Red Beet Labneh

This beet labneh combines sweet, roasted beetroot with soft, creamy labneh cheese. It makes a gourmet dip for chips, crackers, and vegetables. It is also fabulous as a sandwich spread and it looks absolutely stunning on a cheeseboard.

You really can’t go wrong with this beetroot labneh. Spread it on toast for breakfast or serve it as an appetizer when company comes over. It is creamy, smooth, sweet, and tangy.

Labneh is a Middle Eastern cream cheese made from fresh yogurt but it is far healthier than cream cheese since it has probiotics from the yogurt. It is pretty much a staple in Lebanese cuisine and if you make it yourself, you can flavor it in a variety of ways.

Take, for instance, this bright pink beetroot labneh. Roasted beets are pureed and blended into the snowy white Labneh cheese that makes a beautiful dip or spread. It is almost too beautiful to eat. The roasted beets add a naturally sweet flavor to the tangy cheese.

If you are looking for more inspiration to add some amazing flavor to your homemade Labneh, try stirring in our Lebanese garlic sauce along with some fresh chopped thyme or rosemary.

Beet Dip with Labneh:

You can serve this labneh with beetroot in pretty much the same way you would serve traditional hummus or even our carrot hummus. We like to serve it in a bowl with a big glug of good quality olive oil on top.

This beet labneh makes an excellent dip. Add some pita bread or naan bread and some fresh vegetables on the side to scoop into the beautiful spread.

You can also serve it on a mezze platter or as part of a charcuterie board and it is especially delicious served with lamb. Try it with our seared lamb chops.

The Ingredients:

Here is the short list of ingredients you need for beet labneh. 

Beets. Roasting beets at home isn’t difficult but if you want to take a shortcut, you can purchase roasted beets from the produce section of the grocery store. 

Olive oil. Use the olive oil to coat the beets before you roast them but save some to pour over the top of the beet labneh prior to serving. 

Prepared Labneh. You can either make the labneh from scratch using our recipe linked above or you can start with store-bought labneh. If you are lucky enough to have a grocery store with a Mediterranean section, you should be able to find labneh in the refrigerated section. 

Tahini. Tahini adds a rich, nutty flavor to the beet labneh and it compliments the flavors very well. 

How to Make Beetroot Labneh:

Here is a brief overview of the process but make sure you scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.

1. Roast the beets until they are tender then let them cool enough to handle them. 
2. Peel the beets and puree them in a food processor or a blender until they are smooth.
3. Measure out 1/2 cup of the beet puree and stir it into the labneh cheese.
4. Stir in the tahini and taste the beet labneh. Add additional beet puree if desired.

Tips for Success:

You should get close to 3/4 to 1 cup of beet puree if you choose large beets. That will give you more than enough beet puree for this beetroot labneh. Start with 1/2 cup of the puree. After you stir the beets into the labneh you can add more beet puree until you get the flavor and color you desire. 

You can control the color by the amount of beets you add but the typical proportions are two-thirds cheese to one-third beets.  The flavor is well-balanced and delicious.

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:

• Pickled Red Onion
• Honey Lemon Glazed Golden Beets
• Carrot Soup

Red Beet Labneh

A creamy, delicious fresh cheese made from Yogurt, mixed with cooked, pureed red beets. Serve with naan or pita bread, raw veggies or chips. Especially good with grilled or roasted lamb and fish.

5 from 15 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Calories: 159kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

• 2-3 medium-size beets roasted and pureed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-½ cups of prepared Labneh
• 2 tablespoons tahini sauce optional

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F
• Rinse the beets under cold running water to remove any soil, trim the top greens off but leave a one-inch stub remaining. To keep the beets from ‘bleeding’ while cooking, do not cut into the top of the beet or cut the rat-tail root off.
• Drizzle a little olive oil over the beets and wrap them in foil. Transfer to a baking sheet or oven-proof dish and roast for 45-60 minutes, checking after 45 minutes for doneness.

  To test, use a wooden skewer to insert into the upper portion of the beet and if there is little or no resistance they are done. If some of the beets are larger than others they may take a little longer to roast, remove the ones that test done.
• When the beets test done, transfer them from the oven and remove the foil from the roasted beets, transfer to a plate to cool, then trim the top and root-tail off. Peel the beets by rubbing with a folded paper towel or scraping the skin off with the dull side of a table knife.
• Cut the beets into quarters and place them in a blender and process them to a thick puree.
• In a medium-size bowl add the prepared labneh to a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of the beet puree and the tahini sauce if you are using it. Stir the mixture until it is smooth. Taste, and season with salt if desired.
• Transfer to a serving dish and serve with pita or naan bread, pita chips or vegetable sticks.

Notes

This recipe can easily be adjusted to make a smaller portion of red beet labneh. The usual proportions are 2/3 labneh cheese to 1/3 beet puree.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g

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This recipe was originally posted on March 18, 2015. We updated the post with new photos but we left the older photos in the post as well.