Balsamic Roasted Beetroot Hummus with Quick Pickled Cucumber
The colour!....Almost too pretty to eat!
But trust me you will want to devour this dip in seconds! I loooove hummus but now I have started making beetroot hummus I don't think I'll ever make a traditional hummus again. It’s just so damn good. The beetroot brings such as lovely sweetness which is offset by it’s earthy flavour and the punch from all the garlic and lemon. I also think the addition of beetroot makes the hummus less rich, which is great because it means I can eat more of it!
I have used canned chickpeas for this recipe but you could of course cook you own. Freshly cooked chickpeas give hummus a better flavour but as we are adding beetroot you can totally get away with the canned stuff. I use the Annalisa brand as they have a nice soft texture which is perfect for achieving a nice creamy consistency. I think the consistency of hummus is what really makes or breaks it. So many home made hummus's are really grainy and way too thick. You need to add heaps of water to allow the food processor to do its job and get a really nice smooth consistency. If you make this recipe it might seem like too much water, but remember the hummus will thicken up a little in the fridge.
I know I just said that hummus should be super smooth.....but for beetroot hummus I like a little texture. But I want that texture to come from the beetroots, not from grainy bits of chickpeas. So I like to make a super smooth traditional hummus first, and then I add the roasted beetroot and just give it a quick whizz. This way we have a nice creamy base but with some texture from the beetroots. Plus some added crunch and freshness from the pickled cucumbers. Serve it with some pan-fried Turkish bread in lots of olive oil and you pretty much have my ultimate snack. Add a little greens and turn it into lunch or serve it as happy hour with some nice chilled prosecco on a warm evening......sigh. I wish that was me right now.
Balsamic Roasted Beetroot Hummus with Quick Pickled Cucumber
Makes: 2 platters with each platter enough fro six people to share as a snack
Dietary guide: The recipe is vegan and gluten free (minus the bread). I am currently working on a chickpea free FODMAP friendly version which I will add here soon.
Ingredients
2 medium sized beetroots (about 500g total)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar (optional)
¼ cup of olive oil
1 can of chickpeas
3 tablespoons of lemon juice (pith strained)
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup of tahini
½ - ¾ cup of ice cold water
1 teaspoon of salt
Optional extras for serving: olive oil, fresh herbs such as dill, mint or parsley, nigella seeds, toasted coriander seeds and pan fired bread in olive oil
For the quick cucumber pickle
1 Lebanese cucumber (or half a small Continental or 4 baby cucumbers)
1 golden shallot
60 whiter wine or champagne vinegar
½ a tablespoon of salt flakes
1 tablespoons of sugar
50ml of olive oil
Method
First roast the beetroots. Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees C. Using a sharp knife remove the stalks from the beetroot and any rough skin near the stalk of the beetroot – no need to peel the entire beet. Slice the beetroot into crescent shapes – about 8 wedge per beetroot. Place in a medium sized roasting pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the sugar and the balsamic vinegar. Season well and toss to combine. Cover with tin foil and cook for about 1 hour. Remove the tinfoil, give the beetroots a quick toss and place back in the oven for another half an hour or until the beetroots have started to go a little crispy around the edges but nice and soft in the middle.
To make the cucumber pickle slice the shallot into very thin rounds and the cucumber into slightly thicker rounds (about 1cm thick) and place in a bowl. Heat the sugar, salt, oil and vinegar in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Let the pickling liquid cool a for about 1 minute before pouring over the the cucumber and shallots. Toss to combine and leave to cool before placing in the fridge.
Prepare the garlic by “creaming it” with a mortar and pestle. Place the garlic clove and the teaspoon of salt in the mortar and smash it up as much as you can - you want to try and get a paste consistency. Add a scant tablespoon of the olive oil and mix well. This process helps make the raw garlic more palatable.
Place the chick peas in a food processor and whizz until a rough paste forms. Add the lemon juice, tahini, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the creamed garlic and the olive oil. Process for a few minutes and then slowing drizzle in the the water with the motor running. You should now have a nice smooth hummus.
Add the beetroots (and any residual cooking liquid) and pulse until just combined. You want to retain a little texture from the beetroot. Stop and taste, you might want to add more lemon, garlic or salt – it's up to you! Note that once it cools properly in the fridge the flavours will mellow a little so I always add more garlic and lemon than I think it needs. When you are happy with the taste, transfer to a container and refrigerate. Once it is cold it's ready to eat.
This recipe makers enough for 2 platters - Either save half of the pickle and hummus for another time or make two platters. To serve spread the hummus out in a shallow serving dish. Scatter over the pickled cucumber, drizzle with olive oil and add any other extras you desire. Serve with some golden fried bread and enjoy.
