I absolutely love beets because they are so versatile. When my husband became vegetarian, I was devastated that my culinary creativity is going to be limited with the audience I have at home. But when I first came up with this colorful beetroot carpaccio with a mint pistachio vinaigratte and creamy goat cheese, I came to understand that it’s really not the case. If anything, new restrictions open my mind to new opportunities and allow me to find new way to approach texture and taste.
Starter or mezze
This dish makes a wonderful starter. The sweetness of the beetroot and the firm texture works so well with creamy goat cheese and the edge of pint and nuttiness of pistachio. This dish paired with crusty sourdough bread to soak up the juices of the vinaigrette makes a divine starter. However I love to include it also in a mezze meal that has many different colors and flavors. It’s always a great success and I always get questions about how it’s made. So it’s time to share this simple yet impressive dish with you.
Make ahead
I love that making this dish is easy and that you can make it in advance. That way you only need to assemble before the meal starts and don’t need to waste precious time. You can prep your beets by roasting and peeling (and even sliced and plate) in advance. Make the vinaigrette and roast+ chop the pistachio. That’s it, your gorgeos dish is ready to be served, whenever you’re ready.
Show me how it’s done
Quite easy, start with your beets. I like getting colorful ones because it looks so cute, but it really doesn’t matter. I do like to get them about equal size so they are all roasted equally. I also prefer the medium sized ones, so it flows nicely on the plate and makes the perfect bite size.
Preheat your oven to 190 C. Place on a piece of foil and the unpeeled beet on it, add a few drops of balsamic vinegarand a few drops of water to keep it moist while roasting. Close it up and place in the oven.
Keep it in the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a fork can easily pierce into it, yet you should feel a hint of firmness towards the center. Let them cool down and peel them using a peeler or your fingers.
Place in the refrigerator for atleast a couple hours, or up to 2 days. Then use a mandolyn to slice
and plate
Brush them lightly with olive oil and either wrap up for later or add the rest of the ingredients. Sometimes when I feel creative, I add a swirl of this cool balsamic truffle
Make the vinaigrette
Roast the pistachios in the oven on 160 degrees for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, to a food processor add mint, olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, grated lime peel, salt and pepper. Grind until fine:
Add a handful of pistachios and pulse a couple times, until very roughly chopped
Spread with dollops over the beet carpaccio
Give it a bit of creamy lovely goat cheese and make it pretty with the little leaves on the top part of your mint
Serve with some crusty bread and be proud. You made a lovely, delicious and impressive dish!
- 4 Medium sized beetroots
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 50g Peeld Pistachios
- ½ Cup tightly packed mint leaves (and a few small ones for decoration)
- ½ Cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tbsp honey
- ½ Grated lime skin
- ¼ Tsp kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Swirl of balsamic truffle glaze (optional)
- 70g Goat cheese
- Heat oven to 190°C
- Wrap each beetroot in foil paper and drip a few drops of balsamic vinegar and water on it. Close it tight and place them in the oven for 45-60 minutes until you can pierce a knife in it easily, but there is still some resistance in the middle.
- Remove from the oven and open the wrap, let it cool down complete before peeling the skin. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for al teast 2 hours.
- Lower the heat of the oven to Heat oven to 160°C and place the peeled pistachios on a baking sheet. Place them in the oven for 20 minutes until lightly roasted.
- In a food processor, add mint, olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, grated lime peel and salt and pepper and process until almost smooth.
- Add a handful of pistachios and pulse a couple times, until very roughly chopped
- Using a mandoline, cut the beets thinly and arrange them on a large plate. Brush with olive oil and swirl with balsamic truffle glaze if using.
- Add small dollops of the mint pistachio vinaigrette
- Break down little pieces of the goat cheese and spread them around
- Decorate with some tiny mint leaves and broken pistachios
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