Beet Yogurt Salad with Walnuts

This beet yogurt salad with walnuts is a Greek recipe, the perfect side dish for any fall menu celebrating the late summer harvest. Beets are an under appreciated vegetable, in part I am sure because of the red colour that stains your hands, your cutting board and anything else nearby. Yet from a serious cook, take it from me they are worth cooking.

This beet recipe is from my little cookbook of Greek cookery, bought on the island of Mykonos decades ago. It could be part of a Greek meal that might start with grilled pork souvlaki or oven baked moussaka.

Ingredients

Beets are often thought of as an under appreciated vegetable. They are freshest in the fall when they just came out of the ground.

• Beets - You'll find the freshest ones, with their greens still attached, at farmers markets of grocery stores in the fall.

• Red wine vinegar - Some acid to balance out the taste.

• Plain yogurt (I use 6% Greek yogurt) - This makes the creamy dressing.

• Walnuts - Buy small bags of walnuts and use them while they are fresh.

See recipe card for complete ingredient list and exact amounts.

Instructions for Cooking Beets

Beets can be roasted, pickled or made into soup. They can also be cooked then grated or cut up and added to salad.

Cooking root vegetables: Unlike vegetables that you add to boiling water, root vegetables should always go into cold water and then be brought to a boil. That includes potatoes, beets, carrots and more.

Get The Tools

To cook you need some kitchen tools. For this recipe I used a mandoline. This is a slicer that can make cutting a breeze but also scares people because the blades are dangerously sharp. You can always use a knife to cut anything and the more you use it the better you get. I like my mandoline for cutting potatoes for french fries, this gorgeous dish of Scalloped White and Sweet Potatoes, Pan Fried Potato Latkes and anything when I want that nice julienned look.

A Travel Tale from Mykonos

From time to time I write a guest post for my friend Sue over at Travel Tales of Life. Here is a link to my story about our trip to Mykonos including the nude beach story; Greek Souvlaki - An Authentic Greek Food Recipe.