This subtle sweet Tzatziki is a bright and colorful addition to any picnic, snack, or even makes a great sauce on grilled chicken and veggies. You can make this a thick dip by dicing the veggies and folding the ingredients into the Greek yogurt. You can also make a creamy salad dressing version by combining your beets and yogurt in the food processor first and then stir in the rest of your ingredients.
Ingredients
4 beets roasted and diced small
1 pack (about 6-7) Persian cucumbers - diced or grated to preference
2 cups Greek full fat yogurt
1 lemon - will use the zest and juice
1/4 cup garlic paste
1/4 cup dill
S&P to taste
Directions
For roasting your own beets Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the beet greens off and use as you like for another dish. Leave the beets whole with the skins on and drizzle with a tablespoon of neutral oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake on a sheet tray for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of your beets, until they are fork tender. Once removed from the oven wrap the beets together in foil to cool and this will help steam the skins so they can easily be peeled once cool. Once the beets are cool enough to touch: use a paper towel to wipe the outsides of the beets and the skins will come right off. Tip: your hands will get stained from the beets but the paper towel helps prevent this. Kitchen gloves are also a great option if you have them. I have used precooked grocery store beets for this and you can still get great flavor and save time. You just may not still get the same bright pink color as fresh beets.
For the dip Dice the cucumbers and leave the peels on. Place them in a paper towel lined strainer and toss them with a liberal amount of salt about 1.5 tsp. Let the cucumbers sit about 20 minutes to release and drain water. After 20 minutes squeeze them with the paper towel to remove any excess water. You can also use a thin dish towel or cheese cloth to drain your cucumbers. Then dice your peeled roasted beets & chop your dill.
Stir together the yogurt, garlic paste, and lemon zest and juice from 1 lemon. Season with a pinch of salt (you don’t need to add a lot of salt because the cucumbers add saltiness) and a couple small pinches of pepper. Fold in in the diced beats & drained cucumber and lastly stir in the dill. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with chips or veggies to dip.
For a dressing Grate your cucumbers using a medium box grater. Again you will leave the skins on for this and you will place the cucumber in a paper towel lined strainer and toss them with a liberal amount of salt to drain. After 20 minutes squeeze the drained cucumbers with the paper towel to remove any excess water. While the cucumbers are draining, combine the beets and yogurt in a food processor for 3-5 minutes scraping down the side to eliminate any chunks. The beets will release liquid and will thin the yogurt slightly. Once all chunks are processed out move the beet yogurt to a bowl and stir in all remaining ingredients and check seasoning. Then drizzle on your favorite salad or grilled protein and enjoy!
If making this ahead of time, just stir the dip well before serving because the beets will bleed color and the cucumbers will continue to release water.