I can’t get enough of beets. Roasted, pickled, sautéed shredded, turned into crunchy chips…beets are inspiring! What’s not inspiring are common frozen beets, or even worse, beets out of a can. Beets were grown to be enjoyed fresh, and don’t forget beet greens. In addition to being packed with nutrients, beet greens are quite versatile too.
This week, I’m sharing some of my favorite beet salad recipes. I’m encouraging you to enjoy beets, this time golden beets. Mild and slightly sweet, golden beets are a highlight on their own.
Golden Beet & Beet Greens Salad with Minty Dill Yogurt (Adapted from New York Times)
Makes 2-4 servings
Ingredients:
1 pound medium golden beets in skin, well washed
½ pound beet greens (or chard or other greens)
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
Dressing:
1 shallot, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped
2 T. Bragg’s apple cider vinegar
Sea salt & pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Yogurt:
1 cup full-fat Fage Greek Yogurt
1 garlic clove, pressed
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Pinch cayenne
1 tsp. toasted cumin-coriander mixture
2 T. fresh mint, finely chopped
1 T. organic extra virgin olive oil
1 T. fresh dill, chopped
Directions:
Roast the beets: Put them in a baking dish in one layer (if some beets are larger, halve them so they will cook evenly). Add about 2 inches water to the pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for at least an hour, or up to one and a half hours, until fork tender. Remove the foil, pour off the liquid and let cool for a few minutes, then peel while still slightly warm. Cut into wedges and set aside.
Cut beet greens into 1-inch ribbons, then wash well several times in abundant cold water to remove any sand or grit. Bring a large pot salted water to boil. Add the greens and cook briefly till wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain, cool under running water, then squeeze out excess water.
In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant and just lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Grind to a coarse powder in a mortar or spice mill.
Make the vinaigrette: Put the onion, garlic and vinegar in a small bowl and leave for 5 minutes or so, then whisk in the remaining ingredients.
Make the yogurt sauce: Put the yogurt in small bowl. Add the garlic, salt and pepper, cayenne, cumin-coriander mixture, mint and olive oil.
Season the beet wedges lightly with salt and dress with half the vinaigrette. In a separate bowl, lightly salt the greens and dress with remaining vinaigrette. Arrange dressed beets and greens on a platter and top with a little smear of the yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with dill, and pass the rest of the yogurt sauce at the table.
