Roasted Beet Salad

I play this game in my kitchen where I choose one vegetable each way and try to use it in as many dishes as possible. This broadens my ability to enjoy plant foods in a variety of different ways and never get sick of one dish. This week, I chose beets, because it reminded me of upcoming Valentines Day! I blended up pretty beet smoothies, made savory beet salads and am currently dreaming up a beet dessert to make next. (any suggestions?) The beet salad I made for lunch was SO GOOD that I needed to immediately stop whatever I was doing and type up the recipe for you! Let me warn you that I just ate this entire recipe myself, so I won't bother adding a serving size...

Thinking out load, I would probably include a grain in this salad next time- farro in this dish sounds like a winner!

Beet and Yogurt Salad

2 beets, scrubbed, peeled and sliced thin (I used a knife but a mandolin would be great)

2 tbsp oil to coat beets

salt and fresh black pepper

beet greens, chiffoned for garnish

1/4c sunflower seeds (pinenuts also work)

Yogurt Sauce

1 1/2 cups yogurt (I used Foragers Cashew Yogurt)

2 pinches dried mint, rolled between your fingers to release the oils

1/2 tsp dried garlic

salt, to taste

fresh mint or parsley, chopped, optional

water, if needed to thin

Preheat the oven to 350. Massage the beets well with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for approximately 15-20 minutes, until edges begin to curl and crisp up.

Meanwhile, toast the sunflower seeds, by placing them in a small saute pan without any oil. Let them sit over medium heat until slightly brown. BE CAREFUL as these burn quickly! Allow to cool while mixing the yogurt sauce. To make the yogurt sauce, mix all ingredients together, adding a splash of water to thin out if needed (really depends on which type of yogurt you are using).

To assemble, place the beets on a serving platter and drizzle yogurt sauce on top. Sprinkle sunflower seeds on top and garnish with beet greens.

#salad