I’m going to be honest with you: I hate beets.

I really WANT to like them. Not only are they incredibly good for you, they’re also a gorgeous color. But every time I eat them, they just taste like dirt.

So why am I sharing this beet hummus recipe with you? Because it’s delicious—whether you like beets or not.

The recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks ever: Run Fast. Eat Slow. I decided to try it because my sweet baby is SUCH a good eater, and I want to give her tons of different flavors early, so that hopefully she will stay that way. And since she loves normal hummus, I thought she might like this, too. Plus, vitamins.

Well, she loved it. She kept saying “Mmmm!” with every bite, and then leaning forward in her highchair so I would give her more. It was precious. And, amazingly enough, I loved it, too! The garlic and other ingredients overpower the beet flavor, especially if you use a small-ish beet.

Let me know what you think of this recipe, and tell me in the comments whether you like beets or not.

Beet hummus

(adapted from Run Fast. Eat Slow.)
1 small or medium beet
(15-ounce) can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Roast the beet (this part can be done a day or two before you make the hummus): Preheat the oven to 350F. Wash and trim the beet (or multiple beets, if you want some for other uses) and wrap each individually in foil on a cookie sheet. Cook for an hour to 1.5 hours, depending on the size of the beet (you’ll know it’s ready when you can easily stick a fork into the middle of the beet). Unwrap and let cool—the peel will come right off. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to use it/them.

When ready to make the hummus, rinse and drain the chickpeas. Throw them into a food processor or good blender, and add the roasted beet along with the other ingredients. Process or blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender/food processor with a silicone spatula as necessary.