This oven-baked beet chips recipe is crisp and delicious with an accompanying vegan mayonnaise!

I love chips, but maybe a little too much. If I have a bag of chips in front of me, no matter what size, I’ll find a way to finish it without even realizing. So, when it comes time to clean up my diet, I avoid buying chips at all. If they’re in the house, they’re done within 24 hours. That’s why I’ve turned to making my own chips, only instead of frying, I bake them, and instead of using potatoes, I use vegetables. Root vegetables hold their own when baked and are able to cook to a crispy finish, just the way chips should be! The following beet chips recipe is the epitome of healthy alternatives living up to (if not exceeding) their not-so-healthy counterparts. Paired with a vegan mayonnaise dip, this beet chips recipe has me hooked.

Oven-Baked Beet Chips Recipe

Serves 8 (or 1, if you’re like me)

Ingredients

• 12 beets (all colors welcome!)
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut off the stalks of the beets and scrub and rinse them thoroughly. Use a mandolin slicer to cut the beets into paper-thin slices. The slices should be as thinly sliced as possible, but not translucent. If you don’t have a mandolin slicer, use a quality knife and carefully slice the beets yourself. Transfer the beets slices to a large bowl.

Add the olive oil, salt, and garlic powder to the bowl with the beets and use clean hands to toss the mixture together, making sure that each beet is well coated with the oil and spices. Let the beet slices sit in the bowl for 15-20 minutes. This allows them time to “sweat” and release excess moisture that will make it difficult for them to properly crisp in the oven.

Drain the liquid and toss the beets. Lay the slices in a single layer on the baking sheets. Pop into the oven for 45-60 minutes, or until crisp but not burned. Let them cool completely before eating or storing.

Vegan Mayonnaise Dip

Makes a little over 1 cup

Ingredients

• 8 ounces silken tofu
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• ½ teaspoon agave nectar

Directions

Drain and rinse the tofu and transfer it to a food processor or high-speed blender. Add the remaining ingredients to the tofu and blend until smooth. Serve aside the beet chips.

Related on EcoSalon
Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe with Beets
Vegan Roasted Garlic and Beets Recipe
Sweet Beet Juice with Kombucha Recipe

Healthy Purple Beets Image from Shutterstock

The post Oven-Baked Beet Chips Recipe with Vegan Tofu Mayonnaise appeared first on EcoSalon.

Beets are one of my favorite root vegetables to work with. They also taste quite unlike anything else, a mixture of sugary and earthy, making them ideal for both sweet and savory dishes. 

Beets are blood cleansers, packed with vitamins and minerals and actually considered a natural aphrodisiac [PDF]. Flavor and health benefits aside, beets give the most incredible color to any dish they are in. This beets recipe for a savory dip is infused with the deep flavor of roasted garlic and softened with the cooling, creamy backdrop of thick coconut milk. 

You can pair this beets recipe with roasted pita bread (whole-wheat or whole-grain, preferably), crackers or vegetable crudités. You could also use it as a condiment in sandwiches or just do as I do and eat by the spoonful as a snack to curb hunger. Enjoy!

DIY Dip: Roasted Garlic and Beets Recipe

Serves about 6

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch (about 5 individual) beets
• 1 head garlic
• 1 cup thick coconut milk (or unsweetened coconut milk yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Scrub beets until clean (they can sometimes be quite dirty). Cut off the stems so only stubs remain (don’t throw beet greens away, they’re delicious too!). Cut 1 centimeter off the top of a head of garlic. Place beets and garlic on a cooking tray lined with parchment paper. Pop into the oven for about 1 hour. The garlic will cook more quickly, so you can remove that after about 30 minutes – keep an eye on the garlic head so that it doesn’t burn.

Remove beets from the oven and let cool so that you can comfortably touch them with your hands. Remove the skins from all beets. Then squeeze one end of the head of the garlic so that the individual cloves slip out from the cut end. Place both the beets and garlic into a food processor. Blend until smooth.

In a bowl, add the coconut milk and fold into the beet mixture, salt, pepper, and dill, reserving a teaspoon of the dill for presentation later. Fold the mixture together until evenly combined. Serve with the remaining dill as a garnish.

Related on EcoSalon:

A Spring Delight: Cumin Spiced Beet Salad Recipe

Recipe: Vegan White Cheese Party Dip

Recipe: French Lentil Dip

Photo Credit: Dag Endresen

The post DIY Dip: Vegan Roasted Garlic and Beets Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.