeler (or your hands, they should come off pretty easily after being boiled) to remove the skin from the beets before cutting into 1” cubes. Then you’re all set to add the soft beet pieces into the hummus for a creamy vibrant blend!
How to Make Homemade Hummus
Once you’ve boiled and cut up your beets, the rest is easy.
- Add cubed beets, drained chickpeas, and the rest of the ingredients (except for the green onion) to a food processor. Process for 4-5 min until mixture is smooth.
- Sprinkle green onions over top and serve with fresh vegetables, crackers or chips.
How to Make Hummus Creamier
The texture of hummus is just as important as the flavor of it in my opinion. Here are a few tricks for making homemade hummus extra thick and creamy!
- Drizzle in a tablespoon or two of olive oil as the hummus is blending to emulsify it. This fluffs the hummus up and makes it extra thick.
- Cook your chickpeas! This is a tip I learned from Cookie and Kate and it’s supposed to create extremely fluffy hummus. You simply cook the canned chickpeas in water and baking soda until softened then rinse with fresh water to remove any remaining baking soda. I haven’t personally tested this myself yet but I’m intrigued!
- Remove the skins from the chickpeas for an extra creamy blend. This can be a time consuming task and I don’t usually do it *but* it’s supposed to improve texture. Give it a try and share your thoughts below!
Ways to Enjoy Beet Hummus
So many options to choose from, I’ll share a few of my favorites below!
- Build a snack tray/board with crackers and raw vegetables like cucumber rounds, carrots sticks, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, and so forth.
- Spread it on bread or toast, my Easy Herb Quick Bread pairs very well with the subtle sweetness of this beet hummus!
- Make a sandwich with hummus on the bottom or top layer to add moisture and creamy texture.
- Add a big scoop to your favorite buddha bowl or meal for dipping into.
- Spread a layer of beet hummus onto your taco or in a quesadilla.
- Enjoy alongside a meal such as this Spinach and Mushroom Frittata. It adds color, flavor, and creamy texture … what more could you need?!
How to Store Homemade Hummus
Simply stash the hummus in an air tight container and store in the fridge for up to a week. I wouldn’t recommend freezing hummus, but if you do give it a try would love to hear in the comments below how it turns out for you!
And if you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you, and it also helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Beet Hummus 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 ea small/medium fresh beets top and bottom trimmed
- 2 ea lemon juice + zest
- 1 ea large garlic clove
- ½ cup tahini*
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ea green onion** sliced fine
Instructions
- Cut beets in half, top to bottom. Add beets to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low boil. Continue to boil for 25-30 minutes until a knife easily cuts into the thickest part of the largest beet.
- When done, drain beets and soak in cold water until cooled. Use a vegetable peeler to remove skin from beets before cutting into 1” cubes.
- Add cubed beets and the rest of the ingredients (except for the green onion) to a food processor.
- Process for 4-5 min until mixture is smooth.
- Sprinkle green onions over top and serve with fresh vegetables, crackers or chips.
Notes
- The salt amount reflects my use of unsalted chickpeas. Adjust as needed!
- Be careful when handling the beets as the red juice will stain.
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