Red Wine-Roasted Beets with Tahini Yogurt
★★★☆☆
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons green cardamom pods, smashed
- 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 2 cups fruity red wine (such as Gamay or Grenache)
- 2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon ground sumac, divided
- 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 pounds red beets (about 6 medium beets), trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¾ cup plain whole-milk strained yogurt
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup salted roasted pistachios (about 1½ ounces), roughly chopped
- ¼ cup roughly chopped mixed fresh tender herbs (such as mint, cilantro, and dill)
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- 1. Place cardamom pods and peppercorns on a 4-inch square of cheesecloth; secure pouch using kitchen twine. Combine wine, cheesecloth pouch, 2 tablespoons sumac, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt in a medium-size Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half, 6 to 10 minutes. Stir in beets. Cover Dutch oven tightly with aluminum foil, and place lid on top. Transfer to preheated oven, and roast until beets are just tender when pierced with a knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven. Remove foil and lid. Let beets cool to room temperature in roasting liquid, about 1 hour.
- 2. Meanwhile, whisk together yogurt, tahini, turmeric, 1 tablespoon water, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl. If needed, whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to thin mixture to a spreadable consistency. Let stand at room temperature for flavor and color to bloom, about 1 hour.
- 3. Pour beet mixture through a colander; discard liquid and cheesecloth pouch. Toss together drained beets, oil, vinegar, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
- 4. Whisk yogurt mixture well; spread on a platter. Top with beets. Sprinkle beets with pistachios, chopped mixed tender herbs, and remaining ½ teaspoon sumac. Season with flaky sea salt to taste.
Tart sumac, piquant peppercorns, and herbal yet lightly sweet green cardamom combine to season these wine-cooked beets, infusing them with fresh flavor that complements the fruity red wine. The yogurt mixture should stand at room temperature for about 1 hour to allow the flavor and color to bloom. Originally appeared in April 2022 issue.
Wine Pairing: Medium Red