Welcome to the Virtual Vegan Potluck, an international “progressive” potluck meal, and you are one of our special guests!
To begin at the first “house,” visit Lidia at Vegan Bloggers Unite!
I volunteered to bring an appetizer, and I chose one of everyone’s favorites: Beet Muhummara (backstory and recipe follows).
But there are lots of other appetizers being served. Be sure to visit the “houses” on either side of mine and from there, link by link, you can “progress” right on through all of the courses in one of the tastiest and varied meals ever served.
SENSUAL APPEAL is sure to bring something to the feast to delight your senses. And VEGAN SPARKLES will, no doubt, prove that all that glitters is not gold!
So come on along, dinner is served!…
Do you walk right past the beets in your fall market? If so, my advice is to throw it in reverse and back-up! If you think you are a beet-hater, think again!
This jewel-tone beauty–a favorite in my cookbook–is inspired by muhummara, a Turkish roasted red pepper and walnut spread. And it has single-handedly converted many a beet-haters into a beet lover right before my eyes.
Perfect for festive occasions because of its shimmering color–but simple enough for any day of the week (you can “beet” the clock with this one!)–Beet Muhummara is lovely with warmed pita triangles and olives or rolled up in lettuce leaves for “skinny” beet burritos.
Yield: 4 cups
- 3 large fresh raw beets, peeled and quartered (do not use canned beets)
- 1 1/3 cups toasted walnut pieces (plus more for garnish, optional)
- 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses or mild molasses, not blackstrap
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
In a food processor, combine the beets, walnuts, bread crumbs, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, molasses, and lemon juice and pulse to a textured paste.
With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil and process until fairly smooth, but still textured. Scrape the mixture into a serving bowl, garnish with walnuts, if using, and serve.
From The Blooming Platter Cookbook by Betsy DiJulio. Copyright © 2011. Vegan Heritage Press.Used by permission.
October 20, 2013 at 12:24 pm
Just to clarify, are we using these beats raw?
I can wait to try this! My husband loves beets!!
October 20, 2013 at 12:35 pm
Yes, Genevieve, raw! Goes together so quickly. I’ll specify in the recipe. Thanks!
October 20, 2013 at 2:03 pm
Thanks!! This dish will accompany dinner tonight!
October 20, 2013 at 5:36 pm
I hope you both love it!
November 16, 2013 at 12:54 am
What a wonderful idea! I’ve made beet “hummus” a few times, since it’s one of my mom’s favorites, and I’ve also been making muhammara recently, but it never occurred to me to fuse the two together! This is genius. 🙂
November 16, 2013 at 6:31 am
Looks bright and beautiful!
November 16, 2013 at 6:41 am
Thank you, Poppy! It is and it is a crowd pleaser even though it is “beets”!
November 16, 2013 at 6:42 am
Aren’t you sweet, Allison?! I can’t remember how it even came about, but I think I was just trying to think of how to use beautiful beets from the farmer’s market, and wondered if they could stand in for the roasted red peppers. Enjoy!
November 16, 2013 at 8:21 am
I personally love beets so this is awesome!!
November 16, 2013 at 8:45 am
I love Muhummara and what a fantastic way to jazz it up! Looks amazing xx
November 16, 2013 at 9:27 am
Thank you so much, Rebecca! Enjoy!
November 16, 2013 at 9:28 am
They do have sensual appeal, no? 🙂 Thanks, Kammie!
November 16, 2013 at 9:49 am
I knew I’d be amazed by what my fellow bloggers did with beets! The color alone makes me want to love beets :-). Thank you for the lovely recipe and for participating in the Potluck!
November 16, 2013 at 10:58 am
Oh man, I love how easy and delicious this recipe looks! My two favorite qualities in a recipe. 🙂
November 16, 2013 at 11:29 am
Thanks, Becky! There is something to be said for throwing everything in a processor and letting it rip, especially when the results are so colorful and tasty. Cheers!
November 16, 2013 at 11:30 am
It’s hard to believe how versatile they are, isn’t it, Annie?! Thank YOU!
November 16, 2013 at 11:50 am
Muhammara is one of my favorite things in the world, and your take on it is so gorgeous and fresh!
November 16, 2013 at 11:50 am
This is such a great variation. I recently learned about muhummara at a middle-Eastern cooking course. I like the addition of the beetroot. Thank you for the recipe.
November 16, 2013 at 12:16 pm
What a clever idea! I love Muhamarra but would have never thought of shaking it up like this 🙂
November 16, 2013 at 12:46 pm
Yum!
November 16, 2013 at 1:32 pm
It sounds yummy 🙂 just today I made hummus and baba ganoush… vegan spreads are awesome!^^
November 16, 2013 at 2:29 pm
I’m all ready a beet fan, but this recipe is pushing me over the edge! Lovely!
November 16, 2013 at 3:06 pm
You had me at muhammara! It looks so gorgeous with that pink hue. Thanks for the great recipe!
