International hummus day: How to make beetroot hummus

Celebrate International Hummus Day today by giving the original recipe a twist by adding beetroot with Julia Platt Leonard's recipe

It takes minutes to make, and if pink's not your colour then simply leave out the beetroot. Serve with pitta and crunchy crudités, such as radishes

When some major supermarkets recently pulled stocks of hummus due to a metallic taste, panic ensued, at least in my house. The very thought of not having a tub of hummus in the fridge is unthinkable. It’s right up there with coffee, milk and white wine as one of life’s staples.

So when the dust settled over “hummus gate”, it got me thinking.

Why am I buying hummus anyway? It’s good and it’s convenient but making hummus at home is not the same thing as whipping up a Heston Blumenthal-inspired molecular gastronomy meal, is it?

At its simplest, you take a tin of chick peas, lemon juice and tahini – toasted ground sesame seeds – and purée till smooth. Add a bit of olive oil for a creamy emulsion and you’re basically done.

It takes minutes, and you’re laughing next time a hummus crisis rears its ugly head. You can take basic hummus and tart it up with puréed red peppers or cooked beetroot, as I’ve done here. The lurid pink colour makes me smile, but I realise it might be the Marmite of the hummus world: if pink isn’t your colour then by all means leave it out.

Beetroot Hummus

​Beetroot hummus

Hummus is a matter of taste. I like it tart but if you don’t, then simply hold back on the lemon juice – you can always add more later.

1 tin of chickpeas (240g), drained & liquid reserved
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp tahini
50g cooked beetroot (about one small-medium beetroot), chopped roughly
1 tbsp olive oil plus additional for drizzling
Salt
Nigella seeds to garnish (optional)

Blend the chickpeas, garlic clove and lemon juice with a stick blender or in the small bowl of a food processor until smooth. Add the beetroot, tahini, a tablespoon of the liquid reserved from the chickpeas, and the tablespoon of olive oil.

Blend again. You want a smooth, creamy texture: if too thick, add another dash of the chickpea liquid. Taste and season with salt. Place in a bowl, garnish with the nigella seeds (if using) and a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Serve with crudités, pitta bread or flatbread.