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bowl of roasted tahini beet dip

Roasted Beet Tahini Dip

A simple and elegant appetizer, perfect when beets are in season.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 32 ounces

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beets
  • 1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt full fat, low fat or nonfat
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
  • 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sumac Middle Eastern spice
  • salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Wash the beets well and trim off the ends. If beets are larger than golfball-sized, cut them in halves or quarters. Wrap each beet (or piece) in aluminum foil and roast in the oven until tender. Check for doneness after 45 minutes - may take up to 90 minutes, but probably less. When done, open the aluminum packages and let beets cool until you can easily handle them. Then slip the skins off and discard them. Cut the beets in large chunks.
  3. Combine the beets, yogurt, garlic, tahini lemon juice, and sumac in a food processor or in a bowl with a handheld immersion blender. Puree the ingredients until they are smooth. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Store in the refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

Beets stain clothing and cutting boards, so keep that in mind as you wash, cut and work with them. 

You can turn regular yogurt into Greek-style simply by straining it

As an alternative to roasting the beets in the oven, use the toaster oven. It works just fine and doesn't heat up the kitchen on a hot day.