Beetroot Salad with Yogurt topped with sauteed scallions and fresh dillis the perfect healthy vegetarian dish to serve at lunch or dinner.
Our quick & easy Beetroot Salad with Yogurt recipe features roasted beets, white wine vinegar, olive oil, scallions, Greek yogurt, sour cream, lime and fresh dill.
We love serving Beet Salad with Yogurt at the cottage in Muskoka during the summer or in Toronto during the fall harvest season.
Enjoy it all on its own as a light lunch or as a side dish at a larger dinner party served alongside a roast.
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What Is Beetroot?
Beetroot (also known simply as beets) are believed to have originated along the coasts of the Mediterranean and North Africa and were first cultivated for their edible leaves.
The Greeks, like the Romans, cultivated beetroot for their leaves, but ate them as food and called them teutlon or teutlion, because the foliage resembled squid tentacles.
Later on the cultivation of beetroot spread all over Europe to India, forming a secondary diversity centre in the Near East.
Today, beets are most commonly consumed in European countries, with the main producers being England, France and Spain. In 2015, the countries with the highest consumption of beets were France, Germany, Russia and Poland.
Beetroot Varieties
Beets are one of those vegetables that people have VERY strong opinions about. You either love them or hate them.
My mom always says my favourite food to eat as a toddler was beetroot purée, which doesn’t surprise me as I still have a sweet tooth!
When many people think about beetroot they are reminded of canned, pickled or the diced variety that weren’t very exciting. Modern preparations of beetroot are much more inspiring, with many Michelin starred restaurants serving colourful beetroot salads that appear on the plate like pretty plates of art.
Healthy beets also provide a nutritious serving of B vitamins, iron, manganese, copper, magnesium, and potassium in every bite.
The most common beet variety is the ruby-red or purple root, which we’ve used in our Roasted Beetroot Salad recipe. What might surprise you is that there are a number of beet varieties available including white, golden and even a festive pink and white candy stripe!
We suggest talking to the produce manager at your local grocery store or visit a farmers market to see what varieties are available and in season. If you’re able to purchase colourful artisanal beets they offer a nice wow factor for plate presentation.
How To Roast Beetroot
Roasting beetroot at home in the oven is easy.
Roasting transforms beets from a crunchy vegetable into a silky, tender and sweet salad topping.
The easiest way to roast beets at home is by wrapping them in foil and tucking them into the oven to cook alongside other braises, bread, or whatever else you might be cooking for dinner.
The tin foil traps the moisture released from the beetroot as it cooks, allowing steam to tenderize the vegetable so it has a soft interior when removed from the oven.
My Family Loves Beetroot Salad with Yogurt
My family loves fresh salads, especially if they are quick and easy to make last minute.
We’re all omnivores and thankfully don’t have any allergies. We try and balance a healthy diet that features lean meat, sustainable seafood, local cheese, legumes, seeds, nuts and fresh vegetables.
During the cold fall and winter season we typically prepare roasted beetroot in the oven, wrapped in tin foil packages.
In the summer during barbecue season we often roast beets on a grill. If you’re pairing the salad with a protein at dinner, feel free to cook the beets beside your favourite beef steaks, pork chops, sausages or seafood.
This Beet Salad with Yogurt recipe is inspired by traditional Russian beet salad ingredients. Renditions can be found in former Soviet countries like Estonia and Latvia and Eastern European cuisines like Turkey, Poland and Czech.
Beet Salad with Yogurt Health Benefits
OurBeetroot Salad with Yogurt recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Beets are very low in cholesterol and saturated fat, they are a very good source of dietary fibre, folate, potassium, manganese, Vitamin C, iron and magnesium.
Packed with calcium and friendly probiotic bacteria, sour cream and yogurt help keep your bones strong and your gut healthy. Yogurt may also help reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and some types of cancer.
Scallions are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of onions can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
A rich source of phytochemicals and vitamin C, limes help boost your immune system and neutralize free radicals that cause disease and skin aging. Lemons also protect against heart disease and help improve blood flow to the brain.
Olive Oil is ranked as one of the healthiest fats and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It contains vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants.
Dill is packed with micronutrients such as Vitamin A and C, responsible for healthy vision, skin and immune function.
