Beetroots are rich in antioxidants which help to boost the immune system (helpful in keeping bugs at bay now that we’re in throws of Winter) and folate, and are not only thought to help reduce blood pressure but can also help to boost exercise performance.

I was served some beetroot hummus a couple of weeks ago, and whilst it was ok, it was lacking a bit of oomph.

Enter horseradish.

It gives just enough of a kick without overpowering the natural earthiness of beetroot. It tastes divine.  Give it a go and let me know what you think.  It’s a teensy bit of a faff with the roasting of the beetroot, but it’s well worth the effort.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 4 small beetroots or 2 large beetroots, washed and stems trimmed, cooked. I roasted mine whole in the oven at 220 degrees C for 1 hour, and once cooled (but still warm) rinsed the skin away under cold water with my fingers.
• 2  x 400g tinned chickpeas, drained
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 2 garlic cloves, roasted or raw
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 10 basil leaves
• 2 heaped tablespoons creamed horseradish
• 1/2 cup of water
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 220 degrees C (fan oven).  Wash the beetroot thoroughly, drizzle with a little olive oil and wrap each one individually in some foil. Place on a baking tray on a middle shelf for one hour.
2. Once cooked (pierce with a skewer to check – it should go through easily) leave to cool until warm to the touch.
3. Rinse under cool running water to help loosen the skins, roughly chops into quarters and set aside**.  If the skins do not come off easily stick the beetroot back in the oven for a little while longer.
4. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender and  blitz.  I used my NutriBullet and due to the lack of wet ingredients found I had to stop mid flow, scrape down the hummus and re-blend so all the ingredients were blended properly. If you have a food processor this might make the process a little easier. Adjust seasoning accordingly.  There are no hard or fast rules here so feel free to use your artistic licence.
5. Serve with crudités, or warmed up pitta.  My personal favourite is to spread the hummus on rye bread, top with avocado, roasted vegetables, feta and some greens. Absolute bliss.

** Your fingers might get tinged with pink, however I’ve found if I wash them thoroughly after handling the beets then I get very little staining.

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