Roasted Beet Hummus with Orange Zest and Toasted Cumin
A bright magenta beet hummus made with roasted beets, tahini, toasted cumin and orange zest. It's silky, earthy and a little citrusy, and great for dips or sandwiches.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- 20 min
- Serves
- 8
Roasted Beet Hummus with Orange Zest and Toasted Cumin is a vegan snack recipe made with red beet, extra-virgin olive oil, ground cumin. It takes 65 minutes of hands-on time, plus 20 minutes resting, serves 8, and each serving has 141 calories, 4 g of protein and 4 g of fiber.
Roasting the beet in foil makes it sweeter and drives off some water, so the hummus stays thick instead of turning watery. Toasting the cumin in a dry pan for less than a minute adds a warm, nutty note that stands up to the beet's earthiness. Orange zest and a splash of juice brighten it more than lemon alone would. Blending the tahini with lemon and ice water before adding the chickpeas is what makes the texture so smooth.
Ingredients
- 1 medium82 gred beet, scrubbed and trimmed
Hummus
- 1 tsp4.5 gextra-virgin olive oil, for roasting
- 1 tsp2.1 gground cumin
- ¼ cup60 gtahini, well stirred
- 3 tbsp46 gfresh lemon juice
- 1 clove3 ggarlic, roughly chopped
- 1 small92 gorange, zested and juiced (about 1 tsp zest and 2 tbsp juice)
- ¾ tsp4.5 gfine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 3 tbsp45 gice water, Add up to 1 more tbsp if needed for a looser texture
- 1 can240 gchickpeas, drained and rinsed, 15-ounce can
- 2 tbsp27 gextra-virgin olive oil
To serve
- 1 tbsp14 gextra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling (optional)
- 2 tbsp16 gtoasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
- 1 tbsp3.8 gfresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Kit: food processor, small baking sheet, aluminum foil, small skillet, microplane or zester
Tips
- Wear gloves or rub the skin off over the sink, because beet juice stains hands and cutting boards.
- Roast a few extra beets at once. Peeled roasted beets keep 5 days in the fridge and make this a 10-minute job.
- For a smoother texture, pinch the skins off the chickpeas before blending.
- The flavor gets deeper after a few hours in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Swap ideas
- Use 1 cup vacuum-packed cooked beets instead of roasting your own
- Saves almost an hour. The flavor is a little less sweet and caramelized, but still good.
- Toast 1 tsp whole cumin seeds and grind them instead of using ground cumin
- Gives a stronger, more aromatic cumin flavor with tiny flecks of texture.
- Use lime juice and zest instead of the orange
- Makes it sharper and more tangy, with less sweetness.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- Adds gentle heat or smokiness to balance the beet's sweetness.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
141kcal per serving
Everything else · 8 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 1.2 g 6%
- Sugars
- 3.4 g
- Sodium
- 238 mg 10%
- Potassium
- 185 mg 4%
- Calcium
- 57 mg 4%
- Iron
- 1.8 mg 10%
- Vitamin C
- 9 mg 10%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Beets, raw, Oil, olive, salad or cooking, Spices, cumin seed, Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, from roasted and toasted kernels (most common type), Lemon juice, raw, Garlic, raw, Oranges, raw, all commercial varieties, Salt, table, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt
Method
Heat the oven to 400°F. Rub the beet with 1 tsp olive oil, wrap it tightly in foil, and set it on a small baking sheet.
Roast until a paring knife slides easily into the center with no resistance, 45–60 minutes depending on size. Open the foil and let the beet cool until you can handle it, about 20 minutes.
While the beet cools, toast the cumin in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until it smells fragrant and turns a shade darker, 30–45 seconds, then tip it into a bowl right away so it doesn't burn.
Rub off the beet skin with a paper towel or your fingers, then cut the beet into chunks. You should have about 1 cup.
In a food processor, blend the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, orange zest, 2 tbsp orange juice, toasted cumin and salt for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides, add the ice water, and blend until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 30 seconds.
Add the chickpeas and beet chunks. Process for 2–3 minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice, until very smooth.
With the motor running, drizzle in 2 tbsp olive oil. If the hummus is too thick to swirl with a spoon, blend in another 1 tbsp ice water. Taste, then adjust with more salt, lemon or orange juice.
Spread the hummus in a shallow bowl, make a swirl with the back of a spoon, and top with a drizzle of olive oil, pumpkin seeds and parsley if you like.
Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Press plastic wrap or a thin layer of olive oil onto the surface to stop it drying out. It can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge, then stir well before serving.
Questions
- How much protein is in roasted beet hummus with orange zest and toasted cumin?
- Each of the 8 servings has 4 g of protein, 4 g of fiber and 141 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is roasted beet hummus with orange zest and toasted cumin vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does roasted beet hummus with orange zest and toasted cumin take to make?
- 15 minutes of prep and 50 minutes of cooking, so 65 minutes of hands-on time, plus 20 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make roasted beet hummus with orange zest and toasted cumin ahead?
- Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Press plastic wrap or a thin layer of olive oil onto the surface to stop it drying out. It can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge, then stir well before serving.
- What can I substitute in roasted beet hummus with orange zest and toasted cumin?
- Use 1 cup vacuum-packed cooked beets instead of roasting your own — saves almost an hour. the flavor is a little less sweet and caramelized, but still good.. Toast 1 tsp whole cumin seeds and grind them instead of using ground cumin — gives a stronger, more aromatic cumin flavor with tiny flecks of texture.. Use lime juice and zest instead of the orange — makes it sharper and more tangy, with less sweetness.. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or 1/4 tsp smoked paprika — adds gentle heat or smokiness to balance the beet's sweetness..
- Does roasted beet hummus with orange zest and toasted cumin contain gluten or nuts?
- None of the ingredients are a source of gluten, tree nuts or peanuts. That is a statement about the ingredient list, not a guarantee about the brands you buy — always read the labels if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 15, 2026 ·Middle Eastern