Name: Roasted Beets with Mint and Sultanas
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: serves 4 sides (or salad for 2)
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 450 g medium beets (1 pound); 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp sliced ginger; 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves (to serve); 1 tbsp pine nuts (to serve); 1 tbsp floral honey; 1 tsp lemon zest; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 100 g Sultanas (2/3 cup) (golden raisins); 240 ml water (1 cup); 1 tsp sliced ginger

Roasted Beets with Mint and Sultanas

Days are getting shorter and colder. You already know that. In the upcoming weeks, there will be some major holidays coming up: Feast of St. Martin's, Halloween, Thanksgiving, a few family birthdays and the biggest one: Christmas. We are both excited about all the delicious foods and new recipes but also surprised at how fast time flies (I mean come on, we were lying on a beach less than a month ago). The root vegetable season is here and we need to make the most out of it. Starting with a simple, yet incredibly tasty recipe: Roasted Beets with a silky balsamic dressing, spiced Sultanas (golden raisins), fresh mint and pine nuts. This is one of those recipes that can be served for holidays or during the week. It's incredibly rich in flavor, naturally sweet, with that well known, deep earthy beet flavor. It's really good.

Roasted Beets with Mint and Sultanas

Beets are such a delicious, sweet and earthy root vegetables, that are perfect for pickling (my mom makes the best-pickled beets - we need to share her recipe here on the blog as well) and for roasting. This roasted beets recipe is simple, but the flavor of this meal is rich, delicious and:

sweet and juicy
oven-roasted in foil
quick and easy recipe
served with balsamic dressing
gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian
makes a perfect holiday side dish or
delicious fall/winter salad

How to roast beets?

Roasted beets are delicious and roasting them is a great way to bring the most flavor out of this beautiful root vegetable. The process is super simple:

Give your beets a good scrub and rinse.
Cut the beets in quarters
Wrap them in aluminum foil and parchment paper
Roast for 30 - 35 minutes (They are done when you can easily cut through them with a knife or skewer)
Transfer the roasted beets to a freezer bag for 5 - 10 minutes (The skin will soften and they will be easier to peel)
Serve with balsamic dressing, sultanas, mint and enjoy

Try these fall/winter salads as well

Ingredients

roasted beets

450 g medium beets (1 pound)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp sliced ginger

1 tbsp fresh mint leaves (to serve)

1 tbsp pine nuts (to serve)

salad dressing

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp floral honey

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon zest

Spiced Sultanas

100 g Sultanas (2/3 cup) (golden raisins)

240 ml water (1 cup)

1 tsp sliced ginger

Tools and equipment

baking sheet

aluminum foil

parchment paper

cutting board

kitchen knife

small bowl

saucepan

freezer bags

METHOD

prepare the baking sheet

Line a baking sheet with two layers of aluminum foil. Wet the parchment paper under running water, then crumple it to make the wrapping easier. Place the parchment paper on top of the aluminum foil in the center.
roast the beets

Wash and clean the beets. Cut them into quarters. Place in the middle of your prepared baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and parchment paper. Drizzle the beets with olive oil. Add sliced ginger, cumin seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap the beets in the foil and roast in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes at 220°C / 440 °F.
Salad dressing

Make the salad dressing. In a bowl, stir to combine runny honey (preferably floral), lemon zest, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Sultanas

Add Sultanas (golden raisins) to a saucepan. Add water, sliced ginger and season with salt and pepper. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes then set aside until needed.
Roasted Beets with Mint and Sultanas

Remove the roasted beets from the oven. Carefully unwrap the beets. Transfer the beets (without the ginger) to a freezer bag (this will make the peeling easier) and let them sit for about 5 - 10 minutes. Put on gloves and peel the roasted beets using a small knife. In a bowl combine roasted beets with the dressing and drained sultanas (without the ginger). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a salad bowl or large plate. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh mint leaves and pinenuts. Serve immediately.