Beetroot, Yoghurt & Tahini Salad

by Liz Child by Liz Child

The flavours in this simple salad work so well together. Sweet, earthy beetroots, tangy natural yoghurt, nutty tahini and crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve it in layers like the photo above, or mix it up for a shocking pink platter. This salad goes well with a BBQ or as part of a buffet spread, or even as a meal in it’s own right with some bread to scoop up the juices.

Liz x

Ingredients

  • 3 beetroot, leafy greens included
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 tbsp natural yoghurt
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • the zest of a lemon
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 50g pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • a handful of fresh herbs, chopped (eg chives, dill or parsley…)

Method

  1. Give the beetroot and leaves a good wash. Then chop the leaves off and boil the beetroots whole, in plenty of water until they are cooked through. This can take 30-40 minutes so keep an eye on the pan and top up with more water as needed.
  2. Once they are cooked (you can test this by inserting a small sharp knife into the beetroots), drain and cover with cold water. Then using your hands, rub the skin off. Use a knife for any tough bits.
  3. Allow the beetroots to finish cooling while you get on with the rest of the salad.
  4. Separate the bright stalks from the green leaves and chop them into bites. Sauté with a tbsp of olive oil and a tiny pinch of salt and pepper until soft. Then roughly chop the leaves and add them to the pan to cook for just a few minutes. Then set to one side to cool while you make the yoghurt dressing.
  5. Stir the yogurt and tahini together with a tbsp of olive oil. Grate or crush in the clove of garlic and add the zest of 1/2 the lemon. Stir and taste. Add a touch of salt and pepper if needed.
  6. Then plate up the salad. Spread 1/3rd of the yoghurt dressing on a platter and scatter over the sautéed beetroot leaves. Drizzle with more dressing, then slice the beetroots and add them to the platter. Drizzle with the remainder of the dressing, then scatter over the toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped herbs and the zest of the other half of the lemon.
  7. Enjoy with some good bread or as a side to a BBQ.