Easy and Creamy Vegan Beet Hummus

Vegan Beet Hummus

One of the best tips I have for this recipe, is to use canned chickpeas, but do not rinse them! The liquid in the chickpea can, also known as aquafaba, is basically salty or briny water. It adds great flavor to the hummus and aids in its creaminess. I find that not draining the chickpeas causes too much liquid. However, draining but not rinsing keeps the ideal amount.

Additionally, I recommend buying pre-cooked beets. Cooking beets can be extremely time consuming and I find no difference in taste or flavor from buying them pre-cooked. I used steamed, peeled, ready to eat packaged beets.

Why Make This Recipe

1. Perfect Appetizer: Do you have a party or event you're going to or hosting where you'll need a show-stopping side or appetizer? This is the perfect dish because it is a different take on a beloved plant-based favorite!
2. Simplicity: If you're too busy to prepare healthy snacks or great party food, all you have to do here is throw the ingredients into a food processor and blend it up!
3. The Color: If nothing else, you can't tell me this hummus isn't the prettiest appetizer you've ever seen!

What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?

Ingredients:

• Pre-Cooked Beets: I like using pre-steamed beets because of the simplicity of this recipe. This way, you don't have to actually "cook" anything in this recipe. Work smarter, not harder! But, of course, you may cook your own beets if you choose. I recommend following a recipe like this one.
• Canned Chickpeas: I highly recommend using canned chickpeas or garbanzo beans. The texture of canned chickpeas is soft and slightly salty. Plus, the liquid (aquafaba) coating the chickpeas is key for that extra creamy hummus texture.
• Olive Oil: You will want to use Extra Virgin, high-quality olive oil in this recipe. Any robust and hearty extra virgin olive oil will do a great job.
• Lemon Juice: Fresh is best, but any kind will do!
• Garlic Cloves: Look for the largest cloves in the raw head of garlic and use those.
• Kosher Salt: Kosher or sea salt works best.
• Cumin: Adds a great flavor
• Other Herbs & Garnishes: I chose to garnish my hummus with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon zest, fresh dill, fresh parsley, and garlic herb salt. You can garnish yours with whatever you like!

Tools:

• Food Processor or Blender: I prefer to use a food processor for this recipe, but a blender will still work if you don’t have a food processor. You can buy a good food processor online here!
• Can Opener: Essential if you're going to use canned chickpeas! Some cans have a tab on them, but otherwise, you'll need a good can opener.
• Sharp Knife: If your food processor or blender is small like mine is, you'll likely need to cut the beets before adding them.

How to Make this Recipe

Step 1: Slice the Beets

Slice the beets in half or in quarters. Use whatever size will fit best in your food processor. Since it will all be blended, the uniformity of the cuts are basically irrelevant.

Step 2: Blend Some of the Hummus Ingredients

I like to start by first blending the chickpeas with the garlic cloves before adding the beets.

Add one can of drained (but not rinsed) chickpeas to the blender along with 2 whole cloves of raw garlic and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Blend this until you have a relatively smooth texture.

Step 3: Add the Remaining Ingredients

Once smooth, add ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, 8 ounces cooked and peeled beets, and 3 more tablespoons of olive oil.

Blend again until smooth. The mixture should become a bright pink color.

Step 4: Season and Garnish the Hummus

Once you've achieved a smooth pink blend with no lumps, add ½ tablespoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of cumin. Blend once more. Taste and adjust to your liking.

Pour the fully blended hummus into a serving dish. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh herbs, flaky salt, lemon zest, and whatever else you like!

Enjoy this hummus with pita bread, fresh vegetables, or crackers.

Expert Tips:

• If you want an even brighter color, try adding some beetroot powder to the hummus before blending!
• Feel free to increase the level of garlic to your liking. Two large cloves is a good baseline, but for super garlic lovers, 4-5 might be better.
• Many other hummus recipes use tahini, which is blended sesame seeds. To be completely honest and transparent, tahini is not a condiment that I love, so I did not have it on hand. If you love tahini and would like to use it, I recommend adding anywhere from 2-4 tablespoons to this recipe.

Recipe FAQs:

Can vegans eat hummus? Absolutely! Traditional recipes for hummus are almost always a safe option for vegans. Every once in a while, they will have yogurt or cheese mixed in. Otherwise, this and many other recipes for hummus are 100% vegan and gluten-free.

Why is my hummus not creamy? Not creamy hummus is almost always the result of too little liquid. If you're still ending up with a not creamy hummus, try adding more of the liquid from the can of chickpeas 1 tablespoon at a time until creamy. This can also work by adding more olive oil or lemon juice.

How long will this hummus last? If you aren't enjoying the beet hummus immediately, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Always inspect the hummus for any signs of mold or other spoils.

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