Beetroot Salad with Yogurt Cooking Tips
If it’s your first time makingBeet Salad with Yogurt we suggest you start by reading the ingredients list and recipe directions below so you understand each step.
We think the best salad offers the perfect contrast of flavours, textures and colours. Once plated this salad is eye-popping with red beets, green dill and scallions and a white creamy yogurt dressing.
The yogurt and sour cream sauce is tangy and acidic, which contrasts nicely with the sweet roasted beetroot and herbaceous dill.
Hosting a large dinner and feeling time crunched? We suggest roasting the beetroot 24 hours in advance and storing it in the fridge to keep cool overnight. That way the only work you have to do at mealtime is assemble the prepared ingredients.
We’ve garnished the salad with fresh dill but you could substitute for fresh basil, parsley, cilantro or mint.
This simple creamy Beet Salad is plated in stages. It can be served from a large salad bowl or individually on luncheon plates.
First slather the bottom of the bowl or plate with the yogurt and sour cream mixture. Then add a mountain of roasted beetroot to the centre of the serving dish.
Decorate the plate with sauteed scallions then finish by garnishing with sprigs of fresh dill.
What To Serve with Beetroot Salad with Yogurt
This popular cold salad can be enjoyed as a main course or side dish. It keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days so store it in an airtight container and enjoy leftovers as a quick and easy lunch at work.
We love serving this easyBeet Salad with Yogurt as an entree, enjoying large bowls with a slice of sourdough bread or gourmet crackers.
The bestBeetroot Salad with Yogurt should be paired with a bottle of dry white wine, preferably from a local winery in Beamsville, Niagara on the Lake or Prince Edward County. The recipe also pairs well with a citrus-forward IPA craft beer. If you’re more of a mixed drink fan check our our guide to the best craft cocktails.
There’s a reason so many restaurants have “soup & salad specials” We definitely recommend pairing our Roasted Beetroot Salad with a homemade soup like Roasted Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup, Carrot and Leek Soup, Pkaila Tunisian Butter Bean Stew, Lebanese Lamb Dumplings Shish Barak, Chupe de Quinoa Gluten Free Peruvian Soup, Turkish Mint Yogurt Corbasi Soup or Vegetarian Chipotle Mexican Bean Soup.
If you’re looking for a delicious dessert to enjoy after dinner why not serve our popular Dark Chocolate Lindt Lindor Cookies, Fresh Fig Frangipane Pistachio Tartlets, Caribbean Coconut Rum Banana Bread Bundt Cake, Maple Black Walnut Ice Cream, Blueberry Cream Cheese Earl Grey Ice Cream, Swedish Ricotta Oatmeal Rhubarb Bars, Baileys Banoffee Cake, Swedish Rhubarb Cherry Pie or Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies?
You May Also Enjoy These Salad Recipes…
- Vegan Lebanese Cabbage Malfouf Salad
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- Mizeria Creamy Polish Cucumber Salad
- Goi Xoai Vietnamese Mango Salad
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- Best Canadian Salad Recipe
How To Make Healthy Beetroot Salad with Yogurt
Beetroot Salad with Yogurt
Equipment
- French knife
- baking sheet
- Tin foil
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Nonstick Skillet
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Beets
- 2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt + Black Pepper
- 4 Scallions
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 2 tbsp Lime Juice
- 1 tsp Lime Zest
- 1/4 cup Fresh Dill chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Divide the beets and place them on two large pieces of tin foil. Drizzle each set of beets with vinegar and 2 tablespoons of oil; season with salt and pepper. Wrap each bunch tightly, so that any steam created from roasting in the oven stays inside the packet. Roast until the beets are tender and cooked through. Check them after 45 minutes – they are finished cooking when easily pierced with a knife. Once cooked remove the packets from the oven, open them to let the steam out and let cool.
- Using paper towels, gently peel the beets. Slice into quarters. Place the beets in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Once shimmering, add the scallions and season with salt and pepper. Toss occasionally, until they're charred in spots and the whites are tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, sour cream and lime juice and zest, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon it on the bottom of a large serving platter or shallow salad bowl. Top with beets and spoon over the juices. Top with charred scallions and fresh dill.
Nutrition
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