Hot pink beet hummus

2 large red beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 cans (14 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon more salt
¾ cup tahini
¼ cup water

Preheat oven to 400 F. 

Wash 2 large beets, then place them on a 12 x 18 inch (ish) sheet of aluminum foil. Cover beets with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons salt. Wrap foil to cover beets completely and seal the ends to make a nice foil envelope for roasting. Bake for 45 minutes or until fork can puncture foil and beet easily. 

Cool beets a bit (or flush under cool water) and place on cutting board. Cut skin off beets, slicing off top and bottom of the beets as well. Wash again to get the extra salt off of the beets and to clean them again. Do not substitute canned or pre-cooked beets.

Place beets in processor and blend until smooth. Add garbanzo beans, lemon juice, salt and tahini. Blend 30 seconds to mix. Slowly add water through spout on top of food processor. Blend on high speed for FIVE MINUTES — that’s right, 5 minutes — until smooth, stopping once to scrape sides of food processor. 

Serve with fresh cut carrots, cucumbers and celery. You can also top the hummus with olive oil and garnish with sesame seeds.

Makes approximately 4 cups.

By Kate Bolt, #livinglark
To buy a copy of Kate’s new book Lark: Cocktails, go to LivingLark.com