I don’t always love eating veggies on their own (can anyone else relate?!), so I love finding creative ways to get them in! I discovered this salad during a trip to Greece with my sister. Aside from the nostalgia for me, this salad is one my favorite fun and tasty ways to eat root veggies!
Beets are a super nutrient dense food. “Nutrient dense” basically means that ounce for ounce a food packs in essential and beneficial vitamins, minerals, and other micro- and macro-nutrients without much fluff or non-beneficial components.
Beets are a good source of the micronutrients manganese, folate, and potassium and also contain betalains, which are anti-inflammatory compounds that give them their red color. They also contain hemicellulose fiber which is great for feeding a variety of beneficial gut bugs in your intestinal microbiome.
And as a bonus – root vegetables keep a crazy long time in the fridge if you store them properly!
Greek Beet & Yogurt Salad (Patzarosalata me Yiaourti)
4 large red beets
½ cup coconut yogurt
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp water (as needed for consistency)
Sea salt, to taste (about ½-¾ tsp)
2-3 Tbsp minced dill
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts
Preheat the oven to 425º. Rinse the beets well and wrap them in foil.* Roast the beets 1-2 hours, until tender, then remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Peel the skin off the cooled beets and chop them into 1-inch cubes.
Combine the yogurt with the remaining ingredients (except the dill and walnuts) in a small bowl and mix well to combine. Dollop the yogurt over the beets and finish with the dill and walnuts. Enjoy!
*Alternately, you can boil the beets for 20-30 minutes instead of roasting. Either way you cook them, once the beets are cool you can peel off most of the skin with your fingers, no knife required!