My Market Kitchen episode 2: Beetroot hummus with flatbread and vegetable crudités

Watch the episode, meet the grower, get the recipe, check out the nutritional facts, and discover research projects relating to vegetables and other featured produce

In episode 2 of My Market Kitchen, Hort Innovation’s Research and Development Manager, Dietitian and Nutritionist Jemma O’Hanlon heads to Prahran markets to make a delicious beetroot hummus with homemade flatbread and vegetable crudités. We travel to sunny Queensland to speak with David Parker from Boomaroo Nurseries and Andrew Dewar of Pilton Valley Produce to learn about where we get our fresh produce from and the process it goes through to get to our plates.

Recipe: Beetroot hummus with flatbread and vegetable crudités

Serves 4

Ingredients

Hummus:
1 Australian beetroot
4 Australian chestnuts
1 tin chickpeas
2 tbsp Australian extra virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice from 1½ Australian lemons
1 clove Australian garlic
2 tbsp unhulled tahini
½ tsp cumin
Pinch sea salt
Cracked black pepper

Flatbread:
½ cup wholemeal self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup Greek yoghurt
Pinch sea salt
Cracked black pepper
Drizzle Australian extra virgin olive oil

To serve:
2 tbsp Australian flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp crushed roasted Australian almonds
5 chickpeas (from tin used to make hummus)
Drizzle Australian extra virgin olive oil
Australian veggies such as: broccoli stalks, cos lettuce, red capsicum, celery, carrot, cucumber

Method

1. For the flatbread, make an easy dough by mixing together the flours and yoghurt in a bowl.
2. Knead briefly on a flat surface with a little flour then place back into bowl, cover and leave to rest.
3. For the hummus, slice the beetroot into quarters and score the chestnuts with a little cross on the top. Place the beetroot and chestnuts on a baking tray and roast in an oven pre-heated to 200°C for about 20-30 minutes. Chestnuts should open up as they roast.
4. In a food processor, place the beetroot, chestnuts, drained and rinsed chickpeas (keep 5 set aside for serving), olive oil, lemon juice, water, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Blend until a hummus consistency.
5. To prepare the flatbread, roll out into a circle with a little additional flour, about 3mm thick.
6. Heat a large non-stick pan on the stovetop with a small drizzle of olive oil. Place the flatbread on top and toast on each side until golden brown or slightly charred.
7. Remove from the heat and slice into 8 triangles like a pizza.

Tip: Try roasted red capsicum hummus by substituting the beetroot with a roasted red capsicum.

Download the recipe

Nutritional facts

• Beetroot is rich in nitrates, which can help with sports performance, lower blood pressure and increase blood flow to the brain, boosting our cognition for sharper thinking
• Beetroot also contains betalains, a type of pigment which has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects and can help reduce the risk of cancer
• It is also packed with anthocyanins which are found in purple pigmented vegetables. These can help to reduce blood pressure
• Hummus is high in protein, good fats, low GI, gluten free and vegan friendly
• Lemon juice is packed full of vitamin C to support immunity
• Tahini is crushed sesame seeds. Packed full of good fats, vitamins and minerals, unhulled tahini, which means that the outer shell hasn’t been removed, has higher levels of calcium and fibre
• Chestnuts are an excellent source of folate and vitamin C, have a low GI and are high in fibre.

Investing in the future of the vegetable and nursery industries

Hort Innovation invests levy contributions from the vegetable and nursery industries, together with Australian Government contributions in the case of R&D, into Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund and Nursery Fund initiatives to improve and grow the industries.

You can read about these investments in R&D at the Vegetable Fund grower pages and Nursery Fund grower pages.