Turkish beetroot yogurt dip with seasonal roasted veg is a fantastic meal or platter to serve to a group. It’s loaded with healthy roasted seasonal veg and has a vibrant beetroot and yogurt dip that has cumin, lending it a beautiful earthy flavor to balance the sweetness. Together this is a colorful and flavorful combination making it ideal for serving at a dinner party. It’s also great when you’re craving something nutritious and delicious for yourself or the family.
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 30-45 minutes
- Cooling time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 55-70 minutes
Table of contents:
How to Make Turkish Beetroot Yogurt Dip with Seasonal Roasted Veg
Ingredients (serves 8 as a side)
For the beetroot yogurt dip
- 8 oz (225g) pre-cooked beetroot
- 7 Oz. (200 g) Greek yogurt
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
For the seasonal roast veg
- 1 small butternut squash (or ½ a large one)
- 2 small white onions
- 1 red onion
- 2-3 carrots
- Handful of fresh parsley (for garnish)
- 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (2 for cooking, 2 for serving)
- Selection of seeds and nuts (for garnish)
Equipment needed
- Food processor
- Large kitchen knife and cutting board
- Large stainless steel oven tray
- Large serving plate or platter
Instructions
Step 1 – Prepare roast veg
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Lightly oil the baking tray.
- Use a large sharp kitchen knife to cut the squash in half and remove all the seeds. Cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) slices.
- Quarter the onions and slice the carrots lengthways and add them to the baking tray.
- Drizzle with some olive oil (around 1-2 tablespoons), then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Bake on the middle shelf for around 30-45 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2 – Prepare the beetroot yogurt dip
- Add all ingredients to a food processor.
- Buzz for 3-4 minutes or until you get a smooth consistency (If the dip looks too lumpy, add more yogurt for a softer, smoother dip).
- Transfer to serving bowl for use later.
Step 3 – Arrange dip and roast veg for serving
- Smear some of the beetroot yogurt dip onto a serving plate or platter (or you can arrange on small side plates).
- Arrange the seasonal roasted veggies on top.
- Garnish with some fresh chopped parsley, seeds, and nuts.
- Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and season (to taste) with salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Turkish Beetroot Yogurt Dip (Kiz Güzeli)
This classic Turkish dip is often found on meze plates in Istanbul and around the country, either served with vegetables or with some tasty flatbread. It’s a fantastic recipe as it is easy to prepare and has plenty of flavor to match the beautiful coloring. The dish is smooth, rich, sweet, and creamy with a distinctive earthy flavor from the beetroot and ground cumin.
Key Ingredients
Beetroot
You need to use cooked beetroot for this recipe but can start with raw beetroot with a few extra steps. You’ll typically find both in any decent fresh food grocer. The beetroot you find in plastic packages in the supermarket will usually be pre-cooked beetroot and no other prep is required.
When using raw beetroot, you’ll need to cook it before use. Steps are below:
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Trim the stalks. Add to a baking tray (skin on), cover the tray in foil and bake in the oven for 60 minutes or until the beets are soft.
- Unwrap the foil and leave to cool for 20 minutes.
- Once cooked, the skin should come away easily with a little rub. Remove all the skin and allow to cool completely before using.
Yogurt
Use natural Greek yogurt that hasn’t had any sugar or flavoring added. Greek yogurt is rich and very creamy, plus it’s also very healthy — it’s a great source of calcium and vitamin B12. If you are looking for an even healthier alternative to Greek yogurt, use kefir; it contains more probiotics compared to yogurt and will be more effective in promoting good gut health and digestion.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Use good quality extra virgin olive oil for this dip. It will aid emulsion and will leave you with a rich creamy dip! EVOO is very healthy and is a crucial ingredient in the Mediterranean diet.
Cumin
Ground cumin helps give this recipe a subtle earthy flavor which pairs very well with the sweetness of the beetroot. Cumin is a spice commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine and is a favorite spice around the world these days.
Seasoning
A small amount of seasoning with some salt and white pepper really helps to enhance the other ingredients in this recipe. You won’t need much, just a pinch or two of each to help balance out the flavors.
