This beet hummus is seriously the most BEETiful hummus you’ll ever have. Even if you don’t like beets, as long as you’re a hummus enthusiast, you’re in for a vibrant treat!

Beet hummus is seriously the most BEETiful hummus you'll ever have. If you're a hummus enthusiast, you're in for a vibrant delicious treat!

I don’t know what part of me gets more satisfied by beet hummus…my eyes or my taste buds. It’s definitely my favorite hummus to make–almost just because it’s so pretty! If you don’t like beets, don’t fear. You will still enjoy this hummus. Although I love beets (it’s in the name), I totally understand that the flavor of beets is strong for some people. You don’t really taste the two roasted beets that go into this hummus though. The beets are almost entirely for that gorgeous color!

And I’m sure I don’t have to explain why you need to make hummus, but this is it: once you discover how easy and fresh homemade hummus tastes, I highly doubt you will go back to the store for Sabra (no shade…just facts). I feel like everyone makes hummus a bit different, but here are the things I find most important:

1. Using dry chickpeas soaked overnight instead of canned chickpeas. I find these are much softer than the canned variety and more flavorful. Make sure they aren’t too warm when you are blending, or else the hummus could turn out sticky and gummy. You can always just use canned if you’re in a pinch!

2. Peel the skins of the chickpeas if you want, but I usually don’t. It’s still pretty creamy with the skin on!

2. Ice cubes! This makes the hummus fluffier. In my opinion, it does a better job than iced water, but make sure to use some kind of liquid along with the ice cubes.

3. Use a quality tahini. Tahini is KEY in hummus. You want one that is creamy and tastes good. I recently switched tahini brands and I’m obsessed with the one I’m using right now! Linked here. Not an ad, I just love my tahini.

4. Speaking of the liquid, that water you just cooked the chickpeas in? SAVE IT! I have no idea why this is better than just regular ol’ water, but it is. Or at least I’ve convinced myself it is. Maybe you’ll be convinced once you try.

5. Top with olive oil, za’atar, harissa, cilantro or parsley, sesame seeds, and anything else you’d like. Put it on a bowl, dip carrots or pita in it, slather it on toast, or just stare at it. Because it sure is gorgeous.

The Rundown

1. Roast two small beets. This doesn’t have to be right before you make the hummus. In fact, I’ll usually throw a beet into the oven days before I intend on making hummus so that it roasts while I’m also doing something else in the oven. Just wrap them in some foil and roast for about 40 minutes at 400 F.

2. Soak 1 cup of dry chickpeas overnight in plenty of water. The next day, drain the water and pressure cook the chickpeas in two inches of water. After the first whistle of your pressure cooker goes off, cook for about 10 more minutes before taking it off the heat. This is just how I cook chickpeas–you can cook them in any way convenient for you.

Note: Overcooking your chickpeas is not a bad thing! In fact, it will just lead to creamier hummus.

3. Blend up all the ingredients! You will need…

chickpeas

beets

tahini

garlic cloves

lemon juice

ice cubes

chickpea cooking water or cold water

olive oil

extra flavor: ground cumin, cayenne, and paprika

Beet Hummus

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Servings 4 cups

Ingredients

1 cup dry chickpeas equivalent to 2 15 oz. cans or 3 cups of cooked chickpeas
2 medium beets
2 garlic cloves
½ cup tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
4-6 ice cubes
½ cup chickpea cooking water or cold water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne
½ tsp paprika
sea salt to taste

Instructions

Soak 1 cup of dry chickpeas overnight in plenty of water.
Roast two medium beets. Wrap them in some foil and roast in the oven for around 45 minutes at 400 F, until they are tender. Before using them in hummus, make sure they are cooled and peeled.
Drain the water from the bowl of chickpeas and pressure cook the chickpeas in two inches of water. After the first whistle of your pressure cooker goes off, cook for about 10 more minutes before taking it off the heat and letting them cool.
Add chickpeas, beets, garlic, tahini, and lemon juice to a processor. Process it as well as you can before adding ice cubes and chickpea cooking water (or cold water) to make the blending easier. Add a little water at a time (1-2 tbsp at a time) until you reach your desired texture.
Finish off the blending process with the olive oil, ground spices, and sea salt.
Top with za'atar, harissa, sesame seeds, cilantro or parsley, and lemon zest. And enjoy it with some toast, veggies, or pita!