🥘 Ingredients
- small-medium beet 5 oz
- chickpeas 1
- baking soda ¼ tsp
- tahini 0.33 cup
- large lemon 3 tbsp
- garlic cloves 3
- ground cumin ¼ tsp
- ground coriander ¼ tsp
- kosher salt 0.5-1 tsp
- Freshly
- extra virgin olive oil ½ tbsp
- Extra
- za'atar 1 tbsp
- Chopped
- Flaky
- Toasted pita chips
I recommend roasting a few beets at once and then you can incorporate the other beets into your weekly meals. If you want to make this with dried chickpeas, use 4 oz dried chickpeas. Soak the chickpeas overnight by covering with cold water and 1/4 tsp baking soda; drain and rinse. Then, cook the chickpeas in a medium saucepan with 1/4 tsp baking soda and 3 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pot, and rapidly simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and add 1 tsp kosher salt; cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chickpeas are very soft and smush when pressed. Drain well. For toasted pita “chips,” preheat the oven to 400ºF / 200ºC. Arrange a rack in the second shelf below the broiler. Brush the top sides only of a few whole pita rounds with olive oil. Slice each pita into 8 triangles. Transfer wedges to a sheet pan. Bake for 6 minutes, then turn your broiler on (use a medium setting if you have it). Broil for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, keeping a close eye to prevent burning, until nicely browned on the edges. If you want the ultimate smooth texture as you see in these photos, use a high-powered blender. You’ll need a small blender container though, as there isn’t any liquid in this recipe. I used a 32-ounce (1 L) Vitamix container with the tamper. Storage: Pack the leftover hummus into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. Before serving, allow the leftovers to come to room temperature or warm them up on the stove with a splash of water. Shortcut: You can just use plain canned chickpeas without simmering them, but the texture will be less smooth and more chunky.
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1Gather: small-medium beet , chickpeas , baking soda , tahini , large lemon , garlic cloves , ground cumin , ground coriander , kosher salt , Freshly cracked black pepper, extra virgin olive oil . For the for serving:: Extra virgin olive oil, za'atar , Chopped flat-leaf parsley, Flaky sea salt, Toasted pita chips .
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2Prep the beet(s). Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Trim off any beet greens and most of their attached stalks. Leave some of the stalk intact to prevent the beet(s) from “bleeding” in the oven. If the beet(s) have any skinny tails, don’t trim them, as it results in less juicy beets. Wash and scrub the beet(s).
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3Roast the beet(s). Rub the beet(s) with a bit of olive oil so they have a thin coating. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish or ovenproof pan for which you have a tight-fitting lid. Add 1/2 cup water, and cover tightly with foil or the lid. Roast for 45-60 minutes , or until fork-tender (medium-sized beets usually take 60 minutes; small beets 45 minutes). While still warm but not hot, run the beet(s) under cool water and peel off the skin (they're easier to peel when warm). Wear food-safe gloves to avoid temporarily staining your hands. Cut the stems off and discard. Roughly chop the beet(s).
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4Simmer the chickpeas. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to a saucepan, cover with an inch or two of water, and add 1/4 tsp baking soda. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer for 20 minutes , or until the chickpeas start falling apart.
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5Drain and rinse cooked chickpeas. Remove any loose skins, but no need to peel the rest. Transfer the chickpeas to a food processor or small-capacity high-powered blender (see Note 4). Blend for 1-2 minutes until you have a smooth puree, scraping down the sides as you go.
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6Blend the hummus. Add the cooked beet(s), tahini, 2 tsp lemon zest, all of the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, 1/2 heaping teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Add the olive oil for a richer mouthfeel, if desired. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides with a silicone spatula as you go. Check the consistency. To make it a bit looser, add 1 tbsp of ice water and blend again. If you prefer a thicker texture, omit.
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7Once you reach your desired texture, taste for seasonings, adding more salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, or cumin/coriander as needed.
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8Transfer the hummus to a large plate and use the back of a spoon to make waves or to make a well in the center. Drizzle with olive oil in the well and garnish with za’atar (if using), parsley, and a pinch of flaky salt.
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9Serve with pita chips, flatbread, or crudités.