Here’s a recipe for a homemade Beet Hummus spread with Za’atar. If you’re like me, and love beets and hummus, you might’ve seen and tried the combination of the two from your local restaurants and grocery stores. In fact, I’ve seen beet hummus on display at both Costco and Trader Joe’s within the last few weeks.

I came across the Shocking Pink Beet Hummus recipe in  The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket by Marnie Hanel, which was the latest selection for our Cookbook Club. This was the perfect recipe to use on my continued quest of converting everyone into beet lovers.

Here’s my adaptation of the recipe. Enjoy!

Beet Hummus with Za’atar

Ingredients

2 medium beets
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin

For serving

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon za’atar
pita chips

Directions

1. Scrub beets and trim the ends. Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until beets are tender, 30-45 minutes. Drain beets and cool completely. Peel the beets, and reserve 1/4th of one of them. Chop the rest of the beets into about 1/2″ pieces.

2. Add chopped beets with the remaining ingredients into a blender and puree until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with extra salt and lemon juice as needed.

3. Spread the hummus onto a serving plate or bowl and garnish with the reserved 1/4th of the beet (finely diced), olive oil, and za’atar.

And that’s all! You get the most unbelievably gorgeous vibrant color of hummus. The addition of beets bumps up the nutrients and vitamins and cut down on the starchiness of the traditional hummus. Plus it’s fun and tastes awesome!