Beetroot hummus with a proper lemon edge
myAudience · AI-generated food illustration · Original AI-generated illustration; no third-party photograph
The colour arrives before the flavour, so give this pink hummus enough lemon to follow through. Plain cooked beetroot is useful here; beetroot preserved in vinegar makes a different, sharper dip. Check the pack before blending.
For 4 snack portions, use 1 × 400g tin chickpeas drained and rinsed, 150g plain cooked beetroot, 40g tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 small garlic clove, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 3–5 tablespoons cold drinking water. Finish with parsley and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds. Contains sesame.
Blend chickpeas, beetroot, tahini, lemon and garlic until smooth. Scrape down the bowl, then add most of the oil and the water gradually until the dip is soft enough to spread. Taste before adding salt. A food processor may leave a fine texture; a high-speed blender makes it smoother but needs pauses to scrape safely.
Spoon into a bowl and make shallow swirls with the back of a spoon. Add parsley, sesame and the reserved few drops of oil. Allow 15 minutes and serve with washed vegetable sticks or pita. Refrigerate in a covered container immediately after preparation and use within 48 hours, observing any shorter opened-beetroot instruction. Keep serving utensils clean rather than returning dipped bread to the bowl.