Starter Middle Eastern-inspired
Roasted beetroot dip with za’atar, goats’ cheese and hazelnuts
Vegetarian
Editorially prepared
A thick, vivid pink roasted beetroot and yoghurt dip seasoned with za’atar. Salty goats’ cheese, toasted hazelnuts and a thin bread crisp complete four small, mild tasting portions.
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Ingredients
4 servings · metric units
One serving is a small tasting bowl, not a full starter. When scaling up, use several small beetroot rather than one large one. Roasting time depends on their diameter, not the number of servings. Adjust the water to cover the base of the roasting dish. Bake the bread crisps in a single layer; extra batches will extend preparation.
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You’ll need
Oven · Very small ovenproof dish and foil or a fitted lid · Small frying pan · Baking tray, baking parchment and cooling rack · Mini chopper and small spatula · Kitchen scales and measuring spoons · Chopping board, kitchen knife and bread knife · Two small plates for cooling · Small lidded container · Four small serving bowls
Method
0/10 stepsPrepare the beetroot
Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional; allow about 10 minutes. Wash the beetroot without peeling it. Put it in a very small ovenproof dish, add 30 ml of water and cover tightly with foil or a lid. The water should thinly cover the base.
Prepare the beetroot Roast until tender
Put the covered dish in the preheated oven. Roast for about 1 hour 5 minutes from putting it in; allow 1 hour–1 hour 15 minutes overall. Towards the end, carefully lift the cover and insert a thin knife into the centre: it should slide in without noticeable resistance. If the beetroot is still firm, cover and continue roasting, checking every 10 minutes. While it roasts, prepare the nuts and slice the bread.
1:05:00Roast until tender Toast the hazelnuts
While the beetroot roasts, heat a small dry frying pan over a medium-low heat for about a minute. Add the hazelnuts and toast for 4–5 minutes from adding them, shaking the pan frequently. Once golden in places and fragrant, tip onto a plate; reduce the heat if they darken too quickly. Cool for about 10 minutes until no longer warm, then roughly chop.
05:00Toast the hazelnuts Slice the bread
While the beetroot is still roasting, cut the baguette diagonally into thin slices, 2–3 mm thick, allowing one per serving. Arrange in a single layer on a lined baking tray. Set aside until the beetroot comes out of the oven.
Slice the bread Cool the beetroot
Lift the tender beetroot out of the dish onto a plate and discard the roasting liquid. Leave uncovered for about 20 minutes from removing it, until barely warm and comfortable to hold. If it is still hot, allow longer before adding the yoghurt. Leave the oven on and bake the bread crisps while the beetroot cools.
20:00Cool the beetroot Bake the bread crisps
Put the prepared tray in the oven, still at 180°C. Bake for about 8–10 minutes from putting it in, until the slices are dry and lightly golden; avoid deep browning. If the centres are still soft, bake for another 1–2 minutes at a time. Transfer to a rack and cool for about 10 minutes. Once cool, the crisps should be brittle throughout.
10:00Bake the bread crisps Blend the dip
Check that the beetroot is no more than barely warm. Peel it, trim off any hard ends and cut into small pieces. Pat the surface dry if wet. Finely chop the garlic. Blend the beetroot, garlic and yoghurt in a mini chopper, stopping to scrape down the sides. Add the olive oil, maple syrup and za’atar, then blend again. The dip should be smooth and thick, with no noticeable beetroot pieces. If small pieces remain, scrape down and continue blending in short bursts without adding water. Season cautiously with salt.
Blend the dip Chill the base
Transfer the dip to a small container, cover and refrigerate. Chill for about 30 minutes from putting it in the fridge, until cool throughout and able to hold a spoon mark. If still lukewarm, chill for longer. Prepare the cheese and spring onion while it chills.
30:00Chill the base Prepare the fresh toppings
While the dip chills, crumble the goats’ cheese. Wash and thoroughly dry the spring onion greens, then slice into thin rings. Keep the cheese and spring onion separately in the fridge until serving; do not mix them into the dip.
Prepare the fresh toppings Finish and serve
Check that the dip is cool and the nuts and bread crisps are completely cold. Stir the dip and divide evenly between small bowls. Top with the goats’ cheese, toasted hazelnuts and spring onion, leaving some of the pink surface visible. Place a bread crisp beside each bowl and serve straight away, before the toppings soften.
Finish and serve
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Tips
- Use a mini chopper for this small quantity. In a large food processor, the mixture may sit below the blade; stop the machine and scrape it down with a spatula.
- The beetroot must be tender right through. Undercooked beetroot will leave noticeable pieces even after prolonged blending.
- Do not add the roasting liquid to the dip. Thick yoghurt and well-drained beetroot help the dip hold a spoon mark.
- You can make the base the day before. Refrigerate it after preparation and keep it chilled for 12–24 hours; add the toppings only when serving. This extra time is not included in the recipe timing.
Storage
Keep the plain dip in a sealed container in the fridge at 4°C or below for up to 2 days. Refrigerate the cheese and spring onion separately, and keep the completely cooled nuts and bread crisps in airtight containers in a dry place. Add the toppings just before serving. Avoid freezing the finished dip, as the yoghurt may separate when thawed.
Timing
Hands-on: 43 min · Cooking: 1 hr 15 min · Resting: 1 hr 2 min
The total allows for tasks done in parallel. The individual times can overlap.
