Beets and peaches, with a roasted garlic yoghurt
Beets and peaches, with a roasted garlic yoghurt
There are many ways to roast beetroot. I chose to dress them simply in olive oil, salt and pepper, and then wrap in foil for roasting. The foil enclosure creates a warm chamber for the beetroot to cook within, while also allowing them to retain all their juiciness. When ready, the skin slips right off.
While we are turning the oven on, I’ve maximized the opportunity by adding red onion and garlic to roast alongside the beets. Roasted alliums like onion and garlic deliver incredible depth of flavour – the pungency and bitterness found in their raw form transforms into sweetness and silkiness.
If you’re looking to save time, you can absolutely use store-bought pre-cooked beetroot. I use them a lot in my everyday cooking, especially when I’m looking to throw together a super quick dinner. Of course, if you prefer, you could substitute the peaches with nectarines, plums or apricots.
Serves 2 as a main or more as a side
Ingredients
- 340g (12 ounces) beetroot (beets), washed
- extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1 small red onion, cut into thick wedges
- 4-5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 240g (1 cup) vegan yoghurt such as oat or coconut (or use regular greek yoghurt)
- handful of salad greens
- 2 ripe peaches (about 300g / 10.5 oz), deseeded and sliced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 30g (1/4 cup) roasted walnuts, roughly chopped
Preheat oven to 400˚F / 200˚C.
Place each beet onto a piece of foil, drizzle with a little olive oil, and season with sea salt and black pepper (if your beets are large, cut in half or quarters; for small beets, leave as is). Wrap up the beets and place onto a baking tray. To the same tray, add the red onions in a little pile, keeping them together and separate to the foiled beets, and drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Finally, add the garlic cloves to the same tray. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, until the onions are soft and golden around the edges. Remove the onions and garlic from the tray, and then place the beets back into the oven, roasting for another 10-15 minutes (total time for beets should be 40-45 minutes), or until the beets are tender.
Peel the roasted garlic and discard the skins. Place the yoghurt into a small blender or food processor and add the roasted garlic along with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Blitz until completely smooth.
Unwrap the beets and remove the skin. Slice them.
To assemble the salad, place the salad leaves on a large plate or platter. Top with beets, followed by the red onions, and peaches. Spoon over the roasted garlic yoghurt sauce. Drizzle over balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Top with walnuts and serve.