Pink-tastic Veggie Dip

Get your veggies in and dazzle your kids with this easy and creamy Pink-tastic Veggie Dip. Packed full of nutrients and flavor, this easy-peasy recipe takes just a few minutes in the kitchen to whip up and makes an amazing dip, dressing, or sandwich spread.

If you have been following me for a while, you know all too well that I am a preschool teacher. You will also know that those kiddos, along with my own school-age daughter, are the muses for many of my child-friendly recipes. And this recipe (or at least its idea) was born around the snack table one day in my classroom.

I am responsible for getting my entire preschool class hooked on dried seaweed. True story. If I do nothing else with my life…I can at least say I did that.

It all started when SeaSnax oh-so generously sent my whole school enough of their seaweed snacks for me to go around to each class and teach children how to make (and eat!) simple rice rolls (See Teaching Children to Try New Foods: The Rice Roll Lesson). Such a generous donation, in fact, that our students have become hooked on their seaweed and eagerly munch on it at snack time on the regular.

So there we are one afternoon, just stuffing our faces with SeaSnax when one of the kids turns to me.

“Do you think mermaids like to eat seaweed, too?” he asks.

“Um, totally! I mean, I bet it is their favorite snack!” I respond enthusiastically, much to their delight.

“But, what do the mermaids eat WITH their seaweed?” another kid chimed in.

Oh no. Ummmmm. Do I say fish? Maybe, but I am sure some The Little Mermaid enthusiast will remind me that mermaids are friends with fish….and I don’t want to open that can of worms.

“Something reeeeaaalllllyyyyy pretty, I’m sure!” another little girl adds.

“And pink!” her BFF interjects.

And BAM! The idea for Pink-tastic Veggie Dip born in that moment. A beautiful pink dip worthy of mermaids and that would load those eager little snackers with all the veggies their little growing bodies needed.

I based this recipe on one of my favorite dips (see Raw Avocado & Zucchini Hummus (bean-free)) and added a punch of pink thanks to a healthy serving of roasted beets. Now if you have been skittish about adding beets into your diet due to their earthy taste, I highly recommend you try them roasted (preferably in this recipe) before writing beets out of your life. Roasting beets makes all of their natural sugars POP and gives them a lovely sweetness…and a totally heavenly flavor in my book. So roast those beets, make this dip…and report back!

An in case you are wondering, yes…this Pink-tastic Veggie Dip goes delightfully with seaweed! My family and I have been chowing down on it with SeaSnax Chompers. I really love Chompers as a healthier chip alternative for snacking, as they not only have more protein than tortilla chips….but your kids get some Vitamin A and Vitamin C in when they chomp down on Chompers. So perfect for a summer snack or back-to-school lunch box filler …especially when paired with this dip!

Disclaimer: Thank you to SeaSnax for sponsoring this post! My promise to you, my readers, is to only promote content and products that I truly believe in and buy myself. All opinions stated in this post are my own.

Ingredients

• 1 medium raw summer squash OR peeled zucchini, washed and roughly chopped
• 1 small roasted beets
• 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• zest of 1/2 a lemon
• 1-2 small cloves of minced garlic or to taste (start with 1 clove unless you already know your crew LOVES raw garlic)
• black pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
• 1/2 cup tahini

Directions:

1. Combine raw summer squash/zucchini, roasted beet, and avocado in a food processor or blender. Pulse a few times to chop them up well.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor or blender. Run until the hummus has a smooth consistency. Scrape down the sides of the food processor or blender and run again.
3. Taste and add more garlic, pepper, or salt if desired.
4. Enjoy immediately with raw veggies, SeaSnax Chompers, spread on a sandwich, or over your favorite salad.
5. Store in fridge in an air tight container for up to 4 days.

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