Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 beets, with greens
- 2 garlic, halved, green shoots removed
Tarator Sauce
- 84 g walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 55 g baguette, crusts removed, soaked in water, squeezed dry
- 60 ml olive oil
- 30 ml walnut oil
- 120 ml thick plain low-fat yogurt
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 307 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 18 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 277 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Cholesterol
- 1 mg
- Potassium
- 454 mg
- Calcium
- 73 mg
- Iron
- 1.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 52 mg
- Phosphorus
- 129 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 7 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.16 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 1.0 mg
- Folate
- 137 mcg
- Water
- 113 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
Separate the greens from the beets, leaving 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) of the stem attached to the roots. Scrub the beets clean.
Place beets in a baking dish with 0.6 cm (1/4 inch) of water. Cover and roast for 35 to 45 minutes until a knife slides easily into the center.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl with ice and cold water.
Blanch the beet greens in the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes until tender.
Transfer the greens to the ice bath immediately. Once cold, drain well and chop coarsely.
Peel the cooled roasted beets and cut them into slices.
Crush the garlic cloves and salt together in a mortar and pestle until a smooth paste forms.
Process the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground.
Add the squeezed bread and garlic paste to the walnuts and process into a thick paste.
With the processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil and walnut oil to emulsify.
Add the yogurt and lemon juice. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and has the consistency of a thick dip.
Let the sauce rest for 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a small amount of additional yogurt.
Place the beets and greens on a serving plate. Pour the tarator sauce over the vegetables or serve it on the side.
Chef's Notes
- The green shoots in the center of garlic cloves can be bitter; removing them ensures a cleaner flavor in the raw sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store sauce and vegetables in separate airtight containers.
Reheating: Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Tarator sauce is too thin or runny.
Cause: The bread was not squeezed dry enough or the yogurt used was too liquid.
Fix: Add a few more ground walnuts or a small piece of dry bread and re-process.
Prevention: Use a thick, Greek-style yogurt and ensure the soaked bread is squeezed until very dry.
Cultural Context
Tarator is a traditional walnut-based sauce found across the former Ottoman regions, with this Turkish version highlighting the contrast between earthy beets and sharp garlic.
