Beetroot Leaf Borani with Roasted Beets and Blackberries

This Beetroot Leaf Borani with Roasted Beets and Blackberries from Tom Hunt is beautiful. ‘Borani’ is an Iranian dip usually made with yogurt and spinach, but it can be adapted to suit most vegetables. It takes minutes to make and is delicious served simply with bread or crudités – or, even better, transformed into a colourful salad.
4 as a snack, 2 as a starter with bread

Ingredients

  • 4 small–medium beetroots with leaves (or 4 beetroots and 120g ruby chard)
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed to a rough paste
  • 100g soya-yogurt
  • 1⁄4 unwaxed orange, zest and juice
  • 150g blackberries, frozen
  • 40g walnuts, broken into large pieces

Method

Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4.

Remove the leaves from the beetroots and set aside. Cut the roots into wedges and place them in a roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for 55 minutes, or until soft when pricked with a knife. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the borani, finely slice the beetroot leaves and stalks or the ruby chard, if using. Heat a glug of oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a low heat, add the greens, and season with a pinch of salt.

Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes. Give everything a quick stir, and then return the lid and cook for a further minute. Remove the lid, add half of the garlic and keep stirring until most of the juices have evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat and tip the leaves into a bowl.

Add the yogurt, remaining garlic and the orange juice, season to taste with salt and pepper and toss together.

Spoon the borani onto a platter, top with the roasted beetroots and blackberries and grate over the orange zest. Scatter with the pieces of walnut and drizzle with oil.

Ingredients

  • 4 small–medium beetroots with leaves (or 4 beetroots and 120g ruby chard)
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed to a rough paste
  • 100g soya-yogurt
  • 1⁄4 unwaxed orange, zest and juice
  • 150g blackberries, frozen
  • 40g walnuts, broken into large pieces

Method

Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4.

Remove the leaves from the beetroots and set aside. Cut the roots into wedges and place them in a roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for 55 minutes, or until soft when pricked with a knife. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the borani, finely slice the beetroot leaves and stalks or the ruby chard, if using. Heat a glug of oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a low heat, add the greens, and season with a pinch of salt.

Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes. Give everything a quick stir, and then return the lid and cook for a further minute. Remove the lid, add half of the garlic and keep stirring until most of the juices have evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat and tip the leaves into a bowl.

Add the yogurt, remaining garlic and the orange juice, season to taste with salt and pepper and toss together.

Spoon the borani onto a platter, top with the roasted beetroots and blackberries and grate over the orange zest. Scatter with the pieces of walnut and drizzle with oil.