Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Dip
INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium beets, leaves trimmed, or 1/2 pound roasted beets from deli or salad bar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 sprigs thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4-ounce log goat cheese
- 1 small bunch chives, finely sliced
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Crostini or bread sticks, for serving
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- If using raw beets, wash them clean of sand and dirt. Set aside to air dry or dry well with a towel or paper towel. If using roasted beets, proceed to food processor step.
- Toss the beets in a mixing bowl with oil, thyme, a few pinches of salt and about 15 grinds of pepper.
- Turn the beets out onto a baking sheet and roast until fork tender, shaking the pan occasionally to insure even cooking, about 40 minutes.
- Remove beets from oven and set aside to cool. (You can do this up to a couple days ahead of time if you store them sealed in the refrigerator.)
- Remove and discard the skins from the beets. Cut beets into quarters. Add the beet quarters to a food processor or blender. Pulse a few times until beets are roughed up into small but still chunky pieces.
- Dump the blended beets into a serving bowl. Crumble the goat cheese into the beets and add the chives and lemon juice. Toss together and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve with crostini or breadsticks.