Pureed Beets with Yogurt and Za’atar: July Potluck!

We were invited to a Dip Party. The invitation stated “We are going to party like it is 1976 and bring back our groundbreaking world famous Dip Contest Party. Make, buy or steal your your favorite party dip and the winners in the sweet and savory categories will receive mad prizes”. We were game for the challenge and decided to bring Pureed Beets with Yogurt and Za’atar from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.

We wanted to be different with our dip and I think we scored on that note. We roasted 2 pounds of beets, let them cool and peeled them. In a food processor we pureed beets, garlic, chile and yogurt until smooth. Then stir in date syrup (we substituted maple syrup), olive oil, Za’atar and salt. The toppings are green onions, hazelnuts, and goat cheese. My husband and I really enjoyed this one but it was not a hit at the party, we did not win a prize. We enjoyed it for lunch the next day. The recipe is widely available on the web. If you are looking for something different I would recommend this dip.