Yogurt & Beet Salad in the Persian Manner Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Beet

by: shayma

February25,2010

4.4

8 Ratings

  • Prep time 25 minutes
  • Cook time 35 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This is a recipe which originates from Iran. It is called Borani-e-labu (labu are beets in Farsi). My grandmother used to steam the beets and then slice them right into the yogurt, and voila, that magenta coloured yogurt would appear. I was reading an article by Melissa Clark in the NYT (January 16, 2009) in which her friend peels and dices the beets, douses them with olive oil and roasts them in the oven. This method is lovely, as the candy-like quality of the beet appears in less than a mere 40 minutes, perfectly tender. I use her concept for roasting. The rest is from my grandmum :). —shayma

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 2 medium-sized beets, peeled and sliced thin, about 1/8 of an inch
  • 3 splashesgood olive oil
  • 2 cups drained yogurt—or make life simpler by purchasing thick Greek yoghurt or labneh from a Middle Eastern store
  • 1 tablespoonfresh chopped mint (more to taste)
  • 1 pinchSea salt
Directions
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 375° F.
  2. In the meanwhile, peel and slice your beets, approximately 1/8th of an inch of thickness (about the thickness of 2 quarters). [Editor's note: Using a mandoline slicer would make this easy!]
  3. Line roasting pan with foil, add beets (it's okay if they overlap), douse with olive oil, and let them roast for approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Check after first 25 minutes for doneness, and give them a stir.
  4. Allow beets to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. On 4 plates, slather spoonfuls of the thick yogurt in a circular pattern and arrange cooled beets on top. Sprinkle with fresh mint and salt. Drizzle olive oil on top and serve with crusty bread (or lavash, if you can find it) as a first course.
  6. A Pinot Noir from Oregon is one of our faves with this appetizer.

Tags:

  • Salad
  • Persian
  • Middle Eastern
  • Chicken
  • Mint
  • Vegetable
  • Beet
  • Yogurt
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten-Free
  • Appetizer
  • Side
Contest Entries
  • Your Best Beets

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • lalf

  • epicharis

  • lastnightsdinner

  • shayma

Recipe by: shayma

Shayma Saadat is a cookery teacher, food writer, stylist and photographer who focuses on the food of her heritage - Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, which she refers to as Silk Route cuisine. Shayma lives in Toronto with her husband and son. You can follow her culinary journey on Instagram @SpiceSpoon.

Popular on Food52

7 Reviews

Suzannecreative July 26, 2023

This recipe couldn't be simpler or more delicious. I have made it 3 times. I use Greek style sheep's milk yogurt.

Akané January 9, 2023

So easy and delicious, absolutely loved it!
Such lovely colours as well. 😻

lalf September 6, 2019

This is a brilliant method — my go-to! — for roasting beets. It shows off any sauce or dressing, as beets absorb these and their flavors so well when they are sliced raw and roasted in this way. Mine take a half hour to roast. Then I dump them straight from the pan into a large bowl containing my current favorite, “Lemon Mint Dressing” from Saha. Insanely good. I mix a bit of the dressing into some yogurt to drizzle over the beets and finish with a generous sprinkle of coarsely chopped mint. Quickly left with an empty plate and smiles around the table.

epicharis April 15, 2018

If you have a hookup for solid labneh and beets are in season, make this IMMEDIATELY. This was so good! My husband said "there wasn't a piece of this I wouldn't eat plain". Just outstanding!

Victoria C. March 15, 2017

Years ago I incorrectly read the recipe for cold beet borscht in Fruit and Vegetable Stand by Barry Ballister and liked it so much I never went back to the original. I roast the beets according to Marcella's method - washed, trimmed, and wrapped in foil at 400°F until they are done, which depends on the size of the beets. It usually ends up being about an hour. Then I peel the beets under running water. I cut them large chunks and serve them with dollops of full-fat sour cream. I will serve them with yogurt next time! Great idea.

lastnightsdinner February 25, 2010

This sounds simple and just lovely.

shayma February 25, 2010

Thank you, I love beets in any form, except canned, of course :)

Yogurt & Beet Salad in the Persian Manner Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How to make beet root salad? ›

Unwrap the beets and let them cool. Meanwhile, whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl to make dressing. When the beets are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a large bowl.

How to eat beets yummy? ›

You can use cooked beets in salads, to make hummus or to blend into smoothies. They can be diced for slaw, quartered for a grain bowl or mashed to make a dip or spread. Their thick and chewy texture is even great in a galette or quesadilla.

How do you stop beetroot from bleeding in a salad? ›

Directions. Place the beets in a large saucepan and add water to cover and the lemon juice or vinegar. This will help to keep the beets from bleeding. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

How do you keep beets from bleeding in salad? ›

Add lemon or vinegar for vibrant beets

A simple trick to prevent your beets from bleeding color, according to The Spruce Eats, is to add a tablespoon of lemon or vinegar to the boiling water.

What makes beetroot taste better? ›

Try marinating them with citrus zest, garlic, scallion, vinegar, and again, plenty of salt. "Beets need a sharp, strong note," he explains, to both counteract and complement their muted, dirt-like undertones.

What can I put on beets to make them taste better? ›

Warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cardamom all pair well with the earthy flavor of beets and can help enhance their natural sweetness.

What is the healthiest way to eat beets? ›

Eating beets raw or juicing and roasting them may be more beneficial than boiling them. Beetroots, commonly known as beets, are a vibrant and versatile type of vegetable. They're known for their earthy flavor and aroma. Many people call them a superfood because of their rich nutritional profile.

Is it OK to eat beets everyday? ›

Gout is an extremely painful condition caused by an increased uric acid level in your blood. The oxalates found in beets can increase your uric acid level, meaning that too many beets can lead to gout. To avoid this, stick to no more than a single half-cup serving of beets per day.

Should you peel beets? ›

Sometimes beets are peeled before cooking. They may also be scrubbed and cooked until tender with their skins on; the skins slip off fairly easily after cooling. (Some people are happy to leave the skins on; they are fine to eat.)

What is the best way to eat beetroot raw or cooked? ›

Here are five of our favorite ways to eat beets.
  1. Raw! – Yes, beets are quite good raw. ...
  2. Roasted with goat cheese. – The classic, all-time favorite preparation. ...
  3. In a salad. – Beets make a good complement to other salad staples. ...
  4. Pickled! – Pickled beets are just marvelous. ...
  5. As dessert.

Is beetroot salad good for you? ›

Health benefits of beets include more stamina during exercise, heart disease and stroke prevention, and lower blood pressure. You can roast, grate, or put them into soups and salads. If you're prone to kidney stones or gout, avoid beets or limit how much you eat.

Is beet root better raw or boiled? ›

You can even enjoy them raw, either sliced thinly or grated. Choose beets that feel heavy for their size with fresh, unwilted green leafy tops still attached, if possible. Because dietary nitrates are water-soluble, it's best to avoid boiling beets if you'd like to maximize their nitrate content.

Is it better to roast or boil beets for salad? ›

The softest texture will be the boiled beets, the roasted beets will be tender, but will still have a little “bite” to them. The steamed beets will be somewhere in the middle. If using the beets in a salad, or serving them as a side dish, I prefer the roasted or steamed beets.

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