Healthy Recipe: Beet Hummus with Spiced Pita Chips

Beet Hummus with Spiced Pita Chips

Recipe by Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN | Photo by Erin Kunkel

Impress your guests with this gorgeous (hello, fuchsia!) and nutritious hummus. Roasted beets provide more than just pretty color—they contain betalains, which act as antioxidants that may help prevent DNA damage to cells. Make it absolutely irresistible with homemade pita chips, which are crispy, spicy, and rubbed down with harissa. Scoop up the dip with fresh cucumber “chips,” too!   

Note: If you don’t have harissa, replace it with several drops of your favorite hot-pepper sauce.

Ingredients

3 beets, greens removed
2 tablespoons harissa (see note)
¼ cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) plus 1½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 whole-grain pitas
1 can (15 oz/470 g) unsalted chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¼ cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) unsweetened green tea, chilled, or cold water
¼ cup (2½ oz/75 g) tahini
Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
2 large garlic cloves
Salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground sumac (optional)
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Wrap the beets well in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake until tender when pierced at the center with a paring knife, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes. (You can cook the beets ahead and chill overnight).

In a small bowl, whisk together the harissa and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Brush the pitas with the spicy oil on both sides. Cut the pitas into 8 wedges each, and arrange in a single layer onto 2 large baking sheets. Bake until brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Set aside on a rack to cool.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the foil and peel and coarsely chop the beets. In the bowl of a food processor, add the chopped beets, chickpeas, green tea, tahini, lemon zest and juice, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, cumin, sumac, if using, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Cover and process until smooth, at least 2 minutes on high speed. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Transfer the beet hummus and spiced pita chips to serving bowls. Drizzle the hummus with the remaining 1½ teaspoons olive oil, sprinkle with the pine nuts, and serve.

Makes 16 servings
Serving size: ¼ cup (2 oz/60 g) hummus with 3 pita chips

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 139
Protein 4 g
Carbs 16 g
Fiber 3 g
Fat 8 g
Sugar 2 g
Sodium 201 mg