Beetroot Hummus - Chef Recipe by Henri Azzi

Ingredients

2 cups chickpeas (soaked overnight)
1/2 cup tahini
Juice of a lemon
2 raw garlic cloves
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
1kg beetroot
Pinch of bicarbonate of soda

Method

Place beetroot in a saucepan and cover with water, cook on a medium heat until soft, approximately 1-2 hours depending on size. You should be able to run a knife through without resistance.

Once cooked, place in a stainless steel bowl and cover with cling film. This will help remove the skin from the beetroot.

When cool enough, peel off the skin and cut into bite sized pieces.

Cover the chickpeas with water, boil until soft and falling apart. Add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to help break them down. Once cooked, strain and leave to cool.

Place the beetroot, chickpeas, garlic, tahini and lemon juice into a food processor and blend to a coarse paste. With the processor running, slowly add the oil through the feed tube until the mixture is thick and smooth.

Season well, serve with warmed Lebanese bread.