Something delicious happens when you pair these tangy beets with creamy fromage blanc, creme fraiche, or even plain Greek yogurt. I like them paired with salad of radicchio and endive.
Marinated Beets with Crème Fraîche
Ingredients
- 6–8 red beets
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained (rinsed of salt if dry brined)
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- worcestershire sauce, a few dashes (¼ teaspoon max total)
- sea salt or Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serve on a bed of sliced radicchio and endive and top each serving with a dollop of crème fraîche, fromage blanc, or Greek yogurt
Instructions
In Advance: Cook the beets by roasting in the oven or sous vide
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For oven roast: Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut off beet greens, leaving 1-inch stems; leave root intact. Scrub clean with water and place in a glass baking dish. Add water to about ¼ inch, cover tightly with foil, and bake for about 45 minutes, until beets are fork-tender. When cool enough to handle, peel then slice into rounds or cut pole-topole into 8 wedges (or cut some of each).
For sous vide: Trim off the roots and greens, wash and peel the beets. Place the beets in a sous vide bag (I kept the yellow beets separate from the red by using two bags) and drizzle in a tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of wine vinegar. To make a sous vide bag, use FoodSaver vacuum bags, Zip-lock freezer bags, or silicone Stasher bags—just keep in mind that the bag’s color will never be the same after you cook red beets in it. Cook to 185°, which takes about 2 hours for 2-inch beets. Remove from water bath and let cool. Refrigerate until you are ready to make the salad.
Marinated Beets
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Make the dressing by combining the shallots with the vinegars in a glass measuring cup or bowl. Stir in the horseradish, capers, parsley, salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.
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After the beets are cooked, peel each one and cut into small dice.
How to dice a beet: Cut the roly poly beet in half so you have something stable to work with, instead of a ball. Make horizontal slab slices through each half, stack back up then slice lengthwise, trying to keep your stack together, then cut crossways and you have dice. Transfer to a bowl, drizzle with dressing and stir to combine. Refrigerate at his point up to one week.
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Serve with a spoon of crème fraîche, fromage blanc/farmer's cheese, or Greek yogurt. Pairs nicely with sliced radicchio and endive. Drizzle with a little olive oil if you like.
Recipe Notes / Tips
- Roast the beets up to 3 days in advance, perhaps when you have something else already cooking in the oven—saves energy and then the beets are ready to go when the salad cravings hit.
- The sharp flavor of shallots mellows when they are diced and rest with vinegar for 10 minutes or so. Always allow this minimum time before dressing beets, or any salad.
