I’ve had it in my head to make golden beet dip for quite a while now. My talented friends Nancy who writes the blog Urban Kitchen Apothecary  and Anuja who celebrates colorful food on her blog The Pepper Cook  have made variations of lentil dips before which looked utterly delicious.

After seeing their versions, I was hooked.  Pureeing lentils into a smooth and creamy dip is so tasty and healthy for you too.

Because it is fall, I wanted to blend the earthy flavors found in beets. If you follow me on Instagram, I recently asked my friends to share their favorite ways of eating beets. I loved reading everyone’s replies; many of you enjoy them thinly shaved in a salad with balsamic vinaigrette and goat cheese or simply roasted with salt and pepper.  Others, prefer drinking them in a soup known as borscht.   It made me happy to read that many of you are not tossing the greens but instead lightly sautéing them with oil, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper-a hearty meal in itself!

I love red beetroot but since I’m using yellow lentils for this recipe; golden beetroot seemed like a perfect match.  I eat them often, sliced up in my Roasted Golden Beet Salad.  Also, I was aiming for a more subtle flavor which is found in golden beetroot as opposed to the stronger, bolder red beets.

This dip has instantly become a favorite of mine.  The sweetness from roasted beets combined with the heartiness of yellow lentils makes for a unique yet satisfying snack or appetizer. My daughter who can’t fathom eating a whole roasted beet inhaled it.

There are a few initial steps involved in preparing this dip but I guarantee that this recipe is well worth making. The lentils I’ve used are a quick cooking lentil,  which are used to make chana dal. While the beets are roasting, the lentils come together in about twenty minutes.  After these two steps are completed, everything is blitzed together in a food processor.

Garnish and serve with whatever you prefer to eat. As shown below, I’m celebrating fall by adding  jeweled pomegranate arils, sliced cucumbers, radishes and beetroot chips ❤️

Golden Beet Dip 

Top 8 Free, Sesame/Tahini Free; Vegan

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 golden beets, medium size, about 1 cup; roasted, peeled & mashed
• 1 cup yellow lentils or split yellow mung beans (for quick cooking dal),  cooked according to package instructions.  I used Harvest Gold brand. *See Notes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, crushed (1/2 teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon water, optional
• 1 tablespoon at a time up to 1/3 cup olive oil

Garnish:

• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds, dry toasted and lightly crushed
• pomegranate arils
• mini radishes, thinly sliced
• EVOO
• 1 tablespoon parsley or cilantro,  finely chopped
• finishing salt like Maldon or French Grey Sea Salt 

To Roast Beets:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash beets. Leave a little damp so that the salt sticks to the skin’s surface. Season the outside flesh with course sea salt. Wrap tightly with one layer of parchment paper and foil. Lay wrapped beets on a small baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes. Beets should be tender not mushy. Vent open slightly to cool. Remove skin – it will peel off easily.  Trim ends.

To Make Golden Beet Dip: 

Blend beets, lentils, cumin, garlic, salt and lemon juice together in a food processor or high powered blender. Add olive oil slowly, a few tablespoons at a time until desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust. If extra oil is leftover, use for garnish below. Blend until smooth for at least 2 minutes- this will ensure a creamy texture. Add water if texture is too thick.

With a silicone spatula, transfer to a bowl.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Mixture will thicken once refrigerated.  Serve at room temperature and garnish before serving.

To Garnish:

Toast cumin seeds in a small, dry skillet on medium-low heat without oil.   Shake skillet back and forth until seeds are lightly brown and their fragrance is released . Do not walk away because seeds can burn quickly- this should only take 1-2 minutes.  With a mortar and pestle, lightly crush the seeds.

With the back of a spoon, make swirls. Garnish with cumin seeds, pomegranate arils, radishes, EVOO, parsley and finishing salt.

Notes:

• Measure 1 cup lentils after they have been cooked, drained & cooled.
• Use lentils that are for quick cooking dal.  No need to soak. My package instructions use 2.5 cups water per 1 cup lentils. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, approximately 5-10 minutes. Drain remaining water.
• Add/substitute pumpkin or sunflower seeds
• Add/substitute sumac or paprika

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