Red Beet Hummus with Black Sesame Seed Tahini

An antioxidant-packed twist on regular hummus. Packed with flavor and good-for-you nutrients, this red beet hummus has become a regular savory snack at our home. Works also great on toast as a healthy lunch or breakfast option.

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Many ancient civilizations treasured sesame seeds and sesame oil for some good reasons. From cooking to being used as a massage oil, sesame oil and sesame seeds add tons of health benefits to your daily life.

Why You Should Add Sesame Seeds to Your Diet More Often

Researchers have found that sesame seeds contain many essential minerals our body needs. These minerals include copper, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, and zinc. Furthermore, these tiny seeds are packed with fiber and healthy fats.

Our body needs healthy fats to function properly. They are essential for a healthy functioning brain, they are an excellent source of energy and are crucial in relation to fat-soluble vitamins. Regularly adding sesame seeds or sesame oil to your diet will help you to make sure you get enough healthy fats to maintain optimum health and happiness. Next to boosting overall health and happiness, sesame seeds and their oil have been used for centuries to boost hair, skin, oral, and heart health.

While they also taste incredibly delicious, adding sesame seeds to your diet is definitely a must-try. We love to cook with black sesame seeds for their flavor. However, they are often a bit harder to find. If you can’t find them, white sesame seeds will do the trick. We add them to salads, stir-fries, homemade granola, and so much more. Why not try and make your own yummy black sesame tahini? It’s super easy. Scroll down to the notes of the recipe section to learn how.

Servings

Makes about 1 cup

Ready In:

30-40 min

Calories:

137 (per 2 Tbsp)

Good For:

Snack, Side Dish

Introduction

About this Recipe

By: Amy Goodrich

Though we still love our sweet treats to boost our energy levels during the day, more and more we start to appreciate a savory afternoon healthy snack such as this red beet hummus.

It can be eaten as an afternoon snack with veggie sticks or homemade seed crackers. It also works great on toast or sandwiches or as a side to add flavor and nutrients to salads or main meals. Or you can serve it as an apéro dip at your next dinner party.

You could use cooked red beets to make this hummus. However, I would strongly suggest you roast your beets to add more flavor.

Ingredients

1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
2-3 Tbsp black sesame tahini (scroll down to notes if you want to make your own)
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup red beet (raw), cubed
2-3 cloves garlic, skin on and lightly crushed
1 small lime, juice only
Himalayan pink salt, ground cumin, and black pepper to taste

FYI: Many of us buy canned chickpeas because of the long soaking and cooking times. But did you know that you could soak and cook a big batch and freeze them for later use? Click the link below for more info. There’s also a quick cooking method in there if you forgot to soak the chickpeas overnight.

ALSO READ: Chickpea 101: How To Soak, Sprout, Cook, and Freeze Chickpeas

Meet the powerhouse rock stars of this dish

Nutrition

A healthy afternoon snack packed with plant-based protein and many essential vitamins and minerals (like calcium, iron, folate, zinc, vitamin E and B vitamins) your body needs to thrive.

Plus, it’s full of fiber for a healthy gut and it contains heart-healthy fats.

This red beet hummus contains 137 calories per 2 tablespoons.

Dietary fiber 13% 13%
Carbs 5% 5%
Fat 11% 11%
Protein 8.6% 8.6%
Calories 6.9% 6.9%

NOTE:

The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) for protein is 0.36 grams of protein per pound (0.8 grams per kg) of body weight.

This amounts to:

56 grams per day for the average sedentary man
46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1 – Roast Red Beets and Garlic

Preheat the oven to 200C or 400F.

Add the cubed red beet and garlic to a baking sheet. Drizzle with a little cooking oil and roast until tender and slightly browned. This will take about 20-30 minutes. The smaller you cut the beets the faster they will roast.

Allow to cool.

Step 2 – Make The Hummus

Combine all red beet hummus ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth texture.

Serve with veggie sticks or seed crackers.

Notes: How To Make Black Sesame Tahini

Though you can buy regular or black sesame tahini in the store, making your own is super easy and always the better option as you exactly know what you put in it. No yucky preservatives, colorants, or other additives.

Step 1: toast black sesame seeds in a dry pan until fragrant.

Step 2: blend toasted sesame seeds in a small food processor or blender to make a paste. This will take a few minutes, depending on the strength of your blender. Scrape down the sides often. If you are having a hard time blending them into a paste add a little olive oil to make things easier. I like to keep a crunch in my tahini, so I did not blend until a smooth paste. However, if you like things smooth, keep blending until your desired consistency.

Step 3: store in a clean glass or plastic jar in the fridge for up to a month.

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