Equipment
Ingredients
Base Dip
- 500 g beetroot, whole, washed, untrimmed
- 60 g tahini, well stirred
- 2 garlic, peeled
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 g ground cumin
- 3 g kosher salt
Garnish
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 g walnuts, lightly toasted and crushed
- 5 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 273 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 17 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 408 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Potassium
- 515 mg
- Calcium
- 97 mg
- Iron
- 3.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 52 mg
- Phosphorus
- 179 mg
- Zinc
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 9 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 28 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.24 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.13 mg
- Niacin
- 1.3 mg
- Folate
- 158 mcg
- Water
- 119 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
Wrap each whole, washed beetroot tightly in aluminum foil. Place them directly on an oven rack or on a baking sheet.
Roast the wrapped beetroots in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until easily pierced to the center with a paring knife.
Remove the beetroots from the oven and carefully unwrap them. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes until safe to handle, then slip off the skins using your hands or a paper towel.
Roughly chop the warm peeled beetroots and place them into a food processor. Add the tahini, garlic cloves, lemon juice, ground cumin, and kosher salt. Process until a smooth puree forms.
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil to emulsify the dip, making it rich and velvety.
Transfer the slightly warm mutabal to a wide, shallow serving bowl. Use the back of a spoon to create sweeping swirls on the surface.
Garnish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, crushed toasted walnuts, and a scattering of fresh parsley.
Chef's Notes
- Roasting the beetroots instead of boiling them is crucial; it concentrates their natural sugars, deepens their earthy flavor, and prevents excess water from ruining the texture of the mutabal.
- For maximum flavor, process the dip while the roasted beetroots are still warm. The residual heat awakens the cumin and garlic, releasing fragrant volatile oils into the emulsion.
- Lemon juice does more than provide flavor here. The acidity actually helps stabilize the betanin (the pigment responsible for the beetroot's color), keeping your dip a vibrant, brilliant magenta rather than turning brown.
- If your tahini is exceptionally thick or chunky, you can blend it with the lemon juice and garlic before adding the beetroots. This creates a fluffy base emulsion similar to standard hummus prep.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The flavors will deepen overnight.
Freezer: 1 month — Freezing may slightly alter the texture; stir vigorously after thawing.
Reheating: Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Do not reheat directly.
Troubleshooting
The dip is too watery or thin
Cause: Beetroots retained too much moisture, which often happens if boiled instead of roasted
Fix: Add an extra tablespoon of tahini or a small handful of walnuts to the food processor to thicken the mixture
Prevention: Always roast the beetroots dry instead of boiling them in water
Tahini causes the mixture to seize and become grainy
Cause: Reaction between the temperature of the beets and the oil/water content of the tahini
Fix: Blend in 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice cold water to restore a smooth emulsion
Prevention: Ensure tahini is thoroughly mixed in its jar before measuring
The dip tastes flat or lacks brightness
Cause: Insufficient acidity or salt to balance the sweet earthiness of the beetroot
Fix: Blend in an additional pinch of salt and an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Prevention: Measure salt and lemon accurately
Cultural Context
Mutabal is a classic Levantine mezze deeply rooted in Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian culinary traditions. While the most famous version is made with fire-roasted eggplant (similar to baba ghanoush), 'Mutabal Shawandar' is a striking adaptation using roasted beetroot. It brings an earthy sweetness and an iconic jewel-toned hue to the mezze table while strictly honoring the traditional foundational flavors of tahini, garlic, and bright lemon.
