20 Jun beetroot hummus

Remember when beetroots used to mean those sad, salty slices brined in a jar? We love to see this sweet, earthy root getting the credit and treatment in the kitchen it deserves. Our beetroot hummus has been rather ubiquitous this last year and we have played around with the recipe, adding this and that to give it a new depth each time. Our favourite way to serve this is with dollops of whipped goat cheese and slices of smoked salmon alongside slices of bread so that our friends can mix and match their toppings. Either way, the colours will be vibrant and the taste will be delicious.

What you need for a forkful of beetroot hummus

4 fresh beets*

1 lemon

2 cloves of garlic

1 x tin of chickpeas

1 teaspoon of ground coriander or cumin (grind them fresh from seeds if you have them)

Salt and Pepper

4 tablespoons of olive oil

Chopped walnuts (optional – but they taste great)

Heat your oven to 200c/180c fan/Gas Mark 6.

Wrap your beets in tin foil and roast in a baking dish for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a knife can easily slice the beets.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before unwrapping the beets and peeling them. Prepare for your hands to get beety red.

Roughly chop them before transferring to your food processor. Squeeze in the juice of half the lemon. Grate in the garlic cloves, add the drained chickpeas, the ground spice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and blitz. Add a drop of water until you get a consistency you like. We left ours chunky but smooth is good too.

Give it a taste and add the juice of the other half of the lemon if you think it needs it.

Serve with, as above, warm slices of bread, creamy whipped goat cheese and slices of smoked salmon. It will keep for a couple of days in the fridge in a sealed container so don’t be afraid to make a big batch.

*We have also totally cheated and used the vacuum packed beets to not at all bad results so don’t be shy about cutting corners with this recipe. But if you have the time go with the fresh beets all the way.

Thank you to the brilliant Tierranniesaur for the use of their track Maro Rides The Wave and also thanks to Fallon & Byrne who let us shoot in their shop early one Sunday morning.