Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Beets
- 300 g red beets, scrubbed and trimmed
- 300 g golden beets, scrubbed and trimmed
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 g sea salt
Whipped Feta
- 200 g greek feta cheese, crumbled
- 100 g greek yogurt, full-fat
- 30 ml olive oil
- 10 ml lemon juice
- black pepper
Assembly & Garnish
- 30 g shelled pistachios, raw or roasted
- 20 g honey
- 5 g fresh mint leaves
- flaky sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 409 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 26 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 15 g
- Sodium
- 1218 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 15 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 46 mg
- Potassium
- 611 mg
- Calcium
- 306 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 55 mg
- Phosphorus
- 267 mg
- Zinc
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 84 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 12 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 11 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.19 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.50 mg
- Niacin
- 1.1 mg
- Folate
- 185 mcg
- Water
- 183 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
Place red beets and golden beets on separate sheets of aluminum foil to prevent color transfer. Drizzle each packet with half the olive oil (15ml) and season with salt. Fold the foil tightly to create sealed packets.
Place foil packets on a baking sheet and roast for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife slides easily into the center of the largest beet.
While beets roast, place pistachios in a dry small frying pan over medium heat. Toast, shaking frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from heat immediately to cool.
Combine crumbled feta, Greek yogurt, olive oil (30ml), and lemon juice in a food processor. Process until the mixture is very smooth and airy, scraping down the sides as needed.
Once beets are tender, remove from the oven and carefully open the foil. Let them cool until safe to handle, then rub the skins off with a paper towel. Cut into wedges or bite-sized chunks.
Spread a generous swoosh of whipped feta onto serving plates. Arrange the warm or room-temperature beet wedges on top.
Garnish with toasted pistachios, fresh mint, and a drizzle of honey. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Chef's Notes
- Roasting beets in foil concentrates their natural sugars and makes them significantly easier to peel than boiling.
- For the smoothest texture, ensure the feta is at room temperature before whipping; cold fat resists aeration.
- This dish pairs exceptionally well with rich proteins like roast lamb or grilled steak, as the acidity cuts through the fat.
- Leftover whipped feta makes an excellent spread for toast or sandwiches.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store beets and whipped feta in separate airtight containers to prevent color bleeding.
Troubleshooting
Whipped feta is grainy
Cause: Feta was not processed long enough or had low moisture content
Fix: Add a splash of olive oil or water and continue processing for another minute
Prevention: Use room temperature feta and ensure adequate processing time
Red beets stained the golden beets
Cause: Beets were roasted or tossed together before plating
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but flavor remains unaffected
Prevention: Keep colors separate during roasting, peeling, and cutting
Cultural Context
While feta and beets are staples across the Mediterranean, the 'whipped' feta technique is a modern restaurant innovation designed to transform the rustic, crumbly cheese into a refined, spreadable element. This dish exemplifies the modern Mediterranean style of elevating humble root vegetables with bright dairy and textural contrasts.
