Beetroot & lemon houmous Recipe

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This Beetroot & Lemon Hummus is a vibrant and creamy recipe, which is made with earthy cooked beetroot and classic chickpeas. It’s a healthy twist on the classic dip, a perfect party appetizer that’s ready in about 35 minutes, including delicious homemade crispbreads.

Beetroot & Lemon Hummus Ingredients

A wholesome, colorful mix for a stunning dip and cracker combo.

For the Hummus:

1 x 250g jar of chickpeas
180g cooked beetroot (vacuum-packed is fine)
2 lemons
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon natural yoghurt
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional: amaranth shoots for garnish

For the Crispbreads:

100g rye flour
100g white spelt flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon clear runny honey
1 tablespoon mixed white & blue poppy seeds

How To Make Beetroot & Lemon Hummus

A step-by-step guide to this vibrant dip and its crunchy companion.

For the Homemade Crispbreads:

Prep and Mix Dough: Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. In a bowl, mix together the rye and spelt flours, baking powder, olive oil, honey, and 4 tablespoons of water. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then knead for about 3 minutes until smooth.
Roll and Bake: Divide the dough in half and roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface as thinly as you possibly can (about 1mm thick). Cut into rectangles, transfer to floured baking sheets, brush with a little water, and scatter over the poppy seeds.
Bake Until Crisp: Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Let them cool on a wire rack.

For the Beetroot & Lemon Hummus:

Blend the Hummus: Drain the chickpeas. Combine them in a food processor with the cooked beetroot and the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Blitz on high speed for 1 minute.
Add Flavorings: Peel and mince the garlic, then add it to the processor along with a pinch of salt and pepper and the 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Finish and Serve: Blitz again until the hummus is completely smooth. Taste and tweak the seasoning, adding more lemon juice if it needs more brightness. To serve, tip the hummus into a shallow bowl, swirl through the yoghurt, and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a little extra lemon zest.

Recipe Tips

For the creamiest hummus and crispiest crackers.

How to get the smoothest hummus? The key is to let your food processor run for a good amount of time to break everything down. If your hummus is still too thick, you can stream in a tablespoon or two of cold water while the processor is running until you reach your desired consistency.
Can I use canned chickpeas? Yes, the jarred chickpeas in the recipe are essentially the same as canned chickpeas. Just be sure to drain them well. Some people like to remove the skins from the chickpeas for an even smoother result, but it’s not necessary.
Can I make this ahead of time? Absolutely! The hummus is a perfect make-ahead dip. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The homemade crispbreads are also great to make ahead; store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.
Do I have to use cooked beetroot? Yes, for this recipe you must use pre-cooked beetroot. Raw beetroot is very hard and would not blend into a smooth, creamy hummus. Vacuum-packed, pre-cooked beets from the produce aisle are a fantastic, no-mess shortcut.

What To Serve With Beetroot & Lemon Hummus

Perfect pairings for this vibrant and healthy dip.

Besides the delicious homemade crispbreads, this hummus is wonderful with:

Warm pita bread or soft flatbreads
An assortment of fresh vegetable sticks, like carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers
As a colorful and healthy spread in sandwiches and wraps
As part of a larger meze platter with olives, feta, and other dips.

How To Store Beetroot & Lemon Hummus

Keeping your dip and crackers fresh.

Hummus: Store the hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 4 days. A thin layer of olive oil on top can help preserve it.
Crispbreads: Store the completely cooled crispbreads in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay crisp for several weeks.

Beetroot & Lemon Hummus Nutrition Facts

An estimated guide per serving (hummus only).

Calories: 180 kcal
Carbohydrates: 15 g
Protein: 5 g
Fat: 11 g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

Can I make the crispbreads with regular flour?

Yes. If you don’t have rye and spelt flour, you can make the crispbreads with 200g of plain all-purpose flour. The texture and flavor will be slightly different but still delicious.

My hummus tastes very earthy. How can I balance it?

Beetroot has a naturally earthy flavor. The lemon juice in this recipe is key to balancing that earthiness with bright acidity. If it still tastes too earthy for your liking, don’t be afraid to add another squeeze of fresh lemon juice until it tastes just right to you.

Is this recipe vegan?

To make this recipe fully vegan, simply omit the swirl of natural yoghurt on top, or substitute it with a swirl of tahini or a drizzle of a vegan-friendly yoghurt alternative.

Try More Recipes:

Course: AppetizersCuisine: Mediterranean-InspiredDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

180

kcal

A stunningly vibrant and healthy beetroot and lemon hummus that is incredibly creamy and easy to make, served with a simple recipe for homemade rye and spelt crispbreads.

Ingredients

Hummus: 1 x 250g jar chickpeas, 180g cooked beetroot, 2 lemons, 1 clove garlic, 1 tbsp natural yoghurt, extra virgin olive oil.
Crispbreads: 100g each rye and white spelt flour, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp poppy seeds, olive oil, baking powder.

Directions

Crispbreads: Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Mix the flours, baking powder, 3 tbsp olive oil, honey, and 4 tbsp water to form a smooth dough.
Roll the dough out very thinly, cut into rectangles, and place on a baking sheet. Brush with water, sprinkle with poppy seeds, and bake for 10 minutes until crisp.
Hummus: In a food processor, blitz the drained chickpeas, cooked beetroot, and the zest and juice of 1 lemon for 1 minute.
Add the minced garlic, 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, and seasoning. Blitz again until completely smooth.
Taste and add more lemon juice if needed.
Serve the hummus in a bowl, swirled with the yoghurt and drizzled with a little more olive oil and lemon zest, with the cooled crispbreads on the side.

Notes

Using pre-cooked, vacuum-packed beetroot is a great time-saving, no-mess shortcut.
For the smoothest hummus, let the food processor run for a few minutes and add a splash of cold water if it’s too thick.
The crispbreads are very versatile; feel free to add other seeds or spices like fennel or caraway.
The hummus is a perfect make-ahead dip as the flavors will meld and improve in the refrigerator.