Roasted beets and spiced chickpeas top arugula to make healthy fall or winter salad. Served with a tangy, spicy yogurt sauce. Gluten free & vegan option.
There are few foods in this world (very few) that Jack won’t eat. While I’ve won him over on some (hello asparagus!), beets remain on his “absolutely-not” list. I have a stockpile of recipes I’m saving for when he goes out of town, but when my friend Hollie came over for lunch last week, I had just the thing…
This hearty salad is everything Hollie and I love all in one bowl… bright arugula, smoky-garlicky chickpeas, and juicy beets topped with a generous dollop of tangy jalapeño yogurt, a garnish of cilantro, and an unexpected indian-ness from the sprinkled brown mustard seeds.
Stay tuned for future non-Jack lunches which will include tomato soup in many variations, avocado overload, and most likely some more beets.
Beets & Chickpeas with Jalapeño Yogurt
- 1 lb beets (4-5 medium beets)
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- A few handfuls arugula
- ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Sea salt and fresh black pepper
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon lime juice, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
- Fresh black pepper
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Wrap the beets in foil and roast until fork tender, 30-40 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, and paprika and cook for 30 seconds, until aromatic but not burnt. Add the chickpeas and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Make the yogurt sauce: Mix the yogurt, jalapeño, olive oil, garlic, ginger, lime juice, honey, and salt. Add water one tablespoon at a time if it’s too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings. If your jalapeño was too spicy, add a dash of white wine vinegar.
- Slip the skins off the cooled beets and slice them. Assemble the salad with handfuls of the arugula, followed by the beets and spiced chickpeas. Add a dollop of the yogurt sauce and garnish with the cilantro and brown mustard seeds.
- Serve with naan bread and extra yogurt sauce on the side.
Recipe adapted from The New York Times
So wonderful and nice recipe, will try your recipe once.
Can you recommend a non-dairy substitute for the yogurt? Can’t wait to try this recipe! Have been craving beets.
Hi Laurie, try the cashew-based sauce in this recipe: https://www.loveandlemons.com/portobello-tacos-vegan-jalapeno-sauce/
hope that helps!
You should try this beet and avocado salad next time you have an opportunity to eat non-Jack food. (I usually just roast my beets normally and it’s still delicious!)
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/salt-crusted-beets-with-avocado-lavender-thyme-10000001816273/
How can someone not like beets? It’s not like they have a strong taste or did I read it was a by product of a fad diet once? Well sorry to hear that, my husband has not only a dislike but an actual phobia of mayonnaise. It’s like kryptonite to him. Not scared of anything so far as I can tell except mayonnaise. I bet it was a spoiled potato salad story but he won’t even talk about it. When it comes to mayo or miracle whip he’s got issues!
Hi Rebecca, yes he actually was forced onto a beet fad diet once which is why he won’t eat them 🙂
This was such a hit tonight! A beautiful plate of food you can feel good about.
I’m so glad!
Looks fantastic! Would love to Pin this to my recipe board, but alas, I’m on an iPad and there’s no “pin” button on the page. Please consider adding one. :). Love your blog!
we just added the pin button to the site, I know it works on the iphone… will check it on the ipad this weekend, thanks!
Hi I just discovered your blog and I’m loving everything on here!
I’m a UK reader and just had to google cilantro as sometimes we use different words (zucchini = courgette, arugula = rocket etc.) it said that cilantro is coriander but I notice in this recipe that you used both coriander and cilantro so now I’m a bit confused!
Hi Sarah,
Welcome! Yes, what you call coriander, we call cilantro. What we call coriander are dried seeds of the cilantro plant. (you get them in the dried spice section). Try to find them already ground (in powder form) unless you like to grind your own spices.
Thanks Jeanine. You’re giving me so much recipe inspiration. I can’t wait to try them out.
gorgeous!
This looks so lovely. I’m going to try it this weekend.
That is one gorgeous plate of food! I have not yet learned to love beets, and I actually think I’m mildly allergic to them, so I’m not sure it’ll ever happen! I’m all on board with chickpeas and jalapeño yogurt, though. Yum.
What great eye candy to look at. Makes me want to try making salads more often (despite my dislike for greens). Would you mind telling me what it’s like to taste a yellow radish (i.e. is it mild, sweet, tangy, etc)?
um, YUM! I’ll happily take Jack’s share, if he’d like.