Magic Beet and Black Bean Hummus: A Fantastical Plant-Based Delight
Borrowing from Middle Eastern traditions – with a playful, plant-powered twist
Table of Contents
- ✨ Before We Begin…
- The Cook’s Mind
- A Note on Origin
- Ingredient Focus: Beetroot
- My Favourite Way To Eat
- Multi-Purpose Recipe
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- What Will You Learn Whilst Making This Recipe?
- Handpicked to Go With This One
- Waste Less: How To Use Up Your Ingredient Stash!
- Magic Beet and Black Bean Hummus Recipe
✨ Before We Begin…
Sometimes you want something that looks as good as it tastes. This richly coloured hummus – deep pink, almost regal – is a little earthy, a little sweet, and altogether more interesting than your standard beige blend. Black beans give body and protein, beetroot brings its mineral magic, and the result is smooth, luscious, and properly scoopable. This is the kind of dip that wakes up a snack plate, elevates a sandwich, and makes a quiet weekday lunch feel a bit like a picnic. It’s vegan, of course – but more than that, it’s vibrant, nourishing, and unexpectedly beautiful.
‘Must be best food offer, of any genre, in Kendal. Hugely accomplished cooking and very much recommended.’
Tony P, Kendal; Food Customer
The Cook’s Mind
This hummus invites you to think about colour as flavour – how something vivid on the plate can feel just as bold on the tongue. It teaches you to move beyond chickpeas and explore how different pulses bring new textures and body to a familiar form. And it’s a quiet reminder that a dip can be a dish in its own right – not just a side, but something you build a meal around.
Make-Ahead
Make the hummus up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, allowing the flavours to deepen. Stir before serving to restore creaminess.
Freezer-Friendly
- Freeze in small portions if needed.
- Defrost in the fridge and stir well.
- Use within a month for best flavour.
Key Substitution Ideas
- Balsamic glaze could be subbed for pomegranate molasses. If you are without either ingredient, add 1/2 tsp of balsamic vinegar and 1/2 tsp of agave instead.
- Black beans could be subbed for red kidney beans or carlins. Something with a darker skin colour is preferable.
- Red onions could be subbed for brown; red onions are used mainly for colour and their slightly sweeter flavour.
- Red wine vinegar – if you need to sub, use apple cider vinegar first, then white wine vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is sweeter.
A Note on Origin
We probably all think of the Middle East as the origin of hummus. And we probably all think of the tubs of creamy chickpea hummus that’s the norm in British supermarkets. This article gives some background to hummus and names Syria as the birthplace of one of our favourite dips. However, beetroot and black bean hummus offers a refreshed take on this classic.
Ingredient Focus: Beetroot
Beetroot brings more than colour to the table. It’s naturally rich in dietary nitrates, which can help increase blood flow and oxygen efficiency – especially valued by endurance athletes and long-distance walkers. In plant-based cooking, beetroot is a grounding ingredient – sweet, earthy, and generous – perfect for dips, bakes, and bowls that need a little more soul.
✨ Sweet soil turned to velvet.
My Favourite Way To Eat
With sticks of carrot, celery and cucumber. I like the refreshing watery vegetables against the creamy hummus.
Multi-Purpose Recipe
This recipe has more than one life. Learn to use its elements across different dishes – and start thinking like a cook, not just a recipe follower.
This hummus does more than dip duty. Spread it into wraps, layer it in sandwiches, or use it as a vibrant base for flatbread-style pizzas topped with grilled veg or falafel. It’s also excellent spooned over warm leftovers – tagine, chilli, bolognese – adding a gentle hit of protein and earthy-sweet depth wherever it lands.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- An alternative to regular hummus!
- It is very easy and quick!
- Freezer-Friendly and Make-Ahead
- Unusual, delicious and nourishing
- Wholefood! 😋
What Will You Learn Whilst Making This Recipe?
- How to balance earthy and sweet flavours in a savoury dip
- How to use black beans for a velvety, protein-rich base
- How cooked beetroot can lend colour, depth and gentle sweetness
- How to season boldly so hummus feels complete, not flat
- How to create a dip that works as a centrepiece, not just a side
Handpicked to Go With This One
A few recipes that play well together — flavour friends, not just neighbours.
Waste Less: How To Use Up Your Ingredient Stash!
Got something spare – a handful, a spoonful, or the end of a packet? These tags help you find other ways to use it. It’s a small step toward cooking intuitively and wasting less❣️
balsamic glaze, beetroot, black beans, breadcrumbs, cooked beetroot, fresh garlic, harissa, nutritious yeast, pumpkin seeds, red onion, red wine vinegar, smoked paprika, tahini
Magic Beet and Black Bean Hummus Recipe
Magic Beet and Black Bean Hummus: A Fantastical Plant-Based Delight
Sautéed onion and garlic form the base of this bold, silky hummus, blended with beetroot and black beans. The result is earthy, sweet, and vibrantly coloured – a dip that looks as good as it tastes. Adjust the texture to suit your mood – smooth, thick, or somewhere in between.
Photographed truthfully. If you cook it, yours will look like mine.
Ingredients
- 50 g pumpkin seeds | toasted
- 50 g red onion | peeled weigh
- 2 units garlic cloves | peeled and sliced
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp red wine vinegar
- 50 g breadcrumbs | ideally a seeded batch or sourdough
- 300 g cooked beetroot
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp balsamic glaze
- 130 g black beans | cooked weight
- 1 tbsp nutritious yeast
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp harissa
- ¼ tsp sumac
- ½ tbsp tahini
Instructions
- On a low heat, toast the pumpkin seeds. They will start jumping about! Ensure you have a cold plate ready to tip them onto, to immediatley take the heat out of them.50 g pumpkin seeds
- Cook the onion and garlic in the oil very gently. When the onion and garlic are soft, almost creamy, add the red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan.50 g red onion, 2 units garlic cloves, ½ tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp red wine vinegar
- Add the listed ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Tip in the cooked onion and garlic when ready, and also the pumpkin seeds. Ensure everything is blended until it's really smooth and creamy (run the processor for about 5 minutes minimum).Taste. Adjust the salt, maybe a little more, maybe an ⅛ tsp more…50 g breadcrumbs, 300 g cooked beetroot, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tbsp balsamic glaze, 130 g black beans, 1 tbsp nutritious yeast, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp harissa, ¼ tsp sumac, ½ tbsp tahini
Nutrition
Calories: 149kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 7gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 181mgPotassium: 368mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 105IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 2mg
Nutritional values are estimates only and will vary depending on specific ingredients used. Nutrition is per serving. Information is for the main recipe, not optional accompaniments.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
COPYRIGHT
© The Golden Polar Bear, 2025. Recipes and photography by Julia Savory. If you share this, please pass it along with kindness and if possible share a link back to this site. #ForTheAnimals
Photographed truthfully. If you cook it, yours will look like mine.
Next Steps?
You’ve got the full recipe — now take it further. Inside Black Labrador, you’ll find structured video courses and an ever-growing cookbook designed to help you cook with understanding, not guesswork. Learn, revisit, and deepen your skills at your own pace.
‘Totally recommend the cookery course. The meals are really tasty and full of flavour (not like most of the vegan mush I make for myself).’
Kerry B, Cumbria
