Beetroot Hummus

Beetroot has a sweet and earthy flavour and is notorious for its super strong colouring. This only makes it more fun when adding it to foods giving this particular Hummus a luscious pink colour! Beetroot is known for stamina and helps make muscles work harder, as well as provides the body with countless nutrients, powerful antioxidants, carbohydrate, protein and soluble fibre! Moreover, only three small beetroots are equal to one of your five a day!












Ingredients

1 can of chickpeas
1 large beetroot, cooked (not pickled!!), roughly chopped
1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp linseeds
Juice of one lemon
1 tsp bouillon vegetable stock (flavour)
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp Cumin seeds
Seasoning



Directions:

Take the fresh beetroot and cut off all of the leaves. You can save these as when washed up they are great as slightly exotic salad leaves or just like spinach wacked in a soup!
Wash all the mud off and place in a saucepan to boil until soft. This should take approximately 15-20 minutes depending on size... Once cooked through (you can test with a toothpick), peel the beetroot and roughly chop.

Note!! You may want to wear protecting gloves to stop your hands from staining pink!

For all you lazy kids out there- the supermarkets do do all that prep'in for you, offering beetroots cooked and vacuum packed (NOT PICKLED!) ready on supermarket shelves- just so you can whizz up this delicious dip in 5 mins!!

In a food processor or using a 'hand whizzer', add all of the ingredients together, and simply blend until you get a relatively smooth mixture. This recipe is just about throwing everything together and adding more or less of the ingredients so you feel you have the right consistency and flavour. Blend less for a chunkier dip... add more chilli for a spicier dip... more olive oil for a richer smoother dip.... more salt for more flavour.... you get the idea!

Store in an air-tight container for up to 4-5 days... although I'm almost certain you would have gobbled it all up before then!

Ideas for use:

Crudites:     Carrots, celery, toasted rye bread (see picture), Bell Peper, Crackers.... 

Alternatively use a dollop on top of fish, chicken, salad to give a little something extra. 

Blend a few tablespoons in a home made soup to give it an extra zing.

Spread it generously in a wrap or sandwich.