If you enjoy hummus, you’ll probably like this recipe. Hummus is on my weekly shopping list, but it does get boring after a while.

This is a very easy recipe and fun alternative to hummus. And it’s versatile. You can use it as a dip for chopped vegetables, a protein-rich breakfast toast topper, a spread for sandwiches or wraps, a topping for pizza instead of tomato sauce, or mashed into cooked plain whole grains to pump up the flavor.

It has three main ingredients of roasted sweet potatoes, beets and pinto beans. My recipe below uses canned beets and beans for ease, but of course you can use fresh cooked beets and dried cooked beans. You can add any herbs or spices you love, but I felt the flavor was so perfect and satisfying that I didn’t add anything else, not even a pinch of salt!

Note that I didn’t measure the amount of tahini or olive oil added. These are nutritious but very high calorie foods, so I’ll add a suggested amount below in parentheses in case you are watching that.

This recipe is rich in protein, fiber and potassium. Sweet potatoes and beans are nutrition powerhouses and vital to a vegetarian/vegan diet. Beets are messy but they’re such a great vegetable with a little bit of many nutrients: B vitamins, vitamin C, and minerals. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Roasted Sweet Potato, Beet & Bean Spread

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks

1-2 tablespoons oil or cooking spray

1 15.5-oz can pinto beans, drained

1 15-oz can no-salt-added sliced beets, drained

Tahini (2 tablespoons)

Olive or canola oil (1/4 cup)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place chopped potatoes on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Drizzle oil or cooking spray over potatoes. Mix oil into potatoes with hands thoroughly, and position into a single layer. Roast for about 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
2. Place potatoes and drained beets and beans into a food processor with tahini. Pulse a few times. Add olive oil, a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. The more olive oil you add, the creamier the texture. If you don’t mind a chunkier texture, add less oil.
3. At this point, you can mix in seasonings if desired (black pepper, pinch of salt, garlic or onion powder, lemon juice, curry powder, red pepper flakes, etc.) but I suggest tasting it first as it may be just fine on its own!
4. Eat as soon as possible, as it tastes fantastic warm. (But it’s great from the refrigerator as well 😉)