Baked Beet Chips with Blue Cheese Dip

It’s beet season and I’ve been coming across them at the markets. Since they’re everywhere (and my sister hasn’t given me the recipe for her famous beet soup yet) I decided to make a simple snack out of beets – Baked Beet Chips with Blue Cheese Dip. Might sound strange, but not when I say that these beets turn to chips – baked not fried – that are crispy, delicious and addicting! The chips on their own are vegan, but the dip is not.

The most difficult thing about this recipe is 1) keeping an eye on them as they bake, and 2) keeping your hands off them when they’re finished (I did a bit too much “taste-testing” and found myself with a bit of an upset stomach!).

It’s best to make baked beet chips with blue cheese dip when you’re not distracted since you’ll need to check on them about every 10-15 minutes after their initial chunk of bake time. I served them with a homemade blue cheese dip using 1/2 cup of mayo, 1/2 cup of sour cream and crumbled blue cheese. On their own the chips are gluten-free and vegan.

Recipe for Baked Beet Chips with Blue Cheese Dip:

Serves 2-4 people

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large beets, peeled and sliced thin with a mandolin
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt to sprinkle on chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Wash, peel and slice the beets with the mandolin.
2. Arrange parchment paper over two baking sheets
3. Brush each side of the sliced beets with the olive oil using a pastry brush
4. Arrange beets on the baking sheets (it’s okay if they touch since they really shrink up as they bake), and sprinkle with salt.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes on one side, then carefully flip the chips over and sprinkle with more salt if you'd like.
6. Continue to bake, checking them about every 10 minutes. They should be ready to remove when the edges of the chips turn dark and dry out, and the rest of the chip turns lighter.
7. Remove and cool on a wire rack. They’ll get crispier as they cool down.

Serves 2-4 people