Roasted Baby Beets with Hummus

Deliciously sweet oven roasted baby beets layered on top of a bed of lush creamy hummus with pops of pomegranate and pine nuts. This is a delicious side dish to serve for lunch or dinner.

Why You’ll Love This Roasted Baby Beets

Whenever I see those vibrant baby beets pop up at our greengrocer, I immediately envision how to use them in my cooking. The sweet earthy tones of baby beets are a true delight, and I could happily enjoy them anytime.

For today’s roasted baby beet recipe, I decided to pair it with hummus and pomegranate. I love the lush texture of hummus together with roasted baby beets, and they are both wonderfully counterbalanced by the tangy sweetness of pomegranate molasses and arils. 

Plus, the red and golden hues on top of the creamy base make this vegetarian side dish stunning.

This is a great recipe to serve for lunch or dinner as a side dish. Plus, the stunning colours of this recipe would work as a holiday festive side dish. 

You can also prepare this roasted beet recipe for a light vegetarian lunch together with our marinated mushroom recipe. The combination is sure to be a hit, especially when served with crusty bread or warm pita bread for dipping and scooping up all the creamy hummus goodness and tangy roasted baby beets.

What Is The Best Way to Cook Baby Beets?

My go-to method is roasting them in the oven. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness and intensifies the earthy flavours, making them an absolute game changer in the kitchen.

One of the best things about oven roasted beets is that they retain their texture, tender to eat but not too soft. I prefer a subtle bite to my roasted beets, and boiling them can sometimes overcook them and result in a texture that’s too soft.

Another bonus to roasting beets is that you often end up with little charred bits on the tops or ends, adding an extra smoky flavour that’s hard to resist.

How To Use Baby Beets in Recipes?

Baby beets are a versatile vegetable that can be used in salads, roast dinners, sandwiches, pizza toppings, frittatas, tarts or toast toppers. 

As you can see, we don’t mind a good baby beetroot recipe! Try our baby beetroot feta salad with beetroot crisps, tangelo with baby beets salad or freekeh and beetroot salad. You can even try pickling them, similar to our pickled beets recipe. 

All are delicious ways to use baby beets.   

Recipe Overview

Flavour/Texture: The contrasting flavours and textures in this roasted baby beet recipe make it utterly delicious. 

The sweet earthy tones of the tender, oven-roasted baby beets perfectly complement the creamy and slightly nutty flavours of hummus. To add a tangy kick and balance out the richness, I’ve included pomegranate molasses and arils, as well as pops of pine nuts for added crunch. 

Ease: This is an easy side dish to prepare. The only cooking required is roasting the beets, which is a simple task that basically involves leaving them in the oven to do their thing. 

However, I do recommend spending a little extra effort on presentation, as the stunning red and golden hues are sure to catch the eye. 

Time: Actual cooking time will vary depending on the size of your beets. I would allow approximately 45 minutes. You can prepare all other ingredients whilst waiting for beetroot to cook. 

Ingredients

These are the ingredients you need for roasted baby beets with hummus:

Baby beets: I chose two different coloured baby beets, but you can use one variety. If the baby beets vary in size, cut them into halves or quarters so they roast more evenly.

Pomegranate molasses and arils: I adore the flavours of pomegranate, so I decided to use two different elements! The rich, caramel sweet, tangy flavours of pomegranate molasses are perfect to offset the earthy tones of beetroot. And the arils add a wonderful pop of colour and crunchy texture.

Pine nuts: The buttery flavour of pine nuts make it an easy addition. You don’t need to toast them first, but it adds a wonderful aroma to the dish.

Mint leaves: Not only for colour and garnish, but refreshing mint also helps cut through the richness of hummus.

Hummus: I love the creamy base hummus adds to the overall dish. And because I am layering it on the plate first and not mixed with the baby beets, everyone can scoop as much or as little as they want.

Greek yoghurt: Hummus alone can be a bit too thick, so just like our hummus dressing, I wanted to create a smoother consistency for this recipe. Greek yoghurt helps to thin it out and adds another layer of tang.

Garlic: A little crushed garlic goes a long way in flavour. I love it in the hummus. 

Variations and Substitutions

Beetroot varieties: There are quite a number of beetroot varieties that you can use. If you can’t find baby beets, you can use a larger variety. For larger beets, I would roast whole, then peel while still warm and cut into smaller chunks. Similar to our roasted beetroot salad process.

Pomegranate molasses substitution: If you don’t have pomegranate molasses, substitute it with balsamic vinegar. It will be more tart than pomegranate molasses, so adjust accordingly. 

Pomegranate arils: I bought a whole pomegranate and removed the seeds from the fruit but you can also buy fresh pomegranate arils in a container at a greengrocer or frozen arils at a supermarket.

Nut free option: omit pine nuts for a nut free side dish. Add sunflower seeds instead.

Vegan option: Switch the Greek yoghurt for your favourite vegan-based yoghurt.

Instructions

Step by step instructions for how to make roasted baby beets with hummus:

How To Prepare Beets for Roasting 

Preheat oven to 200°C or 400°F.

Trim baby beets and wash well. Leave the skin on and give them a good scrub to remove any excess dirt. 

Cut larger baby beets into halves or quarters so they are similar to your smaller whole baby beets. This will help the beets roast evenly.

Place baby beets in an oven proof dish. 

Mix baby beets with olive oil and salt.

Cover dish with foil and roast in oven for 30-40 minutes until tender.

Once the baby beets are cooked, let them cool down a little and then toss in pomegranate molasses.

How To Prepare The Other Components

Whilst baby beets are roasting in oven, prepare the other ingredients.

Remove pomegranate arils from fruit if required.

I normally hold half a pomegranate cut side down over a large bowl and give it a good squeeze so the seeds fall out. You can also use a wooden spoon and tap the seeds out if you can’t squeeze it easily. Be sure to remove any pith from the seeds as well.

Dry toast pine nuts until golden brown. This will only take a couple of minutes.

Wash and remove mint leaves. 

In a small mixing bowl, add hummus, Greek yoghurt, crushed garlic and extra virgin olive oil. 

Mix until well combined and smooth consistency. 

If the hummus dressing is still a bit too thick, add a little water to loosen it up. 

How To Assemble Side Dish

On a large serving plate, spread hummus dressing on the bottom of plate. 

Then layer each component on top of hummus, starting with roasted baby beets.

Scatter pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and mint leaves over the top.

To finish, drizzle the remaining pomegranate molasses juices left in the bowl from the roasted baby beets. 

Season with salt to taste. 

Serve. 

How to Make This Recipe Perfectly (Expert Tips)

Wash the baby beets well: We are not peeling baby beets for this recipe, so clean them well. You don’t want your guests to bite into any dirt.

Cook baby beets until fork tender: Do check the baby beets are cooked properly. If a fork pierces through easily, they are done. 

I was in a rush when I first made this recipe and took the beets out of the oven a bit too early—had to return to roast for a few more minutes for them to soften.

Great Mains for This Side Dish

What to serve with roasted baby beets? Try these delicious main dish recipes:

Beets and winter go hand in hand and makes so much sense to serve a warm side dish. But every good meal deserves a delicious hot main fare to go with the beets.

This pork sausage ragu screams comfort food as does this ultimate lasagna recipe. If you’re having some friends over, how good would this cherry balsamic pork roast look with the gorgeous colours of the beets?

Frequently Asked Questions

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I don’t have much more to say besides that my friends smashed this roasted baby beet recipe at lunch. Including clearing the plate clean of any leftover hummus. Not only is this salad stunning to serve, but the roasted baby beets were delicious!

More Winter Side Dishes

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