By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 5(254)
- Notes
- Read community notes
The Greeks serve this dish as a salad, and it’s one that I never failed to order at lunch when I spent 10 days on the Greek island of Ikaria, known for the longevity of its population. If you want to make a meal of this, serve the greens and beets with a whole grain, like barley or quinoa. The authentic dish includes much more olive oil than this one. If the beets you find at the farmers' market or the store don’t have a generous bunch of greens attached, ask the vendor or the head of the produce department for greens they have cut away for other customers. They’ve probably got a box full of them in the back.
Featured in: Recipes for Health: A Grain, a Vegetable, a Skillet: Meals for Winter Nights
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2bunches of beets with greens
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon (more or less to taste)
- 1 to 2garlic cloves (optional)
- 1cup drained yogurt
- 3tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
266 calories; 15 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 18 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 776 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the greens away from the beets, leaving about ¼ inch of stems. Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish or lidded ovenproof casserole. Add ¼ inch water to the dish. Cover tightly. Place in the oven and roast small beets (3 ounces or less) for 30 to 40 minutes, medium beets (4 to 6 ounces) 40 to 45 minutes, and large beets (8 ounces) 50 to 60 minutes, until easily penetrated with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the covered baking dish. Cut away the ends and slip off the skins. Slice or cut in wedges and set aside.
Step
2
While the beets are in the oven, stem the greens and wash in at least 2 changes of water. Place in a bowl.
Step
3
Heat a large, wide skillet over high heat and add the greens by the handful, stirring each handful until the greens wilt in the water left on the leaves after washing. Once one batch has wilted, add another until all of the greens are wilted. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, turn the heat down to low, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. The greens should be tender but still bright. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, toss the greens in the pan, taste and adjust seasoning. (Note: if you are not serving this right away, don’t add the lemon juice, as it will change the bright color of the greens; instead, add shortly before serving).
Step
4
At this point you have the option of transferring the greens to a platter or serving the dish right from the pan. Whether in the pan or on a platter, arrange the beets on top of the greens. Drizzle on the remaining olive oil and squeeze on more lemon juice to taste. Mash the garlic to a purée with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and stir into the yogurt. Place spoonfuls of yogurt over the top of the beets and beet greens, sprinkle on the walnuts and serve, with grains if desired.
Tip
- Advance preparation: The roasted beets will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator, as will the wilted greens.
Ratings
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out of 5
254
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Cooking Notes
Sheila
I haven’t boiled beets in years since I discovered a better way. Rinse the beets after cutting off the greens. Make a pouch of aluminum foil large enough to enclose the beets. Cook in the oven at 350 for an hour or so...until tender. Give them a squeeze with a pot holder to find out. Cool in their aluminum pouch and then rub off the skins. You can refrigerate them until you’re ready to use them. Much more flavor this way.
Ellen
Skipped the yogurt and added some crumbled feta -- delicious!
Janet
I had small beets from a friend's garden. I used an egg slicer to get even slices to top the greens.
cynthia
yes, green to beet ratio is very low. Unless you find very small beets. Great recipe, and I also would chop the stems and sauté before adding them to the pan prior to last stir with the lemon.
Veronica
I steamed/sauteed the greens in a pan with some garlic and then tossed with the sliced up beets. Delicious and also works with swiss chard! Add a lot of lemon juice too.
Veronica
This was one of my favorite dishes when I was living in Greece. I highly recommend doubling the amount of olive oil and lemons (or tripling the lemon!).
Elizabeth
Sweet, bitter, tangy, colorful, crunchy - these beets and beet greens have it all! My husband and I both loved this recipe. I used beets with the greens from the farmer's market. I used one garlic clove in the yoghurt (Siggi's) and topped it with the toasted walnuts. I roasted the beets in foil at 350 degrees, as one reviewer suggested, but otherwise made the recipe exactly as written. Delicious! A perfect summer sidedish. Halves easily. 6-22-20
Claire
Love this recipe, perfect as is!
Maggie Sennish
Instead of yogurt I used a bit of sour cream with a wee bit of horseradish, and dill for the sauce.
SusieQ
To say this was delicious is an understatement. The yogurt dressing really makes it along with the walnuts. Devine!!!
sheila38
One of my favorite ways to serve beets. Adaptation: I add the roasted beets to the greens sautéed with garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes. Boil pasta (like fusilli) then add cooked pasta to the beet mixture. Top with Parmesan or the yogurt. Yum yum.
Thea
So how much is a bunch? I prefer amounts given in cups or pounds or ounces.
CP
Surprisingly DELICIOUS! Had it last week, making it again tonight as our vegetarian entree.Did exactly as written and served it on a bed of barley. Used a microplane grater for the garlic and was a lot easier. Didn't add the walnuts last time because I didn't have any but will try them tonight.
Es
Absolutely perfect with fresh young beets and their greens. I served the beets in the pan that I cooked greens in (over the greens) and then added some thin slices of feta cheese to the dish, not using the yogurt, garlic, or walnuts.
CP
This is AMAZINGLY good - We want to have it again tonight!! I cooked barley and added half of a porcini mushroom "dadi" (boullion cube) to the cooking water. I also used a microplane to grate the garlic into the the yogurt. We served it all in bowls...grain on the bottom, then the beet greens, beets and finally the yogurt topped with a drizzle of olive oil. SO GOOD!
Guy
This is a shocking good recipe. I used a mild whole milk goat yogurt. Shockingly good I say. I used a silicone brush to apply a very thin film of olive oil to the hot skillet. The wilting process was much faster and yielded easier cleanup than the dry pan. I’m not sure what difference the process makes, compared to steaming, but I’m not messing with it. The balance of the lemon to the beet and olive oil is magical.
Sheri
Excellent! My first harvest of beets (golden and red) with plenty of greens, so I roasted all the beets, wilted all the greens, then followed recipe to assemble a plate with greens, golden beet wedges, lemon juice, garlic/yogurt topping, and walnuts, with some leftover couscous alongside and a sprinkle of flake salt. Visually gorgeous, absolutely delicious, and I can't wait to eat it again tomorrow.
Claire
Love this recipe, perfect as is!
Rona Maynard
A keeper. Air-frying the beets is easier than other cooking methods and creates less juice (just dump them in unwrapped and un-oiled; very small ones will be done in 20 minutes). I sauteed a shallot before adding the greens and finished with crumbled feta instead of yogurt. I skipped the nuts for serving as a side with barbecue, but will add them another time. Leftovers are wonderful straight from the fridge.
Veronica
This was one of my favorite dishes when I was living in Greece. I highly recommend doubling the amount of olive oil and lemons (or tripling the lemon!).
Lisa
I used balsamic vinegar in place of the lemon juice. And I sautéed a chopped shallot before adding the beat greens.
Veronica
I steamed/sauteed the greens in a pan with some garlic and then tossed with the sliced up beets. Delicious and also works with swiss chard! Add a lot of lemon juice too.
Sarah V
Take some time, but worth it. I love this recipe!
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