HOT PINK BEETROOT HUMMUS + SUMAC-DUSTED PITA CHIPS
With the weather changing and turning into real Summer, I’m craving more vibrant foods and thus have been trying to add more color to my dishes. And as hummus is one of my favorite foods, I decided to start playing around with different recipes. Pea Hummus, Lentil Hummus, and Hot Pink Beetroot Hummus! Well I can officially say that this Hot Pink dip has become a Spring and Summer staple! I first made it at Chambre Noire, a wine bar I’ve been guest cooking at in Paris, and it turned out amazing! I think my favorite part is the incredible color! Beautiful food makes eating that much more enjoyable!
I eat a lot of beets – whether I add them to my morning juice, grated into salads, roasted, I love this vegetable! It’s natural food coloring and you get a delicious kick of vitamins. The cumin and coriander also help to take this hummus to the next level. And to top it off (no pun intended), you can cook the beet greens and garnish the crispy beet greens on top of the hummus. I like to serve this Hot Pink Beetroot Hummus with Sumac-dusted Pita Chips (recipe below).
The lowdown on Beet Greens
Besides supplying good amounts of protein, phosphorus, and zinc, beet greens are also a great source of fiber. Packed with antioxidants, they’re high in vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese, and low in fat and cholesterol. Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, daily values of beet greens contain: 220% of vitamin A, 60% of vitamin C, 16% of calcium, and 15% of iron.
A fun fact: Cultivated since prehistoric times, early Romans only ate the beet tops, leaving the beet roots for medicinal purposes.
Hot Pink Beetroot Hummus + Sumac-Dusted Pita Chips
INGREDIENTS
1 medium-sized beet (with its greens still attached)
1/4 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained or dry (soaked overnight and cooked)
2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
3 Tbsp tahini paste
Juice from 1/2-1 lemon
Pinch lemon zest + some for topping
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + beet water for desired consistency
Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, to taste
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F or 200 degrees C. Slice off the beet greens and set aside. Add the beet to a small baking dish with the 1/4 cup water. Cover the baking dish with foil and transfer to the oven to roast for 45 minutes, until the beet is tender when poked with a fork. Transfer the beet to a cutting board to cool; and being sure to reserve the beet juice for later use. Slice off the tops of the beet, peel it and then chop it into pieces.
To the jar of a blender or food processor, add the chopped beet, chick-peas, garlic cloves, tahini paste, lemon juice, lemon zest, ground cumin, ground coriander, olive oil and a splash of beet juice. Blend until smooth. You may need to add a splash or two of beet water to get it to your desired consistency. Give it a taste test and salt to taste (I added about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt). Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl.
To make the crispy beet green garnish, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan. As the oil is heating up slice your beet greens, discarding the stem. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Immediately sprinkle with a pinch of ground coriander, ground cumin and salt. Repeat until the remaining beet greens are pan fried.
Break up the fried beet greens into shards and garnish the hummus with them. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon zest and a few sprinkles of sumac.
SUMAC-DUSTED PITA CHIPS
1 Package Pita Bread (I used Whole Wheat Pita in the photos)
Cold-pressed Olive Oil
Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
Sumac
On a parchment-lined baking sheet, lay pita bread (cut into triangles) and sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt and sumac.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until crispy.
- 1 medium-sized beet (with its greens still attached)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained or dry (soaked overnight and cooked)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- 3 Tbsp tahini paste
- Juice from ½-1 lemon
- Pinch lemon zest + some for topping
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + beet water for desired consistency
- Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, to taste
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F or 200 degrees C. Slice off the beet greens and set aside. Add the beet to a small baking dish with the ¼ cup water. Cover the baking dish with foil and transfer to the oven to roast for 45 minutes, until the beet is tender when poked with a fork. Transfer the beet to a cutting board to cool; and being sure to reserve the beet juice for later use. Slice off the tops of the beet, peel it and then chop it into pieces.
- To the jar of a blender or food processor, add the chopped beet, chick-peas, garlic cloves, tahini paste, lemon juice, lemon zest, ground cumin, ground coriander, olive oil and a splash of beet juice. Blend until smooth. You may need to add a splash or two of beet water to get it to your desired consistency. Give it a taste test and salt to taste (I added about 1½ teaspoons of salt). Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl.
- To make the crispy beet green garnish, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan. As the oil is heating up slice your beet greens, discarding the stem. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Immediately sprinkle with a pinch of ground coriander, ground cumin and salt. Repeat until the remaining beet greens are pan fried.
- Break up the fried beet greens into shards and garnish the hummus with them. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon zest and a few sprinkles of sumac.