When I reviewed this post for bright and bold beet tzatziki, I realized I didn’t talk about the color enough. Sure, you can see it in the photos, but let’s talk about it. How often do you eat a fuchsia-colored food? In my world, it is almost never. While it may present as unique, it also may be its best selling point. With a color that intense, you just have to try it. And don’t worry, it has deliciously bright flavors to match its hue!
The original post from July 2018
What’s one to do on a hot summer Sunday afternoon when you spent the morning at a social gathering and don’t feel like cooking? For us empty nesters, the answer was walk downtown and enjoy a handful of tapas dishes and some wine.
Actually, it wasn’t even the cooking that I didn’t want to do, it was the shopping. Having had the gathering on the schedule, I wasn’t sure what the rest of the day would hold- neither calendar- nor food-wise. Thus, I arrived home hungrier and earlier than planned.
Bright and bold beet tzatziki inspiration
We went to a nearby farm to table restaurant, Republic, that has a great menu of small plates. On their menu was beet tzatziki. As fans of both beets and tzatziki, that was a must order item. Paired with two other favorites of ours (North African Spiced Pickled Vegetables and Spicy Coconut Butternut), it was a tray of vegetable happiness.
Their beet tzatziki was bright and flavorful, and I instantly knew I had to figure out how to make this at home. Fast forward three days to a morning of recipe testing. I’d made tzatziki before, so I knew the base would be Greek yogurt and that I’d definitely season it with garlic. The next question was how to prepare the beets.
I decided that the best option would be to roast them, which would make them tender enough to be in a spread. To distribute the beets evenly and save my kitchen and myself from a gigantic mess, I shredded them in a food processor. (Note: that was a very good decision. I don’t want to imagine the mess a box grater would make.)
Recipe success
While regular tzatziki includes mint, I opted to omit it in this recipe for bright and bold beet tzatziki. Beets have a stronger flavor than cucumbers (the main vegetable in plain tzatziki), so there was no need for additional oomph. Chilled and served with carrots, celery, and pita, this was a delightful dip. It also makes a fine spread for a sandwich, if you’re looking for a different condiment.
Give this dip a try. Maybe even try it on some kids. The bright color may induce them to try something they wouldn’t normally eat. However, don’t tell them it’s beets; rather it’s just fuchsia-colored dip.
You can find the recipe for Roasted Beets here.
- 2 medium beets, roasted & peeled
- 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
- Assemble food processor with fine shredding disk.
- Place roasted and cooled beets in feeding tube, half at a time; shred.
- Combine yogurt, garlic, and lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl; mix well.
- Add shredded beets, and stir until combined.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Serve with cucumber or celery spears, carrots, pita wedges, or crackers.
