A vibrant dip with a beautiful flavour and texture, this beetroot dip recipe looks incredible. It is the perfect accompaniment for simple finger food – from bread and crackers to vegetables and other snacks.
Best of all, it's so effortless to make! So, could you make it for your next party and impress your guests?
Why you'll love this recipe
- So simple to make
- There are only six ingredients in this healthy dip
- The homemade kind is so much better than shop bought beetroot dip
Equipment you'll need
There are a few key items you'll need for beetroot dip recipe:
- Baking tray – you'll need a baking tray for cooking beetroot and making it richer
- Mason jars – perfect for storing your dip
- Food processor – a simple food processor is an essential part of any proper foodie’s kitchen, especially if you want to make some delicious dips like this roasted beet hummus recipe
- Vegetable scrubbing brush – clean those beetroots!
How to make beetroot dip
Toss the sliced beetroot in olive oil and place in a roasting tin.
Roast the beetroot until tender.
Once cooled, place the beetroot in a food processor with pistachios [optional], yogurt, and ground cinnamon.
Blitz until smooth or until desired consistency. Serve immediately with crackers and crudités. Enjoy!
Top Tip
Toss the beetroots around halfway through the roasting time.
What to serve with Egyptian beetroot dip
Dishes
Lamb meatballs and lamb shish kebab would be excellent pairing options with this dip.
Pita bread or crusty bread
This beetroot dip tastes fabulous when served with fresh pita bread or crusty bread. Take things to another level and pair it with my homemade chia seed bread.
You could pair this Egyptian beetroot dip with a flatbread for a delicious appetizer. Try the Pakistani flatbread favorite Aloo ki kachori for a delightful fusion of cuisines.
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Crudités
Chopped raw vegetables, such as carrots, celery, cucumber, bell pepper strips, broccoli, and the like, are a fantastic way to enjoy this delicious beetroot dip.
Chilli
This burnt aubergine chilli is a vegan classic that works particularly well with this Egyptian beetroot dip.
Variations to this recipe
- Roasting is optional, but the cooking process deepens the dip's flavour. You can skip this step by simply buying ready-cooked beetroot and placing all the ingredients in a blender, and be finished in 5 minutes. I like my dip with a bit of a bite, but nothing stops you from making it perfectly smooth.
- Cinnamon is the secret ingredient to this recipe, which is quite forgiving in adjustments. Add more yogurt if you'd like it sloppier. Use cumin or cardamom instead of cinnamon. Have fun experimenting!
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice to add acidity to this beetroot yogurt dip.
- Add a couple of garlic cloves for extra flavour
Popular substitutions
- You can use pine nuts in place of pistachios
- If you prefer a thick texture, use strained Greek yogurt. It's thicker than the standard Greek-style yogurt and helps to prevent a runny dip.
Top Tip
- As with most root vegetables, it's a good idea to buy organic because, for some reason, they are sweeter. Also, if sweetness is your thing, opt for more but smaller bulbs rather than fewer but bigger ones.
- I prefer to wash and scrub the vegetables thoroughly rather than peel them, not wanting to miss out on the extra vitamins, roughage, and flavour.
- Go for a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, for a more refined taste.
- If you have any extra unused beets you can follow this tasty Pickled Beets recipe.
Should I roast the beetroot beforehand?
Yes! Roasting beets brings out their natural sweetness, which tones down the earthiness that can be off-putting for some.
Why do beetroots taste 'earthy'?
For some people, beets taste too earthy. That's due to a compound called geosmin. Geosmin is found in other earthy foods such as spinach and mushrooms. Also... you know that distinctive earthy smell that comes after a rainstorm? That's geosmin!
Some people love the earthy flavour that comes from this particular compound. However, other people are susceptible to geosmin.
That's why roasting them beforehand helps to balance out the flavour.
How do you scrub beetroot?
As I said, I prefer to scrub beetroot, as you get more flavour and nutrition. However, many people have never tried – if you’ve never cooked a beet before, you might not know how to prepare them for cooking.
