Pretty in pink beetroot hummus

This recipe features two of the foods that appear on my plate with great regularity which are beetroot and hummus.

.From a small child, I can remember my mum cooking up great big saucepans of home-grown beetroot which I loved to eat warm in my hand with just a little salt and pepper. Not even thought of pink stained hands could keep me away. I am, probably because of the above reason not a huge fan of pickled beetroots. Now, it is steaming or roasting the beetroot that I grow.

Hummus I came to much later in life, as a young adult the thought of chickpeas seemed incredibly unappealing for some reason. Fast forward to becoming a vegan and I have grown to love this simple but understated dip which goes so well eaten with falafels, flatbreads or just plain raw vegetables

I am new to making this version of Hummus which in itself seems rather odd as the ingredients are often staring me in the face whilst cooking in the kitchen. I was almost a little scared to marry these two together in case harmony was not achieved, but I did and it was.

This Hummus has the most beautiful pink vibrant hue and is packed full of important nutrients and vitamins. Serving this with a selection of raw vegetables such as peppers and broccoli and you will feel your body thanking you from the inside, well not quite but it is certainly very good for you.

I do prefer to use roasted beetroot for this recipe as roasting, as opposed to boiling, intensifies their flavour whilst retaining more of their colour so if time allows it then it is worth it. If time is limited though as it often is for most of us nowadays there is nothing wrong with using the vacuum-packed beetroot instead, just check the packaging to make sure there are no added ingredients.

Another tip is if you want a hummus that is very silky smooth then remove the outer skin off the chickpeas. This sounds like hard work and there are a few ways to do this. I prefer just to squeeze each one and they easily pop out, strangely I find this therapeutic. Another way click on the linked video 

It does not alter the taste of the finished product but for me it is worthwhile. It is the only time I will skin chickpeas ever.

Ingredients

• 2 medium roasted beetroots
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 3 tbsp tahini paste
• juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest of lemon zest
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 400g can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Once you have cool beetroot remove the skin and cut them into quarters then place them in the food processor. Blend until almost smooth
2. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the olive oil, drizzle this in a little at a time whilst the hummus is being mixed until you have the consistency you want.
3. Taste it and adjust any seasoning and if it is too thick for your liking add a little water.
4. Place in a sealed container. This will keep in the fridge for about 5 days.

To roast, beetroots remove the stem and most of the root and lightly scrub each beetroot until clean. Drizzle with vegetable oil and very loosely wrap each beetroot in foil, place on a tray in the oven that has been preheated to 190 C. Bake for around 1 1/2 hours until the tip of a knife easily pierces the beetroot. Leave to cool then peel an

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• Vegan Cottage Pie
• Smoky Red Lentil & Carrot Soup
• Soft Gluten-Free Bread Rolls
• Hearty Vegetable & Ale stew with Dumplings
• Cream of Mushroom Soup

If you decide to give this recipe a try, don’t forget to tag me on twitter as @veganalchemist1 or my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thegfveganalchemist I love seeing your versions of the recipes. I would love to hear your comments too. Feedback is so important.