Silky Beet Dip

Meet the dip destined to be the highlight of every party you bring it to: my jaw-droppingly gorgeous, light and silky beet dip.

It’s not just its vibrant hue that’s drool-worthy—this baby boasts an equally-stunning flavor profile, thanks to the subtly sweet earthiness of fresh roasted beets, a hit of nutty umami from deeply-toasted walnuts, and the coziness of warm spices.

This easy appetizer with its divinely smooth texture (courtesy of secret ingredient silken tofu—don’t worry, you won’t taste it!), is make-ahead friendly and easy to scale up for large gatherings.

Trust me—bring this scrumptious stunner to your next potluck and watch even the beet-skeptics come back for more.

Overhead shot of silky beet dip with sesame seeds, mint, and pita bread.

A dip that’s hard to beet

…I couldn’t resist. But seriously, this beet dip is something special.

And I have to shout out Max for his help in getting it right. I knew something was missing in the first few versions I made, but Max nailed it when he said, “The flavor is too mild; it needs something else.”

(In my recent cabbage curry post, I gave him credit for his keen insight on that recipe too…if I’m not careful, he might steal my job 😅).

Anyway, I added more roasted beets, took the walnuts to a deeper golden brown during the toasting phase, and scaled back the za’atar until we hit the sweet spot: earthy-yet-bright with a touch of nutty richness. Add a drizzle of good quality olive oil and a sprinkle of cooling mint on top, and you’ve got yourself a super silky dream of a dip.

PS: If you’re looking for a beet hummus rather than a light and silky beet dip, look no further!

Ingredient notes

ingredients for beet dip in small bowls on a wooden cutting board.

Beets

They’re the star ingredient here, responsible for the dip’s main flavor component and its showstoppingly vibrant hue.

Tip: Roast the beets fresh

Roast whole beets yourself, rather than opting for store-bought, pre-cooked beets sold in the produce section.

You’ll be rewarded with incomparable flavor (and a gorgeous pink color instead of a muted shade of Pepto Bismol).

Silken tofu

Silken tofu is the most delicate variety of tofu due to its very high water-content. You’ll find two types of silken tofu sold in most grocery stores: refrigerated and aseptic (shelf-stable, the most common brand in the US is Mori-nu/Morinaga).

Blending silken tofu into the dip lends it a lusciously creamy quality (plus a little extra protein) without changing the flavor in any way (this is also why it’s a great choice for blending into smoothies!).

Walnuts

Long-time readers of the blog know that I love to get on a soapbox about toasting walnuts. It is a transformative process—I find raw walnuts nearly unpalatable, yet toasted walnuts are excellent.

Tip: Hard toast the walnuts

Here you’ll do a “hard toast” of them—taking them all the way to a deep golden brown—to bring out a maximally nutty, umami-rich flavor.

To prevent uneven toasting/burned spots, you’ll be toasting them in oil (and then incorporate the flavor-infused oil into the dip!).

After the first 2 minutes, you’ll want to stir more frequently to prevent burning.

Spices

An unspiced dip? I would never. You’ll add a warm blend of coriander, cumin, and za’atar, plus Aleppo pepper, optionally, for a hint of fruity heat.

Substitute: If you don’t have Aleppo pepper but want a bit of a kick, use half or quarter the amount of red pepper flakes, as they’re hotter than Aleppo pepper.

Lemon

The earthiness of the roasted beets needs a bit of acidity to balance it—lemon to the rescue! It balances, brightens and beautifully offsets the moodiness of the beets.

P.S. Roasted beets + acid is a dream-team combo—see the Glazed Torn Beets with Pistachio Butter & Mint in my cookbook, Big Vegan Flavor (p. 395), which are glazed with lots of vinegar!

Overhead shot of beet dip with sesame seeds, mint, and pita bread next to a small bowl of chopped mint.

Step-by-step instructions

raw beets wrapped in aluminum foil on a wooden cutting board.

Roast the beets: Tightly wrap fresh beets (stalks removed but skinny tails intact) in individual foil packets and roast at 450ºF for 45 min to 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into the center slides in easily.

a knife and chopped cooked beets on a piece of aluminum foil.

Unwrap the beets. Once cool, peel and roughly chop or tear into chunks.

a silicone spatula and chopped walnuts cooking in a frying pan.

