Spooky (and Healthy) Halloween Beet Crudité & Black Sesame Hummus

It’s the spookiest time of the year! And we’re here to celebrate it with a beautiful spread that’s bloody tasty. Everyone knows that candy is the main star of this holiday, but I find most Halloween party spreads are a little too heavy on the sweet side of things. Why not give your guests something savory to nosh on instead? Today we’re making (bloody) beet-pickled crudités with (dirty) black sesame hummus – spooky, right? This recipe is actually super-healthy, so you won’t feel too bloated in your cute Halloween costume.

The quick-pickled beet crudités is ready in just a few minutes. The black sesame hummus has a wonderfully – almost gnarly – dirt-like texture, but tastes super-good! The black sesame adds a nice layer of nuttiness to it and, if you add some carrots on top, it could even look like little worms crawling out of the dirt. Cute! Yes? Yes.

You can use any veggies you want for this recipe as long as they have some sort of crunchiness; avoid any softies like tomatoes.

Let’s get spooky!

Bloody Beet Crudités with Black Sesame Hummus

Serves 6

You’ll need:
For the quick pickling liquid:
– ½ cup rice vinegar
– ¼ cup white wine vinegar
– 2 tbsp sugar
– 2 tsp salt
– 1 tsp chili flakes
– 1 tsp beet powder (or add a few fresh beet slices to tint the liquid)
– ¼ cup cold water

For the crudités:
– 2 handfuls string beans
– 1 or 2 bunches of radishes
– 1 long cucumber
– Roasted cauliflower
– 1 radicchio
– 2 or 3 endives
– Charcuterie
– Crackers

For the black hummus:
– 2 packs of plain store-bought hummus
– ½ cup black tahini (made with black sesame seeds; you can find it a natural food store)
– olive oil
– fresh herbs

Instructions:
1. Wash, cut and trim all the fresh veggies.
2. In a large glass jar, combine all of the pickling liquid ingredients, stir and taste: it should be salty, tart, and spicy. Adjust if necessary.
3. Add the string beans, radishes and cucumber into the liquid. Place in the fridge and let it infuse for at least 2 hours (up to a full day ahead works too).
4. To make the hummus, stir the black tahini into the regular hummus. Make sure to stir well so it’s all mixed up.
5. To serve, arrange the radicchio, endives and cauliflower on a platter with the crackers and charcuterie. Place the jar with the pickled veggies nearby. Transfer the hummus to serving bowl, add some olive oil and top with fresh herbs.

Happy Halloween!