A few months ago, I made a really delicious white bean hummus (link here). It was a great dip and good twist on basic chickpea hummus. However, today, I am going back to the classics – sort of. I have created a recipe for traditional hummus which is great as it is, or you can add some cooked beets for a pop of colour and touch of sweetness.

For my picture, instead of making two full batches of hummus, I made one batch and divided it. I scooped half of the plain hummus out of the food processor, and added some chopped beets to the remainders then pulsed them in. This mixture quickly went from light beige to bright pink. You can see the little bits of beet which makes it so pretty too. It is so easy to make hummus and you can make a second variety in hardly no extra time (using half/half method like I mentioned just before).

I don’t think I’ve ever eaten beet hummus before, but I’m glad I have now. The beets add the perfect amount of sweetness and a little ‘earthiness’. Also, that colour is just amazing!

Since this recipe makes quite a bit of hummus (about 2 cups), you can use this hummus as more than just a dip for vegetables or crackers. It is great on sandwiches or wraps, but you can even use it as a dressing to make a creamy pasta salad.

Ingredients:

• 19oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp water*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• variation (optional): add 1 roasted beet or 3 slices pickled beets

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients (plus variation, if desired) in bowl of food processor
2. Blend until desired consistency is achieved (whether you like super smooth or a little chunky). *You may need to scrape down the bowl and add extra water (1 tbsp at a time)
3. Taste hummus and add more lemon juice and/or salt, to taste
4. Serve with veggie sticks, crackers or pita. Also great on sandwiches. Makes ~2 cups.
5. Store leftovers in container in fridge for 3-4 days