When I was a kid, I hated beets! They were a staple on my grandmother’s Sunday table, but I would not go anywhere near them! But, as an adult, I have developed a fondness for these root vegetables.
My most recent beet discovery came when I visited Flora – a restaurant with a plant based menu located in the Blue Back Square section of West Hartford, Connecticut. It was the first time I had tried beet hummus and it was absolutely yummy! This snack motivated me to research every beet hummus recipe I could find to try and recreate Flora’s delicious appetizer the best I could.
Many of the recipes I found used chickpeas, but I chose to eliminate the chickpeas and make the beets the star of the dish! If beets appeal to you at all, I would definitely urge you to try beet hummus! Here is what I did to make beet hummus, as inspired by the one I enjoyed at Flora!
Beet Hummus Recipe
- ½ lb. fresh beets (4-5 medium), prepared
- 2 Tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (2 lemons) plus 1 Tbsp. zest (1 lemon)
- 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil as needed
To prepare the beets (cleaning them prior to cooking), I covered them with water in a saucepan and simmered them until tender and they felt soft when pricked with a fork. It took about 35 minutes. After they cooled down, I peeled them and cut them into cubes.
I put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor and processed until smooth. When serving, I drizzled the hummus with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
Pita chips, as well as fresh carrot and cucumber curls, go great with this hummus!
Even though I wouldn’t eat them as a kid, I really enjoy beets as an adult! One of my favorite beet dishes – the beet soup at The River Tavern in Chester, Connecticut.
I think the pretty color of beet hummus makes it ‘unbeetable’ to serve as a Valentine’s Day appetizer! I hope you are inspired to try it!
Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie
