Beetroot and Black Beans with Confit Garlic and Greek Yoghurt Dressing

I love beetroot. Earthy, rich, savoury, and with its gorgeous buttery texture, I think it is so often overlooked as a star in its own right. It’s often available locally and sits at a fairly modest price point, but this dish elevates it and I would happily eat a bowl of this for supper anytime. Add a grilled pork chop or some bbq-ed mackerel, and you’ve got a fantastic meal for entertaining – a simple green salad alongside and you’re sorted. Prepare a day ahead and allow to come up to room temperature before indulging. I hope you enjoy this recipe, I can’t wait to serve you again soon!

Ingredients

Serves 4, generously. Feel free to leave out one of the tins of beans if you’re after a lighter dish.

800g raw beetroot, peeled and diced

2 x tins black beans (washed)

Half a pot of Greek yoghurt

3 cloves roasted garlic

4 x tbsp lemon juice

25ml red wine vinegar

10ml agave nectar or honey

2 x bunches chives

1 x bunch dill

25 ml olive oil

Method

Start by roasting your beetroot. We use some delicious balsamic, along with plenty of seasoning and some really good-quality rapeseed oil to roast our beetroot. Add your garlic cloves, and start by covering it in foil, with a splash of hot water in the tray, in order to get it cooking at 170c. Then, remove the foil after half an hour, take the garlic out for your dressing, turn the temp up to 180c and roast until the beetroot is beautifully tender.

In the meantime combine all of the ingredients for your dressing together. Pop the garlic out of its skin and use the side of your knife to rub until a smooth paste. Finely chop your chives and dill and add to the dressing (reserve a little to garnish the dish if serving for guests).

Using a whisk, combine the ingredients along with a very generous grind of black pepper and a pinch of salt. Taste, and it should have a really lovely tang of vinegar while the yoghurt and agave keeps the balance. When your beetroot has cooled, combine the beetroot and black beans and pour over the dressing. Mix well until the yoghurt turns wonderfully pink. Taste again - you’ll find the rich beetroot perfectly compliments the silky, vinegary dressing.

Chef’s Note

Don’t be afraid to tweak the key flavour points; we’re all different! You may like it with more vinegar, a little sweeter or perhaps a squeeze more lemon. It will continue to develop over the hours before you serve, so do expect to check it again before eating! I hope you enjoy it as much as we all do at Sabzi!