November 16, 2013 at 3:20 pm
Ooooh yes this is a jewel colored beauty. I have never had pomegranate molasses. Is it red also? A feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.
November 16, 2013 at 6:08 pm
Oh, thank you so much! Pomegranate molasses is reddish brown I would say. That fuscia color is all from the raw beets. So glad you stopped by!
November 16, 2013 at 6:10 pm
Aw, thank you! That pink hue is shocking, isn’t it? My pleasure to share!
November 16, 2013 at 6:11 pm
Somer, I can’t believe I was ever NOT a beet fan. So glad the recipe appealed to a “seasoned” lover of these red roots!
November 16, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Funny you should mention it, but the idea occurred to me, in part, because there is a restaurant here that serves a beet spread as part of a Mediterranean platter that was just to die for and I wanted to emulate it. I have to say, I think my version tops theirs!
November 16, 2013 at 6:15 pm
Thanks Diana! It was inspired both by gorgeous beets at the farmer’s market, my love of muhummara, and a beet spread at a local restaurant that I wanted to try to duplicate but was too shy to ask if they’d share the recipe. Please enjoy!
November 16, 2013 at 6:18 pm
Liezi, it is entirely my pleasure. Thank YOU for stopping by. I discovered muhummara quite a number of years ago: there was a group of women in the local art community that got together fairly frequently for a potluck, and I wanted something different to take that was super easy and super flavorful. I came across a traditional muhummara recipe in a culinary magazine and it became my staple. Then, about 3 years ago I decided to give it my own twist with the beets. Enjoy!
November 16, 2013 at 6:31 pm
Thanks to all who “showed up” for today’s Virtual Vegan Potluck and were generous enough to take time to respond. It was lovely to “host” all of you. Cheers!
November 17, 2013 at 2:33 am
that is a beautiful muhummara!
November 17, 2013 at 2:51 am
So lovely and sounds and looks delicious. I look into my crystal ball and foresee these on a plate with olives, like yours, hummus, and vegan tahini…. oh yes….
November 17, 2013 at 7:41 am
The pretty color does make this the perfect holiday appetizer! Beets ARE awesome!
November 17, 2013 at 7:51 am
I like your tasty prediction of the future, Yinka!
November 17, 2013 at 10:02 am
As a beet lover I know I would love this! Thanks for an incredible recipe. Happy VVP!
November 17, 2013 at 10:06 am
Anna, it is my pleasure to provide fuel for a triathlete–rock on!
November 17, 2013 at 3:03 pm
This looks delicious and such a simple recipe..thanks for sharing:)
November 17, 2013 at 4:10 pm
Thank you, Pavithra! I think it’s really tasty and, yes(!), super simple–just throw it all in the food processor!
November 17, 2013 at 5:16 pm
It’s great how easy and quick this recipe is to throw together. The perfect app to throw together before a party!
November 17, 2013 at 5:19 pm
I am in my way to a cocktail party with this as my contribution. Absolutely over the top delicious. Thank you Betsy. I’d love to cook with you sometime. One note, my standard sized Cuisinart food processor was not big enough to pulse my three large beets, which I had cut into eighths. I ended up grating them first. (So messy, fun, like finger painting, taking it all out and batching it back in). An approximate weight in the beets would be helpful. Thanks again.
November 17, 2013 at 7:07 pm
I’m so glad you think so, Maggie! The beet goes on!
November 17, 2013 at 7:08 pm
Robin, I hope your friends love it as much as you (and me!). I would love to cook with you as well…are you local? The next time I make it, I’ll be sure to weigh the beets–thanks for the suggestion! The color is truly astonishing of these humble roots!
November 17, 2013 at 10:09 pm
Yum! I love making spreads and would have never thought to use raw beets. This looks wonderful! Thank you for your contribution. 🙂
November 17, 2013 at 10:38 pm
It was a great hit, and sorry, nope I am in Austin, Tx.
November 18, 2013 at 1:01 pm
This dish looks really good. As a first time visitor to your blog, I took a look around, and I really like the unique look of your food and plating (and the title fits it so nicely). It looks like you have a lot of great recipes on here and I am looking forward to discovering them.
November 18, 2013 at 6:04 pm
Kerry, you have just about made my day! Thank you so much for taking a look around and for your very gracious feedback. I work hard and it–and love it–but doubt myself (maybe everyone does!). Please come back often; I hope you like what you find! Cheers!
November 18, 2013 at 6:11 pm
So glad it went over so well, Kerry. We do have a connection even though you’re not a “local”: I am a Texan by birth with lots of relatives in Dallas and Houston and two that I know of, including my dad, who went to UT!
November 18, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Me too, Teresa! Spreads are so easy and versatile. All the better if they are a traffic-stopping color, courtesy of mother nature. 🙂 It was my pleasure to contribute!
November 22, 2013 at 1:29 pm
This sounds delicious! I love this appetizer, will be making this for the holidays!