Beet Dip with Walnuts & Dill Recipe

Coquelicots by Claude Monet 1873

Why beet dip for our June apéro? Monet’s color palette for many of his paintings included deep madder lake (modern equivalent is alizarin crimson), which reminded us of the color of this dip.

This beet dip recipe was originally made at Grand Cafe for a dinner with Alison Roman (it’s her recipe), and it’s become a favorite of ours at PDC. We prefer to make the dip the day before serving so the flavors can marry. Immediately after making it, it only tastes like walnuts and you might think, “How is this good?” But overnight, the flavors magically become besties. It also always needs seasoning adjustments from day to day — usually more vinegar and sometimes more salt.

P.S. You can easily make this dairy free by not adding the yogurt at the end — just be sure to add enough acid and drizzle with a good amount of olive oil to finish.

Beet Dip with Walnuts & Dill
makes about 2 cups

shopping list —

• 1 lb red beets

• 1 garlic clove, microplaned

• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted*

• 2-4 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1/2 cup full-fat Greek yogurt

• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

• salt and pepper to taste

equipment —

• food processor

• baking dish

• aluminum foil

• microplane

• medium sized bowl

• whisk or rubber spatula

steps —

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

2. Rinse the beets to remove any dirt or sand. Add the beets to the baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Add about 1 to 1/2 cups of water so the beets are sitting in water about 1/4 of the way up. Add a few (heavy-handed) splashes of red wine vinegar and season the beets with salt.

3. Roast the beets until tender — 60-90 minutes, depending on the size.

4. Remove from the oven and peel the beets while they’re hot.

   *Chef tip: peeling beets can be annoying — and messy. The best method is using a clean kitchen towel to rub the skin off the beet. The skin should peel away easily. If not, use a paring knife to peel the skin. P.S. To avoid pink stained fingers, use gloves:)

5. Cut off the stem end, then cube the beets into medium to small chunks.

6. Place the beets, toasted walnuts, microplaned garlic, vinegar, and olive oil in the food processor. Pulse until you reach the consistency you like. It should be spreadable but not a puree.

7. In a separate bowl, fold in the yogurt and the chopped dill. Season with salt and more red wine vinegar if needed.

8. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, fluffy dill, and black pepper and serve with crackers or with a crudité platter.

*To toast the walnuts —

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. (You can toast at 350ºF, just be sure to check the walnuts more often. Nuts go from perfectly toasted to burnt in what feels like seconds!)

2. Toss the walnuts with olive oil and a good amount of salt. Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet in an even layer. Toast until golden brown and fragrant, rotating the tray frequently if you have hot spots in your oven.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Paris Dining Club (@parisdiningclub)