Shadow Play Dark Beets (Printer View)

An artful combination of golden and red beets with dark accents, served as a sophisticated starter.

# Components:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium golden beet, peeled and thinly sliced
02 - 1 medium red beet, peeled and thinly sliced
03 - 1 cup baby arugula
04 - 1/2 cup watermelon radish, thinly sliced

→ Dark Accents

05 - 1/2 cup blackberries
06 - 1/4 cup black olives, pitted and halved
07 - 2 tablespoons black tahini (or regular tahini with squid ink for color)

→ Dressing

08 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon honey
11 - Salt, to taste
12 - Black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - Microgreens (such as purple radish or basil)
14 - Edible flowers (optional)

# Method:

01 - Slice golden and red beets paper-thin using a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife.
02 - Layer beet slices on a large platter in a semi-overlapping pattern, alternating colors to create contrast.
03 - Fan the watermelon radish slices over the layered beets and scatter baby arugula evenly on top.
04 - Position blackberries and black olives behind or beneath the bright vegetables to produce a silhouette effect.
05 - Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
06 - Drizzle the dressing evenly over the arranged vegetables.
07 - Place small dollops of black tahini on the platter and gently smear with the back of a spoon to form artistic shadows.
08 - Top with microgreens and edible flowers if desired, then serve immediately as an appetizer.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours styling it, but comes together in under thirty minutes with almost no cooking.
  • The bitter, sweet, and earthy flavors create this unexpected balance that keeps people reaching for another bite.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free without feeling like a restriction—it just happens to be nourishing in the best way.
02 -
  • The beets will stain everything they touch, so wear an apron, prep them last, and don't stress about slightly pink arugula—it's supposed to look like that.
  • If you over-dress this, it becomes a sad salad instead of a canvas; start with less dressing than feels natural and add more only if needed.
03 -
  • Black garlic or paper-thin slices of roasted purple carrot can deepen the shadow effect even further if you want to push the drama further.
  • Keeping a spray bottle of lemon water nearby prevents the beets from oxidizing and browning before you plate if you need to prep slightly ahead.
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