An old Ukranian proverb forewarns, “A tale that begins with a beet will end with the devil.” As a big beet fan, I’d like to think that a tale that begins with a beet will end with deliciousness.
My cooking style has changed considerably since my baby boy arrived in November. Meals are simple, quick, freezable, and lunch-packable. Sundays are filled with food prep to make the work-and-baby-filled weeks a little easier. This Sunday I prepped muesli for breakfasts, grains, tofu, and greens for lunches, and snacks for the whole week. As a nursing mom, I need to make sure I’m eating small, healthy snacks in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon and hummus is a clear winner. Hummus is packed with protein and fiber, easy to make, and endlessly versatile (spread on crackers or in a sandwich, use as a dip with carrot sticks or sugar snap peas or put a dollop on a grain salad). Sometimes I get stuck in a rut with a basic hummus recipe but last month’s Cooking Light magazine inspired me to get a little crazy with my hummus and the results were great.
I switched things up a bit from the original recipe. Cooking Light simplifies their recipe by microwaving their beet in parchment paper but I loved the depth that roasting the beet lent to the dip. They top their beet hummus with blue cheese, walnuts, and microgreens but I used what I had on hand: goat cheese, cilantro, walnuts, and a drizzle of lemon-infused olive oil.
For more hummus inspiration, check out Cooking Light’s slideshow of creative hummus recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (15-ounce) can unsalted chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 medium beet
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs (such as parsley or cilantro)
Instructions
- Combine tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, chickpeas, water, and garlic clove in the bowl of a food processor.
- Wrap beet in tin foil. Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes until you are able to pierce the beet with a fork. Let stand 5 minutes; quarter beet.
- Add beet, honey, salt, and black pepper to food processor with chickpea mixture; process until smooth.
- Top hummus with goat cheese or blue cheese, walnuts, and herbs.
wonderful recipe is it possible to estimate calories in your recipes at all. I have been a vegetarian for 52 years and am totally burnt out for inspiration for new things to eat so I really appreciate you doing this blog
Hi Dee. I’m so sorry that I missed your comment! Thanks for reading the blog. For this recipe, Cooking Light Magazine estimates that for every 3 tablespoons it is 87 calories, 4.8 grams of fat, 1.1 grams of sat fat, and 181 mg of salt. I hope that helps!
I love roasted beets and am dazzled by the idea of using them in hummus! Cannot wait to try this, Aura!