i don't know about you, but i have fond memories of sitting around my childhood living room table eating potato chips full of knorr's leek dip. sometimes we would have this dip on special occasions, but always, always as an appetizer before our christmas meal. this was a big deal in our house because on most days our cupboard was packed with no-name organic juice, unsweetened applesauce, or something like no salt tortilla chips. so, between the presents and food, christmas day was the best thing in the world to a 10 year-old lindsey. and just because i've got older and bit more responsible, it doesn't mean i've given up the christmas dip tradition.
usually it's heidi's mung bean hummus; an old stand-by, one that i've made million times and one that everyone enjoys. but when the awesome folks at Way Better Snacks asked me come up with a dip recipe i knew i had to switch up my dip game. first, of all, i cannot explain my happiness when i received an email asking to partner in their 12 Days of Holiday Snacking project. if you're not familiar with Way Better, they're a super lovely company that produces some of the best sprouted, snack-y products that are out there; all with a consciousness of simple ingredients, whole grains, and bonus, all of their tortilla chip products are certified gluten-free.
with the idea of a whole grain tortilla chip in mind, i wanted a dip with some roasted, creamy veg, along with a good helping of roasted shallots - basically because i love the combination of the two. what i love about this dip is that it's tahini-based, so it lends a thinner and creamier quality, as opposed to its cousin, hummus. the beets add some sweetness and volume here along with a velvety texture - super duper lush, y'all - while the shallots and cumin balance out the beets' earthiness. so, basically this is what my holiday table will look like, tons of Way Betters and a heap of this dip! hope your holiday season is off to a good start! xo
*to enter the giveaway!!! leave a comment sharing your favorite holiday food-tradition, either as a child, or currently. this contest is only open to US residents only - sorry international pals :( - and closes saturday, december 13th at 6pm. the winner will be chosen at random and will receive a sample box full of Way Better Snacks! it's a good one, folks!
roasted golden beet and shallot dip (v + gf)
| makes roughly 2 cups |
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 golden beets, washed and ends trimmed
- 4 shallots, tops trimmed
- 1 cup tahini paste
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds, ground
- 1 teaspoon minced thyme
- fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup water
- toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- chopped parsley, for garnish
- 1 bag Way Better Snacks
instructions
- preheat oven to 400°. place trimmed beets and shallots in a foil packet and drizzle with olive oil to coat. cook in oven for 45-60 minutes, until tender (depending on the size of your shallots they may cook faster than the beets, check them after 40 minutes and remove if tender). set aside to cool. slip skins off of beets, and roughly chop and place in a food processor fitted with an s-blade. squish the shallots out of their skins (similar to how you would with garlic) and add to the food processor
- add the tahini, lemon juice, salt, cumin, thyme, and pepper, pulse to combine. drizzle water in a little at a time until you have reached a smooth consistency. taste and adjust seasoning
- transfer to a shallow serving bowl, cover and let dip rest in the fridge until ready to serve. (the dip develops more flavor after it rests in the refrigerator, so i would suggest making this the day before, or the morning of.)
- remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to serving. garnish with sesame seeds, chopped parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil; serve with your favorite flavor of Way Better Snacks!
enjoy!