Pick up a few squashes, roast them with red onion and garlic, and whir it all into velvet with Greek yogurt and tahini. Salty, sweet, luscious – perfect for picking up with pita chips or serving as a rich puree alongside roasted meat.
By Bowen Close
Perhaps you haven’t thought about squash since that first hint of green came out in tender baby greens, scallions, and fresh peas early last spring. But whether you like it or not, squashes are on the way, and when you do find yourself in front of that display of butternuts, do not hesitate! Pick up a few, roast them tender with some red onion and garlic, and whir it all into velvet along with some Greek yogurt and tahini. Salty, sweet, luscious – perfect for picking up with pita chips, spreading on crackers, or serving as a rich puree alongside a piece of roasted meat. If you’re feeling really adventurous, blend it with a few cups of warm chicken stock and maybe a splash of cream or milk for what I’m guessing would be an excellent soup. 
Smooth Butternut Tahini Spread
- Yield: 4-5 Cups 1x
Description
Roasted with onion and garlic, and whirred into velvet with Greek yogurt and tahini. Salty, sweet, luscious – perfect for pita chips or as a puree with meat. Adapted heavily from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi
Ingredients
- Around 3 lbs. butternut squash (about 1 large or 2 medium squashes), peeled, seeds removed, and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks (about 1 inch)
- 3–4 cloves garlic, peeled
- Olive oil
- Salt
- 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt (fat content doesn’t matter, and non-Greek yogurt will work in a pinch)
- 2–3 Tbsp. tahini paste
- White and/or black sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425F.
Roast the vegetables
- Toss the squash, onion, and garlic with a large pinch or two of salt and enough olive oil to coat. Spread on 1-2 baking sheets and roast until tender, 30-40 minutes. (It can take longer if the pieces of squash are larger and/or if the squash is harder.) Roast until they’re tender enough to eat deliciously on their own. The more the vegetables are spread out, the more they’ll brown and get crispy edges – that’s fine and can add some flavor, but is certainly not required.
Process ingredients
- When the vegetables are done, let cool for at least a few minutes, then put in a food processor or blender with the yogurt and tahini (putting the yogurt in the machine first will help the ingredients come together a little more easily). Process until fully combined and salt to taste – the starch in the squash will soak up salt fairly well, so it might take more than you think.
Serve
- Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds as garnish.
Notes
This dip can be served warm, room temperature, or cold (I find warm or room temperature to be best, but it’s good cold as well). It will keep well in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and can be reheated in a pot over medium heat or in the microwave.
- Category: Side
