If it is true that you eat with your eyes first, then this hummus is a veritable feast. The beets give it a fuchsia hue so vibrant it almost glows — it’s stunning. It’s also so different in flavor and texture from your garden-variety hummus as to be almost unrecognizable by that name.

Even the most tender chickpeas can be dry and grainy. In this recipe, the ricotta and tahini combine to give the hummus a light, smooth texture — it’s downright fluffy. And while we’ve always liked the nuttiness of a traditional hummus, here we’re happy to let it take a back seat to the other flavors at play. The ricotta has a fresh, creamy dairy sweetness that’s wonderful when combined with the earthier, veggie-sweet beets. There’s a warm, garlicky bite, too, and then a lemony finish to keep things bright, sunny, and balanced.

Did we mention how cute this dip is? It’s like the It Girl of the holiday dip scene — you can put it in any dish of any color and it will look fantastic. Think slate gray, sage green, blush pink, robin’s egg blue, and screaming chartreuse. Think velvet cord in front of the holiday dip board, so all its fans can get a snapshot … before they dig in and muddle up that artsy mint and poppy seed garnish.

Of course, a dip calls for dippables. We like this one with the usual lineup of crispy artisan crackers and bright crunchy crudités — lightly blanched or quick-pickled cauliflower florets are especially nice. If you have leftover hummus, it’ll be marvelous spread on a turkey sandwich. In the test kitchen, we put one together with avocado, cucumber, beefsteak tomato, and a tiny bit of horseradish. Not into meat? Swap it out for feta.

Our tip: This hummus can be made up to 4 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator. Make sure it gets up to room temp before serving.

Yield: 2 ¼ cups

Ingredients

1 large red beet, scrubbed and trimmed

1 15 ½-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

⅓ cup tahini, well-mixed

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup ricotta

1 garlic clove, finely grated

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp ground coriander

1 Tbsp olive oil

Mint leaves, poppy seeds, and olive oil, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Wrap the beet tightly in foil and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the tines of a fork slide easily into the center of the beet, 60 to 70 minutes. Let sit until cool enough to handle.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, process the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, ricotta, garlic, salt, black pepper, and coriander until smooth.

3. Using a tea towel, rub the beet to remove the skin. Cut the beet into 8 pieces and add them to the food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.

4. Add the olive oil and process to combine. Taste and season with salt, if needed.

5. Transfer the hummus to a shallow bowl. Top with mint and poppy seeds and drizzle with oil.

6. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe source: Bon Appétit

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