Pretty, healthy, dietary-friendly, and pretty damn versatile? Yes please.
Happy Tuesday, peeps! We’re climbing into the 80s here which means pool season approaches (even though we have a minor cold front pushing through today, but no matter) and using the oven starts to become a bit less appealing than during the holiday months. Granted, we’re not quite into the days where I endlessly bitch about the dew point, but at least here we’re feeling summer’s touch in our armpits, and tomato face is becoming a new 4am look after my runs.
Regardless of whether the weather matches your cravings, this beautiful Spring Beet Hummus Crudité Platter is just the thing to roundhouse kick the last of the winter blues. The dip uses simple ingredients, including a cheeky can of beets because who the fuck has time to roast a whole-ass beet, and the surrounding skirt of accoutrement are fully customizable depending on what’s available and what you prefer.
If you know me, you’ll know that pink is my favorite color, and the hue of this hummus just delights the pants off me. It’s a showstopper. Or, I guess, a show starter, if you’re commencing your gathering by presenting the plate to your guests.
Dancing to the Beet
Hummus is a very painless condiment to make at home. Essentially, you could just throw all the listed ingredients in a food processor without a second thought, and have a very presentable and equally tasty yield.
However, I’ve a few little tricks to tick up the hummus a few rungs higher. I highly recommend you practice the minimal patience required and give them a go! This coming from a girl with -90 patience in her repertoire. If I can do it, anyone can.
Ok. Enough infomercial-ing.
First, simmering the chickpeas. The skins will create some bumpiness in the hummus, and the best practice to lessen the chance of this textural inconvenience is dissolving them in a baking soda bath. Drain a can of chickpeas and dump into a sauce pan, then cover with water. Bring to a simmer and stir in baking soda. Cook around 15 minutes. The chickpeas will be very soft by the end and the skins all but vanished.
Drain the chickpeas and rinse under cool water to remove any baking soda residue and drop the temperature so they don’t make your hummus hot.
Next tip: draining the beets really well. I dump the beets into my sieve and let them hang out over the sink while I cook the chickpeas. Extra liquid will disrupt the thick, smooth texture we want in the hummus.
That aside…the rest of the process is a breeze!
In a big food processor, combine the chickpeas and beets with tahini (I buy mine at Trader Joe’s), lemon juice, lots of garlic, cumin, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Run the food processor, stopping every so often to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure even incorporation.
While the blades do their thing, slowly pour in ice water. This cools the hummus and creates an irresistible, almost whipped texture. The recipe card calls for 1/2 cup but you will likely only use 2-3 tablespoons.
Taste and adjust the hummus for salt and pepper. Once it’s to your liking, you have two options. First, you could cover and pop in the fridge for about an hour – I like to do this – or, swirl right into a nice bowl and arrange your platter immediately. Drizzle some olive oil in the crevices for an extra glossy touch.
I chose snap peas, carrots, radishes, and sliced pita for my platter. You have ENDLESS options here. Tortilla chips, broccoli, cauliflower, pickles, tomatoes, olives…all those, and more, are great, too. The plate is your oyster.
Leftover hummus keeps up to 5 days in the fridge. Afterwards, you might be dealing with fermenting chickpeas, which is not good for your digestive tract. Or for anyone else who might be waiting their turn in the bathroom.
Happy dipping!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Dipshit:
Whipped Goat Cheese Dip with Chili Marinated Tomatoes
Roasted Garlic Sage White Bean Dip
Spicy Strawberry Salsa with Whipped Feta
spring beet hummus crudité platter
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup canned beets, drained well
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 cup ice water
- pita wedges or chips
- baby carrots, radishes, snap peas, and your other favorite vegetables
Instructions
- Add the drained chickpeas to a small saucepan and fill with water to cover. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the baking soda. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The baking soda helps dissolve the chickpea skins, making for a smoother hummus.
- Strain the chickpeas and rinse under cool water.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chickpeas, beets, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse. Gradually pour in the ice water (you will not need all of it!) until the hummus is very smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed with a spatula. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Swirl the hummus into a nice bowl and place atop a platter or serving board. Arrange your pita wedges/chips and veggies around the dip. Enjoy immediately!
