The Quickest Roasted Beet Hummus

What to expect?

Not everyone loves beets. It is one of those controversial vegetables like Brussels sprouts. Beets can be tricky. It has an earthy, dirt-like taste, more so than other root vegetables. It can easily overpower the other flavors in a dish, especially if you eat them raw.

So, will you be able to taste beets in this hummus recipe? No. The key is to roast them peeled and diced, not as a whole, with their skin on. Roasting without peel will lessen the earthy flavors, and will bring out the sweetness, which is also quite typical to all root vegetables.

This beet hummus recipe will give you slightly sweet and savory flavors, creamy texture, and an amazingly vibrant color. It will surely look spectacular on any Mediterranean grazing board.

Ingredients

What do you need to make fluffy, oil-free beet hummus?

• Beets
• Canned chickpeas – also known as garbanzo beans
• Aquafaba – It is the liquid from the can, also called chickpea liquid. This is to make your hummus extra fluffy and creamy. It can be substituted for water.
• Tahini paste – It is actually toasted sesame paste.
• Fresh garlic clove – Even better if you roast the garlic with the beets for added flavor.
• Fresh lemon juice
• Spices: sea salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika powder

🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Instructions

Roasting beets

1. Take a sheet pan with parchment paper or a baking sheet or an oven-safe glass dish.
2. Preheat oven to 395 Fahrenheit (ca. 202 °C).
3. Wash the beet thoroughly. Pay attention to washing off any dirt around the stem.
4. Cut off the stem. If there is any dirt left, wash them again.
5. Peel them.
6. Cut them into 1 x 1-inch cubes (1-1,5 cm).
7. Spread them evenly in one layer. Drizzle it with oil.
8. Bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until fork-tender.

Making beet hummus

1. Measure all ingredients: canned chickpeas, tahini, and aquafaba
2. Peel the garlic cloves.
3. Squeeze one lemon.
4. Add all ingredients, including the roasted beets, to your blender. First, the liquids, then the solids.

5. Blend all ingredients, until you get a smooth, creamy hummus.

Cooking tips

• How to avoid stains? → Beet usually stains your hands and cutting board. You can wash the stains off easily if you do it immediately after you are ready. I try to minimize waste, so I don’t like disposable gloves if they are not necessary. You might need to rub a bit longer, but they come off easily. If not, here is a handy guide on how to remove beet stains.
• Why do we recommend roasting diced beets? → There are 2 reasons to do that: 1) it significantly shortens the cooking time, and 2) its sugar content will be caramelized around the edges.
• What to do if you don’t have a high-powered blender? → You can take 3 steps to make it easier for your blender or food processor: 1) peel the chickpeas, 2) mince the garlic with a garlic press, and 3) blend chickpeas with aquafaba first before adding the other ingredients.

Variations

This recipe was tried and tested using roasted beet. However, you can buy beets in several forms, such as raw or canned or pickled. The different forms will give you different results, as their texture and taste are not the same.

• Raw beet has a very earthy, dirt-like aftertaste which can be overpowering. This aftertaste is mostly gone after cooking or roasting it. Furthermore, fresh beets are very hard. You will need a powerful blender to purée it smooth enough.
• If you use canned or cooked beet, then you need to take into consideration their extra liquid content and add less aquafaba to get the same fluffy hummus.
• Pickled beet has an additional sour taste due to the vinegar. If you want pickled beets, you should skip adding lemon juice to keep the taste of the hummus in balance.

Serving ideas

If you’re not vegan, goat cheese is a great addition to any beet recipe. If you’re vegan, try this vegan goat cheese recipe, so you don’t miss a thing.

We love to dunk pita chips or pita bread in it. It is a great appetizer or snack if you serve it as a dip with raw veggies like cucumber, carrot, and celery sticks.

We collected 16 quick ideas to eat with hummus and 25 delicious recipes with hummus, including salads, pasta, soup, and more like our hummus pizza and hummus quesadilla.

Equipment

You can make roasted beet hummus with a hand blender (aka immersion blender), a food processor, or a regular blender. The difference is in the texture, though. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, like Vitamix*, you may end up with a grainy hummus.

Storing ideas

Store beet hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week without any problem.

Suppose you have a larger batch and want to freeze it. We recommend doing it in smaller batches, so hummus can be easily thawed as requested.

FAQs

More hummus recipes