Roasted Beetroot Hummus with Beet Green Pesto & Dukkah

Beetroot gives a traditional hummus a sweet earthiness which I love and come on who doesn’t like P I N K?

This Middle Eastern inspired roasted beetroot hummus with Egyptian dukkah is the perfect dip to serve with some crackers or veggies or spread on sandwiches or in wraps.

I have added a quick pesto recipe to use the beetroot tops, IF they are young and fresh looking.

• Serve with my Superseed Crackers or veggies or spread on sandwiches or in wraps.
• This hummus could be made spicy with the addition of harissa.
• You can also add full cream yogurt instead of olive oil, the addition of yogurt makes for a wonderful colour!

Food Processor

• 300g organic beetroots left whole, skins scrubbed
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas – drained
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 small lemon
• pinch smoked paprika
• 1 tspn toasted cumin seeds
• a good olive oil
• 4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (opt)

Beet Green Pesto

• 1 cup raw beet greens chopped
• 3 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds (toasting is optional but a good way to boost flavour)
• 3 tablespoons parmesan or nutritional yeast
• a bit of lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt + pepper to taste
• pinch of crushed chilli flakes (opt)

DUKKAH – see link

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c
2. Wrap the beetroots and garlic cloves in a piece of tin foil. Place the beets on a baking sheet and roast for 45/1hour or until soft. Allow the beets to cool and then simply rub the skins away. Remove the skins of the garlic cloves. Cut the beets into wedges
3. BEET PESTO: pulse all the ingredients together until you have a rough paste – season with salt, pepper and lemon zest
4. Ground your toasted cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle
5. Place the beetroots, garlic, chickpeas, tahini, juice & zest of 1 lemon, paprika and cumin in a food processor and blitz to a coarse paste, gradually trickle in enough olive oil (and the pomegranate molasses) until you have a thick smooth(ish) dip. *
6. Taste and add salt, pepper or a little more lemon juice to taste.
7. Garnish with the Dukkah and/or some pomegranate seeds

This hummus could be made spicy with the addition of harissa.

You can also add full cream yogurt instead of olive oil, the addition of yogurt makes for a wonderful colour!

You can also make a quick BEET GREEN PESTO  with the beetroot tops is they are young and fresh looking