3-Ingredient Beetroot Dip
on Aug 20, 2024
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It’s hard to believe that this vibrant, beautiful and beyond-delicious beetroot dip is made with just 3 simple ingredients – ready-cooked beets, feta cheese and lemon juice! Perfect for parties, mezze platters, appetizers and snacks, you’ll need just 5 minutes to get it ready to go.
Why you’ll love it
- Quick and easy (ridiculously). Let’s face it, you barely need a recipe to make this. With its 3 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time, this beetroot dip recipe is a no-brainer addition to your next party or snack table.
- No pre-cooking. This recipe uses pre-roasted beets. Although if you happen to have beets growing in your garden, by all means roast your own!
- A winning flavor combination. The tangy feta and lemon cut through the earthiness of the beets for a simple but delicious marriage of flavors.
- Versatile. Pop some of this cheerful dip into your kids’ lunchboxes with dippers, or enjoy as part of a lunch or dinner salad bowl. It also makes a fantastic option for a quick pre-dinner appetizer for guests!
Ingredients and substitutions
You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.
- Beetroot: I usually use vacuum-packed beetroot because there’s no need to drain any liquid. Jarred or canned beetroot are also possibilities. Canned in water or brine is best, but canned in vinegar would add extra tanginess if you’re curious to try it!
- Feta cheese: You can use any feta cheese for this beetroot dip recipe. However, my favorite is either an authentic Greek brand or a creamy variety such as Danish or French style feta.
Not keen on feta? You can easily substitute with another creamy cheese such as ricotta cheese, goat cheese, or cream cheese. - Lemon juice: You’ll need 1 to 2 medium sized lemons. Start by adding around 2 tablespoons, then taste and add more if you wish. I usually end up adding more to my dip for more brightness and tang.
And that is it – just 3 very simple ingredients. If you like, you can add salt and pepper to taste, but it isn’t essential.
If you’d like to deepen the flavor profile a little (maybe you’re serving your beet dip to guests!), there are a few other ingredients you can add. See the ‘Tips’ section below!
How to make a beetroot dip with just 3 ingredients
Simply toss all the ingredients into a food processor or blender together. My mini food processor bowl is just the right size! The inner (smaller) bowl of my large food processor also works well. If you don’t have either of these, a regular sized one is fine. Or you can even mash everything together (see tips section below).
Then simply pulse until you have a smooth creamy dip that’s similar to the color of raspberries!
Spoon into a bowl and garnish (if you like!) before serving. I usually go with a few more crumbles of feta and perhaps some fresh herbs if I have them. If you have some good quality olive oil, you can drizzle a bit of that over, too.
Helen’s Top Tips
- Adjust ingredient amounts to taste! You don’t really need to stick to the exact amounts suggested in the recipe. You might want it creamier with more feta than beetroot, or perhaps you’d prefer to go lighter on the feta but squeeze in more lemon juice.
- Add more flavors. Try tweaking the recipe by adding any (or all!) of half a clove of raw garlic, a pinch of chili flakes or red pepper flakes, and half to one teaspoon of cumin. Scatter the top with dukkha, toasted pine nuts or mixed seeds, and/or fresh herbs (mint goes particularly well!).
- No food processor? No worries! Chop the beetroot finely and add it to a big bowl with the feta and lemon. Use a potato masher or even a fork to mash it all together. You can even use a pestle and mortar, which is a traditional way of making a rustic style dip. You’ll end up with a chunkier, more rustic dip this way, but it will still be very delicious.
Serving ideas
- Of course, the easiest and most classic way to serve this beetroot and feta dip is with pita chips (or any kind of chips), warm sliced bread (try this amazing homemade Greek bread!), crackers, or chopped veggies on the side for dipping and scooping!
- Serve as part of a ‘trio of dips’ at your next dinner party, along with this Greek red pepper feta dip and tsatziki sauce.
- Go rogue and serve either tempura zucchini fries or air fryer Greek meatballs for dipping!
- Use as a beet spread! Add to these chicken gyro pitas or easy lamb pitas, or on any kind of burger or sandwich.
- Serve as part of an appetizer or ‘mezze’ spread along with more dips, mini mushroom pies, these delicious feta filo parcels, or anything from this list of easy Greek appetizers.
- This Greek beetroot dip is also fantastic served on the side with any Mediterranean style dinner. How about serving it as part of this easy tuna salad, with a ‘horiatiki salata’ (Greek salad) and Greek potatoes, with bifteki (burgers and potatoes), or with these Greek chicken kebabs?
Recipe FAQs
If you cover it well or keep it in an airtight container, this dip will keep well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. The feta will harden a little. It’s actually nice served like that, or you can let it warm up a little first.
Yes, you can. Freeze it in an airtight freezer container for up to 3 months. Let defrost in the fridge overnight, then stir well before serving.
More easy dips
3-Ingredient Beetroot Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 9 ounces cooked beetroot, (vacuum packed, canned or jarred, in water/brine, drained)
- 7 ounces feta cheese, (1 cup, crumbled)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, (3-4 tablespoons, from 1 to 2 lemons) Start with 2 tablespoons, add more if you think you need to
Optional extras
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin, (this will add depth of flavor – start with ½ teaspoon, add more if you like)
- ½ clove garlic , (Pulse in along with the 3 main ingredients)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, (to serve)
- mixed seeds or crumbled nuts or dukkah, extra feta and/or chopped fresh herbs, to sprinkle over the top to serve
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until smooth, creamy and a vibrant raspberry color. Stick to these 3 ingredients, or add cumin, salt and pepper, if you like.9 ounces cooked beetroot, 7 ounces feta cheese, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, salt and pepper
- Empty out onto a small serving platter or plate or into a bowl. If you like, garnish with chopped fresh herbs, mixed seeds or dukkah, and/or a drizzle of olive oil.a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, mixed seeds or crumbled nuts or dukkah, extra feta and/or chopped fresh herbs
