Roast beetroot hummus

Autumn

Beetroot hummus always reminds me of my years cooking at River Cottage. During the summer and autumn, we’d make big batches of this vibrant crimson dip using fresh beetroot from the garden. No matter how hard I tried, my chef’s whites would always end up dotted in pink splodges.

It’s a delicious hummus. I like it served with crudités for dunking or with flatbreads for scooping, and I always like to add some texture, so I keep back a handful of roast beetroot for scattering over the top when I serve it.

Serves 4

Ingredients

400–500g (14oz–1lb 2oz) small–medium beetroot (beets), trimmed
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, lightly crushed
a large pinch of chilli flakes
1 x 400g (14oz) can of chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 small rosemary sprigs
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons tahini
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.

Scrub the beetroot (beets), then cut each into 6 wedges. Scatter these over a roasting tin. Trickle over half the extra-virgin olive oil, then scatter over the crushed cumin, coriander and chilli flakes, and season well with salt and pepper. Tumble everything together. Roast the beetroot for 30 minutes, turning once or twice.

Lift the tray out of the oven and add the chickpeas (garbanzos), pumpkin seeds, garlic cloves, rosemary and lemon zest. Stir well and return to the oven for a further 20–30 minutes, or until the beetroot is nice and tender. At this point, take three-quarters of the beetroot and chickpea mixture and place it in the bowl of a food processor. Add the tahini, lemon juice, some salt and pepper, and the remaining extra-virgin olive oil and whizz it up. You might need to trickle in a tablespoon or three of water to help the mixture along. You want a nice, smooth hummus. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed and whizz again.

Spoon the hummus into a container or bowl. Scatter over the reserved beetroot and chickpea mixture, then trickle with a little more extra-virgin olive oil before serving.

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