How to get the right texture
With so few ingredients, it’s important to get the balance of flavors and texture right. Aim for a rich creamy consistency. Using Greek yogurt that is very thick and creamy will really help. If you use a watery yogurt, your dip will lack the creaminess and will not be easy to eat.
Use a food processor and pulse the ingredients for around 3-5 minutes, or until you get a thick, creamy consistency. You will need to scrape the edges of the food processor once or twice to ensure there are no stray lumps. If your dip is too lumpy, add some more yogurt. If the dip is too thin and watery, add more beetroot.
Seasonal Roasted Veg
Choose a selection of vegetables that roast well together and make the dish as colorful as you like. We like to include seasonal vegetables to get maximum freshness (we’re currently in Fall/Autumn) so butternut squash was in, plus we added some red onion for some color.
For this recipe, we used:
- Squash
- Carrots
- White and red onions
Other veg that roast well include:
- Pumpkin (orange)
- Leek (white)
- Turnip (white, purple)
- Asparagus (green, white)
- Bell peppers (capsicums)
FAQs
How long does this recipe take to make?
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 30-45 minutes
- Cooling time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 55-70 minutes
What type of beetroot do I need for this recipe?
Pre-cooked beetroot is the easiest and fastest, but you can use raw beetroot with a few extra steps involved (see full recipe description for more information).
What yogurt works best for beetroot yogurt dip?
Use natural Greek yogurt for this recipe. It’s rich, creamy, healthy, and has no added sugar or flavoring.
What other Mediterranean dips are popular in a meze platter?
Many of the Mediterranean countries serve similar dips but perhaps with a couple of tweaks. Baba ganoush is a popular smoked eggplant dip in Lebanese cuisine and is also commonly found in Turkey. You could also make creamy Greek tzatziki if you have natural Greek yogurt left over after making the beetroot dip.
Nutrition Facts
| Servings: 8 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 207 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 14.8g | 19% |
| Saturated Fat 2.3g | 11% |
| Cholesterol 2mg | 1% |
| Sodium 26mg | 1% |
| Total Carbohydrate 17.2g | 6% |
| Dietary Fiber 3.6g | 13% |
| Total Sugars 6.8g | |
| Protein 4.5g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 80mg | 6% |
| Iron 1mg | 6% |
| Potassium 385mg | 8% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Turkish Beetroot Yogurt Dip with Seasonal Roasted Veg
Equipment
- Food processor
- Large kitchen knife and cutting board
- Large stainless steel oven tray
- Large serving plate or platter
Ingredients
For the beetroot yogurt dip
- 8 oz 225g pre-cooked beetroot
- 7 Oz. 200 g Greek yogurt
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the seasonal roast veg
- 1 small butternut squash or ½ a large one
- 2 small white onions
- 1 red onion
- 2-3 carrots
- Handful of fresh parsley for garnish
- 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 for cooking, 2 for serving
- Selection of seeds and nuts for garnish
Instructions
Step 1 – Prepare roast veg
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Lightly oil the baking tray.
- Use a large sharp kitchen knife to cut the squash in half and remove all the seeds. Cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) slices.1 small butternut squash
- Quarter the onions and slice the carrots lengthways and add them to the baking tray.2 small white onions, 1 red onion, 2-3 carrots
- Drizzle with some olive oil (around 1-2 tablespoons), then season to taste with salt and pepper.1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, Salt & pepper
- Bake on the middle shelf for around 30-45 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2 – Prepare the beetroot yogurt dip
- Add all ingredients to a food processor.8 oz 225g pre-cooked beetroot, 7 Oz. 200 g Greek yogurt, 1 lemon, 1 tsp ground cumin, 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Buzz for 3-4 minutes or until you get a smooth consistency (If the dip looks too lumpy, add more yogurt for a softer, smoother dip).
- Transfer to serving bowl for use later.
Step 3 – Arrange dip and roast veg for serving
- Smear some of the beetroot yogurt dip onto a serving plate or platter (or you can arrange on small side plates).
- Arrange the seasonal roasted veggies on top.
- Garnish with some fresh chopped parsley, seeds, and nuts.Handful of fresh parsley, Selection of seeds and nuts
- Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and season (to taste) with salt and freshly cracked pepper.
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