Beetroot mtabbal
Beetroot mtabbal is a bright magenta Levantine dip of cooked beetroot blended with tahini, yogurt, garlic and lemon, finished with olive oil. It is smooth and creamy, with an earthy sweetness balanced by tang. It is served cold as part of a mezze spread or as a side.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g beetroot
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 100 g thick yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt
- Chopped parsley to garnish
Method
- Boil or roast the beetroot until tender, about 40–60 minutes.
- Let it cool, peel and cut into chunks.
- Blend or mash with the tahini, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and salt until creamy.
- Spread on a plate, drizzle with olive oil and scatter with parsley. Serve with fresh vegetables.
How to make it lighter
- Tahini is calorie-dense: 1 tbsp ≈ 90 kcal, so measure it and add a little more yogurt for creaminess.
- Use only a thin drizzle of olive oil on top — 1 tbsp oil ≈ 120 kcal.
- Scoop it with cucumber, carrot or pepper sticks.
History
Beetroot mtabbal is a modern variation on eggplant moutabal and is popular today in Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian mezze menus.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →