Beet Dip with Walnuts and Roasted Garlic

 
 
 
 

Dak has been making this dip for years: putting it side by side with hummus or just sitting with a bowl of it and a box of rice crackers on the couch while watching - er - The Bachelor. Equally sweet and earthy, this dip is ideal for noshing with crunch vegetables or spreading on sandwiches, wraps or soft pita.

Though there are seemingly many ingredients, it's relatively flexible in execution. Roast everything to directed doneness in the oven, on one sheet tray and pile it into a blender or food processor with a sprinkle of cumin and dash of lemon. Even people who aren't huge beet fans have liked this dip, so try it out - why the heck not? — Ju

 

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs beets (about 2-3 beets)

  • 1 tsp salt + grind of pepper (for the beets)

  • 2 shallots, roughly chopped

  • 1/2 cup raw walnuts

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 3 dates pitted and roughly chopped

  • 1/8 tsp cumin

  • 1/2 tsp salt + more to taste

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1 Tbsp tahini

 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Remove the tops and bottoms from a 1.5 lbs of washed and scrubbed beets, cut into quarters. Place them on a prepared sheet tray and toss with a little bit of olive oil, 1 tsp salt and a grind of pepper. Add the garlic cloves (skins still on) onto a corner of the same sheet pan, drizzle with a bit more olive oil.

  3. Place sheet tray in oven. Roast garlic on the sheet tray for about 15 to 20 minutes and removed from tray when soft and fragrant. Set aside for later. Beets should continue roasting until fork tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

  4. Around the same time you remove the garlic from the tray, add the diced shallot or onion to the tray and continue to roast with the beets for the remainder of the cook time, around 20 minutes.

  5. When there is about 10 minutes remaining on the cook time for your beets, add your 1/2 cup raw walnuts to the same sheet tray and toast for the remainder of the cook time. (If it is easier for you to roast the walnuts separately in a pan on the stove you are more than welcome to do so!)

  6. While the beets, onion, garlic and walnuts are roasting, prepare the last ingredients for the dip. Juice one lemon and pit three dates, roughly chop and set aside.

  7. When the beets are done, remove the tray from the oven. Add beets, garlic, onion, toasted walnuts, lemon juice, dates, cumin, tahini, salt and water to a high powered blender. Blend until smooth.

  8. Taste dip and add more salt if needed.

  9. Cool and serve with crudité, crackers, warm pita.

    Makes approximately 4 cups