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Salads are often the last thing people choose to bring to a potluck, but this Roasted Beet Salad with Labneh may change that. It’s visually striking, full of flavor, and sturdy enough to prepare ahead of time—making it an ideal dish for entertaining. Bright roasted beets meet a tangy lemon-ginger vinaigrette, quick-pickled shallots, toasted walnuts and fresh dill, all spooned over a creamy bed of homemade labneh. The combination has the familiar appeal of beets and goat cheese but uses labneh for a silky, tangy base. If you haven’t made labneh before, it’s simple—just two ingredients—and worth the small effort.
Key ingredients for the salad
- Beets: About two bunches. A mix of red and yellow beets creates the best visual contrast, but one color works fine.
- Labneh: Homemade labneh is easy and delicious—make it the night before so it has time to drain. Store-bought works in a pinch.
- Walnuts: Toasted walnuts add crunch. Swap with pistachios, almonds, or pecans if you prefer.
- Shallots: Quick-pickled shallots add bright acidity to balance the creamy labneh.
- Dill: Fresh dill brightens the finished dish—add just before serving to keep it fresh.
About labneh
Labneh is a thick, spreadable “yogurt cheese” made by draining yogurt until it reaches a creamy, tangy, slightly salty consistency.
Use labneh as a dip for bread and vegetables, spread it on toast, add it to bowls or pasta, or serve it as the base for this roasted beet salad.
Mix yogurt with salt, transfer it to a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl, fold the cloth over the yogurt and refrigerate to drain until thick and creamy—usually overnight to 48 hours.
Full-fat plain yogurt is best. Greek yogurt works well because it’s already thicker; if you use regular yogurt, allow more draining time and use extra layers of cheesecloth.
Make ahead tips
This salad is very make-ahead friendly. Here’s an efficient way to split prep if you’re bringing it to a gathering.
The day before
- Make the labneh: The labneh needs to drain at least overnight, so prepare it the day before.
- Roast beets and toast walnuts (optional): Roasting the beets and toasting the walnuts in advance saves time. Store beets in the fridge and keep walnuts at room temperature in airtight containers.
The day of
- Pickle the shallots: Combine minced shallots and white wine vinegar in a small container and let them sit for at least 15 minutes. Pack them separately to add at serving time.
- Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, dijon, grated ginger and salt. Citrus is brightest when fresh, so mix it the day you serve if possible. Pack the vinaigrette separately and shake before dressing the beets.
- Assemble: Spoon labneh onto a platter, toss the beets with vinaigrette just before serving, and spoon them over the labneh. Scatter pickled shallots, chopped walnuts, fresh dill and cracked black pepper. Serve with crusty bread or focaccia for dipping.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Beet Salad with Labneh
Ingredients
Labneh
- 1½ cups full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Salad
- 2 lb beets (red and/or yellow)
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 medium shallot, minced (about ¼ cup)
- ⅓ cup white wine vinegar (for pickling)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon finely grated ginger
- Fresh dill, for garnish
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make labneh: Line a sieve with cheesecloth and set it over a medium bowl. Mix yogurt with salt, transfer to the prepared sieve, fold the cheesecloth over the yogurt and refrigerate to drain overnight or up to 48 hours.
- Roast beets: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place beets on a sheet of foil (keep different colors separate if using both). Drizzle lightly with olive oil and seal the foil into a packet. Roast until fork-tender, about 45–60 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- Toast walnuts: While beets roast, spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool and roughly chop.
- Pickle shallots: Place minced shallot in a small bowl and cover with white wine vinegar. Let sit at least 15 minutes.
- Make vinaigrette: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, Dijon and grated ginger until emulsified.
- Peel and slice beets: When cool enough to handle, use the edge of a spoon to slip off skins and slice beets into bite-sized wedges.
- Assemble: Spoon labneh onto a serving platter. Toss beets with vinaigrette in a bowl, then spoon them and any extra vinaigrette over the labneh. Drain the pickled shallots and scatter them on top along with chopped walnuts, fresh dill and cracked black pepper. Serve with crusty bread if desired.
Notes
- Beets: Buy similarly sized beets so they cook evenly. If prepping the night before and using two colors, roast and store each color separately to preserve color contrast.
- Walnut substitutes: Pistachios, toasted almonds, or pecans work well.
- Make ahead: Labneh must be made ahead. Beets and walnuts can be prepared in advance; keep beets refrigerated and walnuts at room temperature. Toss beets with vinaigrette just before serving for best texture and color.
- Serving suggestion: Serve with crusty bread or focaccia for dipping into the labneh.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 20 g |
Protein: 9 g |
Fat: 16 g
Check out these other salad recipes
- Vegan Caesar Salad with Shortcut Roasted Garlic
- Festive Kale Salad with Roasted Squash
- Pea and Pesto Spinach Salad
- Vegetarian Lentil Nicoise Salad
- Curry Lentil Salad