Nutritious Homemade Beet Tzatziki Dip

Name: Nutritious Homemade Beet Tzatziki Dip
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups 2% milkfat Greek style yogurt; 1 1/2 cups beets, grated; 2 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced; 3 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped; 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp lemon zest; Salt

posted by Alex Aldeborgh on Oct 23, 2020 (last updated 4/18/22) 3 comments »

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This homemade tzatziki recipe uses creamy Greek yogurt, grated beets, fresh herbs, and lemon to create a dip that takes just 10 minutes to prepare! It takes just a few minutes to make, and everyone will love it!

Bowl of beet tzatziki surrounded by veggie crudite and pita chips for dipping

As a Registered Dietitian, it’s no surprise that I love to make all sorts of healthy homemade sauces and dips. They really elevate a meal or snack from boring to exciting with minimal effort and prep. One of my all time favorite dips to make is a healthy homemade tzatziki sauce. It’s incredibly versatile and easy to make. Plus, since it’s a Greek yogurt sauce, it’s quite nutritious and packed with protein!

What is tzatziki sauce?

If you’ve traveled to Greece, or just enjoy Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, then you’ve probably had tzatziki. It’s a dip or sauce made from strained yogurt mixed with cucumber, garlic, salt, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. Common herbs you’ll find in tzatziki include dill, mint, and parsley.

Tzatziki is such a refreshing, flavorful, and cooling addition to any meal. You can use it as a dip, a spread on a pita sandwich, or mixed into a salad or grain bowl. I love to enjoy it when I’m craving something different than hummus with crunchy veggies and warm pita chips.

For this beet tzatziki recipe, I replaced the classic cucumbers with beets. It makes for a unique flavor and the most beautiful vibrant pink color. I always say beautiful food is more fun to eat! Plus, beets are a highly nutritious food to include in your diet.

Bowl of beet tzatziki surrounded by veggie crudite and pita chips and crackers for dipping

Ingredients in beet tzatziki

This recipe uses all the traditional tzatziki ingredients, except beets sub in for cucumber.

Greek style yogurt: Tzatziki dip is supposed to be thick and creamy, so Greek style yogurt works best as the base. I used 2% milkfat for this recipe.
Beets: Instead of cucumber, we are using beets in this tzatziki recipe. I used pre-cooked beets (found in the refrigerated section in the produce aisle) to keep it quick and easy. If you’d like, you can roast your own beets – just factor in the extra cooking time.
Garlic: Use fresh garlic for classic tzatziki flavor.
Dill: This is my personal favorite herb to use when I make tzatziki. If you’d like, you can also add mint and/or parsley.
Lemon juice
Lemon zest
Olive oil
Salt

How to make tzatziki sauce

First, grate the beets using the medium-large sized hole side of a box grater.
Next, finely grate or mince the garlic cloves, zest the lemon, and chop the fresh dill.
Put the yogurt into a mixing bowl. Add the grated beets, grated garlic, lemon zest, fresh dill, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil.
Stir well until everything is completely combined.

Storing beet tzatziki

Since tzatziki is made from fresh ingredients without preservatives, it is best enjoyed within a few days of preparing. You can store any leftover tzatziki in an airtight container in the fridge. You may find that tzatziki gets a bit watery when stored – that’s ok! Just give it a good stir before using it again.

What to eat with tzatziki dip

As a dip with lots of crunchy veggies, pita chips, and crackers (as shown in the photographs).
Spread onto a pita sandwich with falafel, tomatoes, romaine, and tahini.
Mixed into a Greek salad with tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, cucumber, and feta cheese.
As a topping for a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern inspired grain bowl.
As a dip for fall roasted vegetables, like butternut squash, delicata squash, and cauliflower.

Beets nutrition benefits

Beets are an incredibly nutritious food to include in your diet. Considered a root vegetable, one cup of raw beets provides:

3.8 grams of dietary fiber (14 percent of your daily needs)
2.2 grams of plant-based protein
148 mcg folate (37 percent of your daily needs)
0.102 mcg copper (11 percent of your daily needs)
0.447 mcg manganese (19 percent of your daily needs)

Beets also contain several other plant compounds, including antioxidants and nitrates. Antioxidants help keep our cells healthy, fight off inflammation, and can reduce the risk of certain diseases. Nitrates in the diet can have positive health benefits, including reducing blood pressure and decreasing the risk of many diseases.

Greek yogurt nutrition benefits

Greek yogurt is a highly nutritious food. In particular, it’s an excellent vegetarian protein source. A 7-ounce serving of lowfat plain Greek yogurt contains:

20 grams of protein
230 mg calcium (18 percent of your daily needs)
180 mcg Vitamin A (20 percent of your daily needs)
104 mcg Vitamin B12 (43 percent of your daily needs)
24.8 mcg selenium (45 percent of your daily needs)

It’s important to point out that flavored Greek yogurt tends to have quite a bit of added sugar. To limit added sugar intake, try plain Greek yogurt and using fresh fruit or a little maple syrup or honey for sweetness.

Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or star rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!