The chefs at Zin House in Mudgee, NSW, have taken a humble seasonal ingredient – in this case beetroot – and turned it into a vegetarian main that is truly delightful. Think slightly caramelised red wine-roasted beetroot, creamy fetta, a bright, punchy dressing and that nutty crunch of buckwheat to tie it all together.
It’s earthy, salty, sweet and sharp in every forkful – proof that simple ingredients can still steal the show. This recipe was designed as a main, but it would also make a beautiful starter when served as smaller portions.
WINE PAIRING: Reach for a light, medium-bodied red that will balance these bold flavours with good acidity. A lovely choice would be Lowe Wines Merlot (some for in the dish and the rest for you!). I reckon I would also love this beetroot dish with Lowe Wines Zinfandel Rosé.
Red wine-roasted beetroot with fetta & toasted buckwheat
4
servings20
minutes30
minutesYou can adjust the recipe, particularly the herbs, to whatever you have on hand or desire.
Ingredients
1 kg 2 1/5 lb fresh beetroot, trimmed, quartered
1 1 red onion, roughly chopped
250 ml 1 cup red wine
125 ml 4 fl oz olive oil
125 ml 4 fl oz verjuice
50 ml 3 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp 1 tsp sumac
3 3 garlic cloves
Fresh chilli (or dried), to taste
3 sprigs 3 fresh herbs (we used 1 each of fennel, marjoram and rosemary)
250 g 1/2 lb smooth fetta (or fresh goat’s curd)
Buckwheat, toasted (see notes below), to serve
Chopped fresh chives, to serve
Fresh dill sprigs, to serve
- Dressing
250 ml 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (good quality)
1 1 lemon, juiced
1 tbs 3 tsp honey
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Place beetroot in a spacious roasting dish (no need to peel). Add onion, wine, olive oil, verjuice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, garlic, chilli and herb sprigs. Stir to combine. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until tender and starting to caramelise slightly. Set pan aside to cool. Transfer beetroot to a plate.
- To make the dressing, pour 2 cups juices from the roasting pan into a jug. Stir in olive oil, lemon juice and honey. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
- When ready to serve, cut beetroot into large chunks. Spread fetta over 4 serving plates. Top with beetroot. Pour over a generous amount of dressing. Sprinkle with toasted buckwheat, chives and dill sprigs, to serve.
Notes
- To toast buckwheat, preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Spread buckwheat in a single layer over a roasting tray. Sprinkle with a little salt and roast for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool, then store in an airtight container in the pantry to use wherever you want to add a little crunch to this dish, or other meals and salads.
- If you’re not serving all the beetroot at once, it will keep very well in the fridge, topped with the remaining dressing, for up to 4 days.
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