Eat Healthy and Cheap
Beet and Walnut with Pomegranate
Persian cooking returns to walnuts and pomegranate again and again, most famously in the slow-simmered stew fesenjan, and this salad borrows that same tart-and-rich pairing without the stew, the poultry, or the sugar some jarred pomegranate molasses is cut with. The technique that carries it without oil or salt is timing: the beets go into their dressing while still hot from the oven, so the lemon juice and pomegranate molasses soak into the flesh the way warm food takes up seasoning far better than cold food does. A short lemon steep does the same job on the raw shallot that salt usually does, pulling out the sharpness and leaving sweetness behind. Dry-toasting the walnuts, rather than cooking them in oil, brings out the same aroma and fat with none added.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lb Beets, scrubbed, stems trimmed, left whole and unpeeled
- 1/3 cup Walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup Pomegranate, arils only, from about half a pomegranate
- 1 small Shallots, sliced paper-thin
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Pomegranate molasses, unsweetened, pomegranate juice as the only ingredient
- 1/4 cup Mint, chopped
- 1/4 cup Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Sumac, for garnish
Method
- Wrap each beet loosely in foil and roast at 400°F (200°C) until a knife slides in with no resistance, 45 to 60 minutes depending on size. Roasting them whole, skin on, means each beet steams in its own moisture instead of drying out, so it caramelizes without a drop of oil.
- While the beets roast, toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan often, until they smell nutty and darken slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Toasting them dry concentrates the oil already inside the nut, so a small amount reads as richer than the same amount raw.
- Combine the sliced shallot with the lemon juice and pomegranate molasses in a small bowl and let it sit while the beets finish. The acid pulls the raw sting out of the shallot the same way salt would, leaving it sweet and pliable instead of sharp.
- When the beets are cool enough to handle, rub the skins off under running water, where they slip away easily, then cut into wedges. Toss the warm wedges directly with the shallot and dressing. Warm vegetables absorb far more of the acid and sweetness than cold ones, which is what makes the salad taste fully seasoned with no salt at all.
- Fold in half the mint, half the parsley, and half the pomegranate seeds, keeping the rest aside.
- Arrange on a platter and scatter the remaining herbs, pomegranate seeds, and toasted walnuts on top. Finish with a dusting of sumac for one more layer of tartness.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 170 calories, 4 g protein, 5 g fiber. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt.
