We had lots of requests for holiday appetizers and wanted to start with this beautiful and delicious dip that would be a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving menu and will take you through the holidays! This dip has such great flavor and its color is a beautiful addition to the table. You can roast your own beets or buy already roasted beets- we have done both!

1 cup (or two medium) quartered roasted beets
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1 thick slice artisan-style bread, like ciabatta, torn into pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon ground Urfa Chile, or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar or balsalmic glaze (the thick, syrupy kind)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup water

Preheat the broiler. Arrange the beets, walnuts, and bread pieces on a rimmed baking sheet. Place under the broiler and cook until the nuts and bread are toasted and starting to char, 4-6 minutes. Watch carefully!

Transfer everything to a food processor or blender along with the rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth but still with a bit of texture, about 1 minute. You’ll be amazed by the gorgeous pink color!

Serve with good crackers, rainbow radishes thinly sliced, endive, more torn and toasted bread, or anything really!

*To Roast Beets:
Take 2 large beets, wash, and coat with olive oil and salt and pepper. Wrap them in foil and roast them at 350 degrees until tender. About 1 hour. Wait for them to cool and the skin just comes right off with ease. Takes a bit, but very hands off!

You can use already roasted beets from the grocery store, but we found that the color was not as vibrant as roasting them ourselves.