Roasted Beet Hummus

The natural color and sweetness of beets make this creamy, ruby red hummus as gorgeous as it is delicious. Perfect with veggies, crackers, pita chips or as a sandwich spread.

Yield: 2½ cups

Ingredients

2 medium cooked beets (about 8 ounces, peeled; here are 2 easy methods)
1 (15-ounce) can (or 1¾ cups cooked) garbanzo beans (drain and rinse, reserving a few tablespoons of the liquid)
3 tablespoons (46g) almond butter (may substitute tahini or cashew butter)
1 tablespoon (15ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (plus an extra squeeze to taste)
1 teaspoon (5ml) balsamic vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon each cayenne pepper and ground cumin
¾ teaspoon kosher salt and a few turns of the pepper mill

Roughly chop the cooked and peeled beets, and then place them in a food processor along with the garbanzo beans. Briefly process, scrape down the sides, and then add the remaining ingredients on top. (This prevents these ingredients from getting trapped under the blade.) Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice, as needed.
If you would like the consistency of the hummus to be thinner, add some of the reserved liquid, a tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved. If you forgot to reserve the liquid, you may use water or olive oil. At this point feel free to taste and adjust the seasonings, adding an extra squeeze of lemon juice, if desired.
Serve with veggies dippers (carrots, celery, cucumbers, radishes, etc.), pita chips, crackers, or use as a sandwich spread or for hummus toast. The hummus will keep in the fridge for up to a week.