Yes, it's time-consuming, but don’t worry, it’s straightforward! First, twist off or cut the stems and leaves and place them on one side. Don’t throw them away – they make for a delicious salad ingredient.
Using a vegetable scrubbing brush, scrub the beets in cold water until all the dirt and debris have been removed. Don’t stress too much about the dirt around the stem area; you’ll need to chop off the stems once your beets have been cleaned.
Can I make this beetroot dip ahead of time?
Absolutely. This beetroot dip lasts 3–5 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container.
You can also heat it through if you’d instead serve it warm. Place it into a saucepan and heat gently until thoroughly warmed.
More delicious dips
Need some inspiration for your next show-stopping dip? Any of these recipes will get the party started:
- Muhammara – an utterly delicious Middle Eastern dip- is a sweet, savory, smoky sensation! Peppers, walnuts, pomegranate molasses, and earthy spices give this dish a creamy texture and an incredible balance of flavors.
- White bean dip – with 10 minutes total time, this quick, easy, healthy, and oh-so-delicious recipe is one you have to try
- Blue cheese dip – this dip is so tasty it’ll make your taste buds do a merry little dance
- Chilli and lime yoghurt dip – simple yet oh so delectable, this is one fresh dip! It tastes best when used to dunk spicy starters like potato bhajis, as well as with hot curries, to take the edge off
- Melitzanosalata – another eggplant dip, this traditional Greek dish is fresh and creamy, with smoky flavors. If you’ve never tried it and you’re looking for an easy, fresh, and tasty dip, this recipe is for you
- Guacamole – a classic Mexican dip that brings a fresh, zesty taste to any snack that’s dipped into it
- Roasted carrot hummus – fresh, healthy and utterly divine, this roasted recipe is so simple to make
📖 Recipe
Beetroot Dip
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Elevate your appetizers with our vibrant Beetroot Dip. A colorful and flavorful addition to any spread, it's as delicious as beautiful!
Ingredients
- 1kg (2lbs) raw, whole beetroot
- 45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
- 250ml (1 cup) raw pistachio nuts, shelled
- 5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 500g (1lb) Greek yogurt
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Wash and scrub the beetroot thoroughly and cut into slices.
- Place the beetroot in a single layer in an ovenproof dish.
- Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake at 180°C/fan 160°C/355°F/gas mark 4 for around an hour or until fork tender. Halfway through, tossing them around a bit is a good idea.
- Let the beetroot cool down.
- Place the beetroot, pistachios, cinnamon, and yogurt in a blender and process until desired consistency. Do it in batches if needed.
- Season to taste and serve with lamb meatballs and your favourite type of bread.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dip
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: Lebanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 197
- Sugar: 9.7 g
- Sodium: 95.6 mg
- Fat: 12.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.1 g
- Fiber: 4.2 g
- Protein: 8.6 g
- Cholesterol: 6.5 mg
Renil M. George
What a wonderful colour. Pretty tasty too.
Elizabeth
OOoh I'm loving the sound of this! I made a roasted beetroot dip last spring and loved it, but it didn't have pistachios. I must try this!
Fiona Maclean
I loved the food at Ceru too! Actually we had a roasted beetroot dish this time, but I had the dip when there was a pop up in fitzrovia...!
Simon Woolf
Sounds delicious! Totally agree about buying organic too. From long experience ( my parents were organic farmers and I grew up in a farming community) you often do get bitter tasting residues on heavily sprayed vegetables. Its subtle but noticeable, and of course rather worrying.
Emily Leary
Gorgeous colour! Looks absolutely delicious!
Heather Haigh
This looks so good. Going to try it later this week.
Sarah (@tamingtwins)
How funny Michelle, at a friend's house last night we had a Beetroot and Sesame dip that she'd bought from Sainsbury's. I absolutely adored it and vowed to go home and make some more beetroot dips, then I've just stumbled upon this! Hurrah. Looks and sounds delicious. I will certainly make this, thank you.