Beet Hummus

by kristen · Published July 7, 2023 · Updated July 8, 2023

The inspiration

My husband and I spend a lot of time in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. There is a seasonal restaurant called Inn Kitchen and Bar located at the Squam Lake Inn in Holderness, NH. It took years of us visiting the area before we finally bucked up, made the ride and reservation.

If you are in the area, I highly recommend giving this place a go! It is an old house, converted to beautuful inn and restaurant. The bar is inviting and the indoor seating cozy, but modern. There is also a lot of outdoor seating, but the indoor was so quaint, any return visit we made was either at the bar or at a table in the bar area.

The menu is small, but powerful. I was surprised when my husband, of all things, decided to start with the beet hummus that was on the menu on our first visit. I rolled with it and am so glad that I did! It was amazing! If you love hummus, which we both do, the addition of the beets adds just enough sweetness to make this a somewhat obnoxious step sister to your usual lemon hummus. You know, the one that is a little too high spirited, but loved, nonetheless for her spunk and ability to stand out!

Anyhow, I got home and got down to figuring out how to make this something that we could enjoy at home, when the ride to Holderness, NH might not be in the cards for us. I think I have nailed this one. Perhaps not the exact recipe, but one that I can definitely live with and am proud of!

The glory of this recipe is that it is fast and easy. The longest bit of work is waiting for it to chill in the refirgerator. I looked at many recipes trying to get to one I liked, most of which called for roasting beets and waiting for them to cool before using. I have skipped all of that nonsense and used canned beets, that can be used directly into your food processer. Food hack for the win!

Ingredients

1/2 of a 15 oz. can of whole beets drained, 1 15.5 oz. can of chickpeas drained, 1 lemon zested and juiced, 1-2 fairly large garlic cloves, 2 tsp, cumin, 1 tsp. black pepper, 2 tsp. kosher salt, 3 heap Tbsp. of tahini. 1/4 – 1/3 cup olive oil.

Instruction

This is as simple as it gets! Add all ingredients, with the exception of the olive oil into a food processor. Pulse until smooth, stopping to use a silicone spatula to scrape down sides of the processer to make sure all is getting incorporated. If you are not getting a smooth consistency, taste and then add either more lemon juice or more tahini, pulse and check for consistency and taste. Once mostly smooth, pulse while drizzing in the olive oil. Add until fully smooth and incorporated. You can use more or less, based on your taste. I tend to add only what I need to get the thin/thickness that I like.

Chill before serving

Once you have tasted and seasoned to your liking, let the hummus cool in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.

Toppings

I like to serve out what we will be eating for a particular meal and top only that amount. Cover the rest to be saved in the refrigerator topping only when being served. My favorite accompaniments would be Zaatar Spice, Sumac Spice, Olive oil and toasted pine nuts. All can be found at most grocers, or ordered online.

To serve

This beet hummus goes with just about any bread, vegetable or meal! I like to serve with carrot and cucumber sticks, pita bread, crispy crackers, definitely red onion and any charcuterie or pickles/cornichons that you have at hand! Have fun with it!! This beet hummus can definitely be the centerpiece of any appetizer board for entertaining.