Blood Orange And Roasted Beet Salad With Labneh & Pistachios

This Blood Orange and Roasted Beet Salad with Labneh and Pistachios is what you should make for your next dinner party or romantic dinner. Easy to make, and make ahead, this salad is as beautiful to look at as it is an experience to eat. Sweet, tangy, syrupy, beautifully hued beets and blood oranges are layered atop a rich and creamy Labneh backdrop, punctuated by the crunch of pistachios.

The Inspiration

This recipe is inspired in every way by Athena Calderone’s recipe for Blood Orange And Roasted Beets With Yogurt, Tarragon, And Hazelnuts from her cookbook Cook Beautiful. Even how it is plated. This is one of my favorite cookbooks. I highly recommend it. Athena’s visual styling and her seasonal pairings are impeccable, as is her ability to create dishes that are laid back and luxe at once.

I made her recipe a few month’s ago for my birthday dinner. It is beautiful, easy, and much of it lends itself to being made ahead. It was delicious and a hit with all. I highly recommend Athena’s version – the hazelnuts and tarragon are lovely.

For my version, however, I have changed a number of things and switched to some of my favorite flavors.

The Ingredients

The beauty of this dish is that it uses minimal ingredients and really lets each of them shine for what they are. This translates into not only a delicious dish, but an easy one to prepare.

The main ingredients are roasted red and golden beets and fresh blood oranges, all layered atop a generous layer of labneh.

What is Labneh?

Labneh is a thick, strained yogurt “cheese” which hails from the Middle East. Deliciously thick and creamy with a rich flavor and tang, it is heaven to me. I am a lover of all things dairy and cheese but also an advocate for healthy eating. Labneh, happily, has all the healthy probiotic benefits of cultured yogurt. It is like yogurt with a little more oomph. See how to easily make your own here.

These three, the beets, blood oranges, and labneh are the basis for this dish. The rest are layered on top. I love dishes which are created by layering flavors and textures. They are simple to make, generally very fresh, and an experience to eat.

Top these three with fresh parsley, pistachios, and drizzles of a balsamic vinaigrette with minced shallot. The sweetness of the balsamic mixed with the tart citrus atop the rich, creamy Labneh are divine.

The Steps…

This is a quick and easy salad to prepare. The most time consuming part will be roasting (and waiting for) the beets. You can roast the beets ahead, that way everything is ready to put together.

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Wash and dry the beets. Place the whole beets in the center of a large piece of foil. Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap the foil around them to form a tight, sealed pouch. Place the beet pouches in the oven on a baking sheet (in case the pouches leak). Roast the beets until they are tender and you can be pierce them easily with a fork. You should begin to smell them before this point. Tip: Roast the red and yellow beets separately, each in their own foil pouch, to avoid their colors bleeding into each other. When they are done, carefully open their pouches and let them cool. Peel off their skins with your fingers, or rub them with a paper towel.
3. While the beets are roasting, prepare the dressing. Squeeze the juice from half of a blood orange into a medium bowl. Add the minced shallots and balsamic vinegar and whisk in the extra virgin olive oil to combine. Set aside.
4. Next, slice the blood oranges into 1/2 inch thick slices. Carefully trim the rind and pith from each round (shown above). Tip: Keep these pieces of rind in the fridge to reserve for muddling into an Old Fashioned or making an infused gin or vodka.
5. Continuing to keep the beets separated by color, cut them into wedges and toss them with some of the dressing.
6. Mix the labneh with some salt and pepper to season. Spoon and smear the labneh across the plate, this will form the bottom layer. Next, arrange the blood oranges and beets on top. Drizzle with the remaining dressing. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and chopped pistachios on top. Finally, finish with freshly ground black pepper.

The Results

This Blood Orange And Roasted Beet Salad with Labneh is one of my new favorites. A beautifully bright mix of jewel toned beets and blood oranges, this salad is a welcome sight in the winter months of citrus season. In addition, it is a great source of Vitamin C and Folic Acid. The beets’ earthy sweetness, paired with the tart syrupy flavors of the blood oranges and balsamic are wonderfully offset by the tangy, creamy labneh.

Easy to make, and make ahead, this salad is so pretty you will be proud to serve it at your next dinner party.

If you make this Peach, Tomato & Burrata Salad be sure to leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you. And if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see!

How To Make: Blood Orange & Roasted Beet Salad With Labneh & Pistachios