I have people ask me for healthy snack ideas all the time. With our busy lives, I find a dip with crudité and crackers is the easiest make-ahead snack. I have been eating this one by the bowl full; I can’t get enough! I think its time to switch it up, but before I do, I want to share this recipe with you: a Lebanese inspired beet dip with mint, lemon, garlic and tahini. Even if you don’t like beets, you will LOVE this dip! I’m telling you…just try it!
I don’t know if it’s because beets aren’t the prettiest looking vegetable or the task of cooking them is too daunting for most, but I find a lot of people don’t care for beets. However, beets shouldn’t be ignored! Not only are they sweet once baked, beets help boost the immune system, and help detox the liver, gallbladder and kidneys. They also aid digestion and the lymphatic system. For those of you who don’t know, the lymph system is an integral part of our immune system. It is like a plumbing system alongside our blood vessels that takes waste out of the lymph system and into the lymph nodes for “processing” and elimination. Not a bad thing to keep running smoothly!
Heading to San Francisco and Napa Valley tomorrow ~ so excited! This will be the perfect snack for the plane! Follow me on Instagram for photograph updates of my trip or I’ll see you here next week to tell you all about it!
- 1 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced or grated
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon tahini
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 2 cups beets, pre-cooked, shredded*
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt or thick cashew cream for a vegan option
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons fresh mint, chiffonade
- lemon zest to garnish
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the garlic, lemon juice, tahini, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly until tahini is well incorporated. You may need to smash the tahini with the back of a spoon to soften it. Stir in the beets, yogurt or cashew cream, and fresh mint. Garnish with a bit of lemon zest. Serve with cucumber slices or your preferred veggie and crackers. My favourite are Mary's Organic Crackers!
- I baked 6 medium-sized beets at 425F in parchment paper in a pan for 1 hour. I then peeled the beets and grated them on a box grater. Time will depend on the size of your beets. If you have leftover beets, they would work perfectly!
Bree - This looks beautiful. I have beets in my fridge that need to be used. Can’t wait to make this. Thank you for this recipe.
Love & Garnish - If you already have the beets, this will be a cinch! Hope it turned out well!
samantha - tried this and it was delicious! i added a handful each of cilantro and parsley