Market Recipe Blog: Beet Hummus

 

Beet season is in full swing here at the UBC Farm, and we couldn’t be any more excited! Here are some reasons why:

1. Both the greens and the beetroot are edible.  The beetroot and its greens are both an excellent source of folate, vitamin A and K, and a very good source of manganese, copper, and potassium.
2. Beetroot juice is one of the richest dietary sources of antioxidants and naturally occurring nitrates (not to be confused with nitrites!) that improve blood flow.
3. Beets add colour to the plate! There are red, golden, and chioggia (pink striped) beets. They can all be used interchangeably in your favourite recipes!
4. Beets, with the tops removed, can be kept in the fridge 2-4 weeks, so they are the perfect vegetable to have on hand if you know you’re short on time to grocery shop in the next week. Just make sure to remove the beet greens from the beet root so they won’t draw moisture from the beet.

Beets make a pretty un-beet-able veggie to incorporate into your daily diet, so if you’re still stumped on what to do with those beautiful beets you saw last week at the farmer’s market, here’s one of our favourite ways to eat it!

Beet Hummus

If you love hummus, you’ll love this creamy balsamic beet hummus. It’s perfect to have on-hand in the fridge anytime you have a snack attack with some veggies or crackers, or when you need a spread to fix yourself a quick sandwich for lunch! Yield: 2.5 cups hummus

Recipe

• 1 medium beet, diced

• 2 cloves unpeeled garlic

• 1 cup dry red lentils

• 1 tbsp olive oil + more for roasting

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• ¼ cup tahini

• ½ tsp sea salt + more to taste

• Black pepper to taste

• Balsamic glaze, to garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

• Toss diced beet and garlic cloves in a bit of oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Roast in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until fork-tender. When cool enough to handle, peel the cloves of garlic.

• Meanwhile, cook the lentils in a medium pot with a generous 3 cups of water according to package directions. Once cooked through, drain thoroughly.
• In a food processor, blend the cooked lentils, roasted beet, peeled garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and tahini. Adjust consistency and flavours by adding more oil, lemon juice or balsamic, salt, and pepper to taste.

Pick up beets at any of our three weekly markets: Tuesdays 4-6:30PM at the UBC Farm, Wednesdays 11:30AM-1:30PM at the UBC Bookstore, and Saturdays 10AM-2PM at UBC Farm. Learn more about our produce and browse other recipes in our Market Recipe Blog. Recieve regular market recipes from our newsletter here.