Toast the walnuts: Heat olive oil over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, then add the chopped walnuts and salt. Toast, stirring frequently, 6 to 7 minutes (till deeply brown but not burnt).

toasted walnuts and oil blended in a food processor.

To a food processor (or small-capacity blender), add the toasted walnuts plus all the oil left in the pan, and garlic. Blend until a paste forms.

tofu and lemon juice added to the walnut oil mixture in the food processor.

Add the silken tofu and lemon juice.

blended tofu walnut mixture in food processor.

Blend until tofu is pureed and creamy (about 1 minute).

beets and spices added to the food processor.

Add the cooked beets, coriander, cumin, za’atar, salt, and Aleppo pepper.

finished blended dip in the food processor.

Blend until luxuriously creamy. Taste, and adjust the seasonings.

Tips for making this recipe

Fresh beets = best beets

If you’re going to take the time to make a beet dip, why not make the most vividly beautiful, robustly beety dip you can? And that starts with fresh beets.

Here’s my 4-bullet-point pitch for roasting your own beets instead of buying pre-cooked beets:
• Roasting beets unlocks a beautiful earthiness and subtle sweetness in their flavor profile.
• The color of freshly roasted beets is 10x better.
• It’s all hands-off time! Pop them in the oven and do whatever you want for 45 to 60 minutes!
• You can roast the beets ahead of time—see the tip directly below this one.

Prep ahead of time if you can

Do yourself a favor and roast your beets ahead of time—it makes the dip come together super quickly.

Simply roast the beets and, once they’re cool enough to handle, peel them (they’re much easier to peel when still warm). Store the beets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Also, feel free to make the entire dip several days ahead of serving. See the FAQs for storage instructions.

Tip for beet-freaks: Since you’re already roasting beets, why not roast a whole bunch? Then you can use them in grain bowls and salads (try my beet and fennel salad!).

Give the walnuts your full attention

Resist the urge to multitask when you’re toasting the walnuts in this recipe because they can go from perfectly roasty-toasty brown to straight-up burnt quicker than you think.

If the walnuts start to brown very quickly, reduce the heat—but you’ll only be able to catch this if you’re standing over the pan, so don’t walk away during this step!

Feel free to double

This beet dip, as written, yields about 2 ½ cups (580 grams) of dip, but if you’re going to a party with lots of guests (or a few very hungry ones) this is easy to double—just make sure your food processor or blender is large enough to accommodate the additional volume.

Overhead shot of beet dip with sesame seeds and mint next to a small plate of chopped mint.

How to serve this beet dip

How about giving some of these ideas a try?

Drizzle your best olive oil on top, garnish with fresh mint, and serve with warm pita.
Serve with grazing bites, such as pita chips, crackers, toasted bread slices, and/or fresh-cut veggies.
Slather onto crusty bread and top with pan-fried tofu and your favorite crisp veggies and sprouts for a delicious sandwich.
Dollop on a grain bowl. It’s particularly good with farro + roasted winter squash or carrots + arugula + roasted chickpeas.
Feeling gourmet? Smear this beet dip onto a shallow plate and use it as a base for roasted vegetables and proteins (cauliflower + chickpeas, cabbage + lentils).

a person holding a triangle of pita bread with beet dip above a bowl of the dip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use store-bought cooked beets instead of roasting fresh beets?

Technically, yes. Buuut this substitution will cost you considerably in the flavor and visual-appeal departments. Store-bought cooked beets cannot compete with the deep flavor of fresh roasted beets, and they’ll result in a significantly less vibrant final product.

Where can I buy za’atar?

These days, many well-stocked grocery stores carry za’atar! Alternatively, you’ll find it at Middle Eastern shops and, of course, online. I love the za’atar from Z&Z (yay for small family businesses!), and from my favorite spice brand, Burlap and Barrel.

How do I store leftover beet dip?

Pack the leftover beet dip into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 5 to 6 days. Before serving, allow it to come down to room temperature.

Can I freeze this beet dip?

I’d recommend against it since this dip contains silken tofu. Due to its high water content, silken tofu expands when frozen and contracts when thawed, which could give the dip a spongy or grainy texture.

If you do need to freeze it, I recommend thawing it in the fridge and then re-blending it before serving.