Organic beet and yogurt vegetable dip

This veggie dip combines sweet, earthy beets and tangy yogurt, plus savory garlic, for a flavor as vibrant as its color.

Roasted and puréed beets make beautiful soups, spreads and dips, not just because of their color but also due to their delightfully velvety texture. In this way, they are competitive with beans for the same dishes. When you want a change of pace from hummus, a beet and yogurt dip is a brilliant option. Serve it with crudités, use it instead of mayo in a chicken or egg salad, add it to a loaded veggie sandwich or try the crostini or pasta recipes below.

Organic beet and yogurt dip

Ingredients:

• 3 medium organic beets, trimmed and washed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided use
• 1 cup plain, organic Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
• Raw vegetables and pita bread, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the beets on a large sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle them with a teaspoon of oil. Rub the oil evenly over the beets, wrap them in the foil and place them on a baking sheet. Move the baking sheet into the oven and cook the beets until tender, about 45 minutes. Open the foil packet and, under cold running water, rub the skins off the beets. Move the beets to the refrigerator until they are cold.
2. Add the beets to the bowl of a food processor or blender and process them until smooth. Add the Greek yogurt, garlic, salt and remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the blender or food processor and process the mixture until it is smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl, stir in the dill and move it to the refrigerator to chill. Serve cold with raw vegetables and pita bread.

Crostini with beet spread

Ingredients:

• 1 French baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1/2 organic beet and yogurt dip recipe (above)
• 6 medium- or hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• Sea or kosher salt
• Handful of roughly chopped dill, to garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler. Place the bread slices under the broiler until they are golden-brown; flip them. Remove them when the opposite side is also golden-brown.
2. Spread a couple of tablespoons of beet and yogurt dip onto each toasted bread slice.
3. Top with a couple of boiled egg slices and garnish with the dill.

Cold beet pasta

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound dry spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup organic beet and yogurt dip (recipe above)
• 3 ounces goat cheese or feta
• Handful of roughly chopped dill and/or mint

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and stir in the spaghetti. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes (or follow the instructions on the packaging).
2. Drain the pasta and move it to a large bowl. Toss it with the olive oil to prevent clumping and allow it to cool to room temperature.
3. Stir in the beet and yogurt dip and top with crumbled goat cheese or feta and the dill and/or mint.
4. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

More beet recipes

Beet and walnut spread recipe
Gluten-free Friday: Beet hummus and crackers
Raw beet, walnut and goat cheese salad recipe