Hummus made entirely from chickpeas is one of the great loves of my life, but even I recognise the need to change things up a little from time to time. This recipe is the answer. Not only do you get a new flavour, the colour is incredible too. Note that this is good made with carrots as well. My friend Henry Witheridge – another great gardener – recently introduced me to split pea hummus, too. Another exciting addition to the hummus repertoire.

Ingredients

  • 1 Beetroot large raw (about 225g)
  • 3tbsp Olive oil
  • 400g (1 tin) Chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1tbsp Lemon juice
  • 2 cloves of garlic crushed
  • 2tbsp Tahini
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  • STEP 1

    Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.

  • STEP 2

    Top and tail the beetrootand peel the root. Cut into 3cm cubes. Wrap the beetroot in foil with 1tbsp of the olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until soft. When soft remove the beetroot from the foil and put into a bowl to cool.

  • STEP 3

    Put the cooled beetroot into a food processor with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and tahini and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and pour over the remaining oil.

This recipe is taken from Grow Fruit & Vegetables in Pots by Aaron Bertelsen (Phaidon, 2020).

Authors

Aaron Bertelsen

Having studied at Kew Gardens and spent two years at Jerusalem Botanical Gardens in Israel, Aaron Bertelsen is now vegetable gardener and cook at Great Dixter. His book, The Great Dixter Cookbook was published in March 2017.