A beautifully vibrant hummus made with beetroot and topped with a contrasting medley of green vegetables, herbs, feta and nigella seeds.

This gorgeous hummus with a contrasting and complementary green topper came about by chance one weekend. I love both beetroot and hummus – the combination of the two brings about a delicious hummus with a slightly sweet yet earthy flavour profile. The colour, as you can see, is a vibrant pink and will look incredible at any dinner party as an appetiser for your guests.

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: N/A
Course: Dips / Sides

Ingredients:
Hummus
• 1 jar chickpeas (660g / drained weight 425g) (drained and rinsed)
• 125 g cooked beetroot
• 2 cloves garlic (minced or crushed)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup olive oil (60 ml)
• 1/4 cup tahini (60 ml)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup water (60 ml)
• Salt & pepper (to taste)

Topping
• 2 baby cucumbers
• 2 spring onions
• 5 green olives
• 50 g feta cheese (non-dairy alternative if vegan or preferred)
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp nigella seeds
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
• Drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice

To make:
1) In order to get a smoother hummus (and if you can be bothered), after draining the chickpeas and rinsing, place the chickpeas on one half of a tea towel and rub gently with the other half of the tea towel to agitate the skins off. Then pick out the chickpea skins before blitzing.
2) Add all hummus ingredients, except water, salt and pepper to a food processor / nutribullet. Blend until smooth. Then add water and blend further until you have a creamy texture. Season to taste. Adjust seasoning and / or lemon juice to taste. I leave my hummus in the fridge while I prepare the topper to firm up the consistency a little.
3) To make the topping finely dice cucumbers, spring onions and olives. Crumble in feta and add cumin, nigella seeds and dill. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice and stir gently to mix all the topper ingredients.

Originally created by Mersedeh Prewer for Saffron and Herbs.
January 04, 2023