I was never a fan of beetroot (or so I thought), so I was always thinking of alternative ways to cook or try and avoid them coming in our weekly veg-box.
I discovered this beetroot hummus recipe on the BBC Food site and I’m in love! Since then I have discovered that I do like beetroot more than I thought but still come back to this recipe again and again.
I’m a hummus fan anyway so adding to my repertoire of hummus recipes is always a bonus and since it can be frozen, it’s another great food to batch prepare, use up excess vegetables and have ready for a future occasion.
It’s an easy four ingredient, fool-proof recipe and the result is delicious.
INGREDIENTS
500g raw beetroot
2 x 400g cans of chickpeas
2 lemons (juice)
1 tbsp ground cumin
(yogurt, toasted cumin seeds and crusty bread: optional to serve)
METHOD
Cook the beetroot until tender and soft. The recipe opts for boiling but I have also tried roasting and this really enhances the resulting flavour. I also took the skin off before cooking but this can be done after cooking when it is easier.
Beetroot has a fantastic natural colour but with this beautiful colour comes a very very strong natural dye. It helps to wear gloves when handling and wash knives and board down straight after using to avoid staining
Chop roughly, ready to blend.
I use my Nutri Ninja Blender + Smoothie Maker but any blender would be great, even a hand held blender would work well.
Blend with (drained) chickpeas, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper. I also found a dash of olive oil helped the consistency to be smooth. You can also add a spoon of tahini for that extra earthy nutty flavour.
Add lemon juice slowly and taste as you go – it’s quite a tangy addition and you may not want too much.
Too freeze, pop in freeze proof container, drizzle a little olive oil over the top and seal.
THE LOCAL VEGAN 