Inspired by my husband’s Homestyle Borscht recipe, I whipped up a dill and beet hummus recipe made with Canadian chickpeas, beets and canola oil!

Ingredients

2-3 beets, peeled and cubed
1 2/3 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup fresh dill, finely diced, plus extra for roasting the beets
2 tbsp canola oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, diced
1tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup or more water
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Add 1 cup of dried chickpeas to a medium bowl and add two inches of water. Soak for 8-24 hours. I soaked them in the morning before going to work so that they were ready for me to use in the evening after work.

2. Drain the chickpeas from the water they were soaking in. Place in a medium pot and cover with another two inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour, until chickpeas are softened (pierce with a fork to determine softness). Drain in a small cauldron and rinse with cold water.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the beets. In a glass baking dish, drizzle one tablespoon canola oil. Add the beets and toss to coat. Sprinkle about 1-2 tablespoons of fresh dill. Bake the beets for 20 minutes, flip, then bake for another 20 minutes.

4. Let the chickpeas and beets cool for about 20 minutes. If you’re tight on time, feel free to skip right to the next step.

5. Using a food processor or blender, purée the chickpeas, beets, lemon juice, water, garlic, salt and dill. You will need to stop puréeing periodically to stir and/or add more water. I recommend adding half the water first, blending, then stirring the mixture with a spatula and adding the rest of the water. You may need to add more than the 1/4 cup, depending on your desired consistency. Blend until hummus is smooth. Sprinkle with extra fresh dill on top and refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Serve with fresh cut vegetables, pita, crackers, or pretzels.

Bon appetit!