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Active prep time: 15 minutes
Inactive prep time: 30-35 minutes (cooking beets)
Serves: 4
For a dinner on Valentine’s Day or any day, this beet salad makes for a perfect side dish. The beets are infused with exquisite flavors – olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, red onion. The white tzatziki complements the red and yellow beets!
PREPARE THE TZATZIKI FIRST AND THEN CHILL IT IN REFRIGERATOR FOR AT LEAST TWO (2) HOURS –
Ingredients for the Tzatziki:
1 Persian cucumber (this variety is small)
1-1/4 cups Greek yogurt (whole milk, low fat or nonfat)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or dill (optional)
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Directions for the Tzatziki:
1. Peel and coarsely grate the cucumber. Put it in a sieve and squeeze out as much of the water as possible.
2. Place grated cucumber in a 1-quart bowl.
3. Add the yogurt, garlic and chopped mint or dill to the cucumber in bowl. Mix well.
4. Stir in the salt and ground black pepper, to taste. Adjust seasonings, if needed.
5. Cover the tzatziki with plastic wrap and chill in refirgerator.
6. Meanwhile, cook and prepare the beet salad.
Ingredients for the Beets:
2 fresh, whole medium red beets, peeled and set aside
2 fresh, whole medium yellow beets, peeled and set aside
1/2 of a red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1 lime
4 tablespoons dark balsamic vinegar
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup fresh pistachio meats, coarsely-crushed for garnish
Directions for the Beets:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Wrap each peeled beet in aluminum foil, gathering the foil at top of beet and twisting it closed.
3. Place each wrapped beet on an oven rack that is set at center of oven.
4. Bake the beets for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, partially unwrap one beet and place a pointed knife all the way through. If the beet feels too firm, bake for 5 more minutes.
6. After 5 minutes, test doneness of beet once more. If tender, the knife will easily go through the beet. If needed, bake beets for 5 more minutes.
7. When beets are done, transfer them to a plate on a counter. Unwrap the beets and set aside to cool.
8. After beets have cooled to room temperature, slice the red ones into 1/4-inch thick slices.
9. Cut each slice into 1/4-inch wide sticks; transfer the but beets to a mixing bowl.
10. Repeat with the yellow beets, placing them in a separate bowl.
11. Divide the red onion slices, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, salt and ground black pepper among the red beets and yellow beets.
12. Taste and adjust levels of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and seasonings, if needed. Cover each bowl of beets with plastic wrap until ready to serve. Beets can be prepared a few hours before serving.
At Serving Time:
1. Inside the rim of a dinner plate, using a spoon, form a one-inch wide circle of tzatziki.
2. Next, spoon the beets at center of the dinner plate, alternating red beet salad and yellow beet salad, for colorful display.
3. Garnish beets and tzatziki with crushed pistachios and drizzle drops of olive oil over the tzatziki. Serve immediately.
Text & Photograph ©2026 Nancy DeLucia Real
Nancy DeLucia Real is an art historian and chef. She has led culinary courses at the Italian Cultural Institute, The Getty Center and The Getty Villa and is a former member of the Culinary Historians of Southern California. Nancy's gastronomy training took place in the heart of Italy under the tutelage of her grandmother. She has taught international cuisine at Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table Stores. Nancy's art history & culinary courses are ongoing at various institutions. She also teaches private cooking classes. 
