I had all the best intentions of getting this recipe posted yesterday, however, an Orange is the New Black marathon was calling my name on Sunday and I just couldn’t seem to drag myself away from Season 3. Do we seriously have to wait a whole year to find out what happens? It’s just like Game of Thrones. I’m too impatient for this type of TV programming. Anyways, let’s move on to happier things….like Beet Hummus Pitas. Okay, okay. I know what you’re thinking – beets? Yes. Beets. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve neglected this beautiful root veggie over the last 26 years of my life. I think I’ve had beets maybe two other times. But I had bought some to juice, and I did make one juice with a beet, but then I reeeeeaaally didn’t feel like cleaning the juicer again to make more juice, so I decided to find a different way to use them up, and Ta Daa!!!!! Behold, the most beautiful pita you’ve ever seen…

How freakin’ beautiful is that purple hummus?!?! I mean I seriously geeked out over how vibrant and flavorful this was. I’m not a huge fan of just plain ol’ beets, but in hummus? With a nice sprinkling of feta cheese? And fresh basil?!?!? It was awesome.

This hummus was super easy to make, and then once the hummus is made, it only takes another 10 minutes to turn the hummus into a toasty, cheesy pita. So you can make the hummus ahead of time, and then just quickly heat up the oven the next day for an easy, healthy, and delectable dinner that the whole family will love. I mean come on, just look at all that color! Kids love their foods to have bright, crazy colors. All you need is a side of veggies and you’ve got a plant packed, nutrient dense meal. PS. These roasted carrots were ah-mazing, and I’ll be posting that recipe in the next week or so, so hang tight for that one.

Okay, so here’s the recipe. I based the hummus recipe off of this one from Not Your Standard, and then made some adaptations. As long as you have tahini, chickpeas, garlic, and lemon, you really can’t make a bad hummus 😉

Print Roasted Beet Hummus Pitas Ingredients: 2 lg beets, ends removed and peeled

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed with cold water

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 lg garlic cloves, diced

2 tbsp tahini

1/2 tsp Siracha (or other hot sauce)

2 tbsp water

1/4-1/2 tsp salt depending on how salty you want your hummus

2 Tbsp olive oil

Ezekiel wheat pitas, 6 per package (or another pita that you like)

Feta cheese (about 1 cup)

Fresh herbs (optional - I used basil and parsley)

Balsamic vinegar (optional) Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dice the beets into large chunks and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until beets are very tender. While the beets are roasting, in a food processor or blender combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, siracha, water, and salt. Blend till smooth. When the beets are done roasting add them along with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to the hummus and blend well, scraping down the sides as needed till everything is smooth. Place the pita breads on the baking sheet. Top with a generous dollop of hummus (about 1/4 cup) and spread it around. Then add about 2 tbsp feta on top each pita. Place in the 400 degree oven for about ten minutes, till cheese is browned a little bit. Top with fresh, julienned herbs if you like, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar if you want. I used blackberry balsamic, and it was awesome. 3.1 http://www.healthyvittlesandbits.com/2015/06/30/roasted-beet-hummus-pitas/

Just a little PSA, if you’ve never worked with beets before, you should know that they turn everything reddish pink. And I mean everything. So if you get it on your countertops or clothes or carpet, make sure you clean it up right away to prevent staining. And just so you’re prepared, eating beets can turn your urine and stool reddish pink as well, so if that happens don’t freak out!

Now, you can eat these with just the feta on top and it will be totally awesome. Or, should you wish to take things to the next level of flava, top with some fresh herbs and a little balsamic vinegar. I used a blackberry infused balsamic and it was seriously the best thing ever.

I definitely need to invest in a little pourable top for my balsamic bottle because, as you can see, it sort of just slopped on there and didn’t get quite that perfect drizzled effect I was going for…

Regardless, I think you can still see how incredible this is going to taste. So please, stop by your local farmers market or grocery store and invest in some beets. You will not be sorry. And neither will your insides, because beets are AWESOME for you.

Beets are great for your liver and your heart! Beets are a good source of betaine and folate, and these nutrients work together to reduce homocysteine levels, which is helpful, because a high level of homocysteine in the blood can lead to inflammation in the blood vessels – ie, heart problems. Beets are also high in potassium, which is also great for heart health.

Do your taste buds and your body a favor, and pick up some beets to whip up this flavorful hummus ASAP. You can make it on toasted pitas like I did, or you can simply use it as a great dip for raw veggies.

Do you like beets? What’s your favorite way to enjoy them? I need more ideas because I am so in LOVE with their color and earthy flavor that I need to add them to everything. Like, now. Leave comments and let me know!

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