This Beet Feta Walnut Dip is inspired by the absolutely memorable eclectic menu I tasted at the Public Bar and Dining Room at The Refuge in Manchester as a part of a small plates platter. I wanted to try it out at home as soon as I had dipped my first cracker into this dish with popping colours.
What to make for a house party is always a nagging question. This time I decided to focus more on the appetisers. I made a trio of dips to be served along with a bunch of lavash, crackers and crudités.
The other two dips were – a tzatziki with grated cucumber (liquid drained) and chopped mint topped with poppy seeds and a basic hummus with toppings of greens, edible flowers and toasted seed mix.
I promise you that both the colour and the flavour of this dip will wow your family and friends.
Here are some more dips worthy of your party menu
- Mutabal – A middle Eastern eggplant based dip
- Pumpkin Hummus
- Baba Gannoush – Another popular eggplant based dip
- Sour Cream Dip
- Carrot and White Bean Hummus
The key notes in this beet feta walnut dip
- Roasting the beets intensifies the flavours without watering it down which is what happens when you boil or pressure cook beets or use canned beets
- Feta cheese with its rich salty flavour and creaminess provides the much needed contrast for the sweetness of the beets.
- Extra virgin olive oil adds a luscious texture and its own flavour
- Walnuts add a nuttiness and texture to the dip that is a delight to bite into
So how do you eat this Beet Feta Walnut Dip
- Serve as a part of a dip platter or appetisers for a party
- Spread over toast
- Serve as a part of a veggie bowl or a falafel bowl
- Meal prep a batch of this spread. When hunger pangs strike at 5PM, serve yourself a couple of tablespoons of this dip with cucumber sticks or a few crackers or khakhra (the famous Guju teatime snack) and you have a healthy snack ready in no time.
How to fast track roasting the beets
Roasting beets until tender can take forever so I follow a fast track method. Peel and cut up the beets into thick wedges of an inch thickness or so. In a heavy duty aluminium foil, wrap the chopped beet topped with salt and olive oil. Seal this pack and put this in the oven for 45 minutes or until a knife goes through the beets without much resistance.
If you happen to have more beets to use up, here are some healthy and delicious beetroot recipes for you…
More recipes using Beetroot
Beetroot chips in the airfryer (or oven)
Beet, Feta and Water Amaranth Salad
Beet and Mango Salad with a zero-oil Dressing
Kerala-style Beet Pachadi (a yogurt based curry with cumin, coconut, chillies, shallots etc.)
Beetroot Sambar (Beet and lentils curry)
Ingredients
Method
- Wrap the beets individually in aluminium foil, place on a tray and bake in a preheated 200C oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Alternately, peel and cut the beets into wedges. Place on one half of a large sheet of aluminium foil. Top with a little salt and olive oil. Fold the foil in half to cover the beets and seal along the edges to make a sealed packet. Place this on a baking tray and bake at 200C for 30-45 minutes.
- Once cooled, remove the roasted beets. Peel if you have used the first method. Chop up and place in the blender along with half the feta cheese.
- Blend to a fine puree. Remove into a shallow serving bowl and top with extra virgin olive oil and chopped walnuts. Top with the remaining feta crumbled.
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