Salt-Roasted Golden Beets

with Dill, Avacado, Capers and Red Onion

 

*This Recipe is reprinted with permission from Vedge: 100 Plates Large and Small That Redefine Vegetable Cooking, by Rich Landae and Kate Jacoby.

This dish takes its cue from lox and bagels. The salt roasting draws out extra moisture and intensifies the flavor of the beets, making them as sweet as candy and as silky as . . . well, something you might have put on a bagel once. Golden beets are quite different from red beets— almost everyone I know loves golden beets even if they don’t care for reds. That could be because golden beets are a bit milder. Don’t be put off by the cook time, which includes the time to roast the beets. You can take care of the rest of the recipe while the beets are roasting, and it’s fine to put other foods along for the ride in the oven—even desserts.

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling time

Cook Time: 2 hours

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 cups coarse sea salt or kosher salt

5 pounds golden beets, greens removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1½ cups peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber

¾ cup vegan mayo

½ cup loosely packed fresh dill fronds

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon salt

1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced

¼ cup capers, drained

¼ cup finely diced red onions

Cooking Instructions

1.     Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2.     Pour the coarse salt onto a sheet pan, coating the entire bottom of the pan evenly in a thick layer. Arrange the beets in a single layer on the salt. Roast until fork-tender, about 2 hours. The skins will become very dark, looking nearly burnt.

3.     Remove the pan from the oven and allow the beets to cool on the salt bed. When cool to the touch, peel the beets by hand or by rubbing them with a towel. Slice them into rounds no more than 1/8-inch thick. A mandoline works best or use a knife to slice them really thin.

4.    Toss the beet slices in a large bowl with the oil, sherry vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of the pepper. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours.

5.    To prepare the sauce, combine the cucumber, vegan mayo, dill, mustard, salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor. Pulse until the cucumber has broken down into very small pieces and the sauce is thick and creamy.

6.    Fan the sliced beets on a large platter or on individual plates. Garnish with the avocado, capers, red onions, and a spoonful of the cucumber sauce.

* I noticed that at Vedge restaurant, they include smoked tofu in this dish. I found some at my local grocery store that I quite liked, and included thin slices of it between the beets. It was a wonderful addition, and I highly recommend it!