Pureed Beets with Yogurt and Za'atar
From Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.- Ingredients:
- Scant 2 lbs. medium beets (about 1 lb. in total after cooking and peeling)
- 1/4 c. water
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 small red chile, seeded and chopped
- Rounded 1 c. Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. za'atar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely crushed
- 2 oz. crumbled goat's milk cheese
Preheat oven to 400F. Wash the beets and place in a roasting pan with 1/4 cup water. Roast them about 1 hour until they are tender or until a knife slides in easily. Let them cool and then peel. Add the beet chunks to a food processor with the garlic, chile, and yogurt. Pulse until it's all a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and add the syrup, oil, za'atar, and 1 tsp salt (add more if needed).
Transfer to a flat serving plate and use the back of a spoon to spread it around. Scatter the green onions, hazelnuts, and goat's milk cheese on top and serve at room temperature.