Roasted
BEETROOT WITH DILL CREAM & TOASTED NUTS
By Zandeleen van Zyl @ zandilions
Serves 4-6
What You’ ll Need For the roasted beetroot
• 4 medium beetroot, washed and trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
For the dill cream
• 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional
• salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To serve
• ¼ cup toasted walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• extra fresh dill
• lemon zest, optional
• flaky sea salt
• olive oil, for drizzling
Let’ s cook 1. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. 2. Place each beetroot on a sheet of aluminium foil. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with the flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Wrap each beetroot tightly in the foil and place on a baking tray.
3. Roast for 45 – 60 minutes, depending on the size of the beetroot, until tender when pierced with a knife.
4. Allow the beetroot to cool slightly, then rub away the skins using paper towel or gloves. Slice into wedges or rounds.
5. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream or Greek yoghurt, dill, lemon juice, garlic and honey, if using. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. Arrange the warm or cooled beetroot on a serving platter.
7. Spoon or spread the dill cream onto the platter, then arrange the beetroot over the top. Alternatively, drizzle the dill cream over the beetroot.
8. Scatter over the toasted nuts and fresh dill. Finish with a little lemon zest, flaky sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
essentialflavours. co. za • Spring 2026 | 63