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Beetroot, Labneh & Blood Orange Crudo

A perfect share plate or quick dinner side to usher in the Spring! This beetroot, labneh and blood orange crudo is actually a riff off my partner Sam’s recipe, who is an excellent chef. We originally set out to make it together, however due to a kitchen crisis at work, I ended up being left to my own devices with ingredients but no actual recipe. Although it might be poles apart from his version, I am still overwhelmingly pleased at the results…

Beetroots are roasted until tender, then finely sliced and paired with blood orange on a bed of homemade sheep’s labneh, that’s dressed in a vinaigrette made from verjuice and the leftover orange and beet juices. Finished with fresh watercress, toasted walnuts and a little extra virgin olive oil.

Labneh is a soft cream cheese made by straining the whey component out of yogurt. Not only is it delicious, it’s high in protein and rich in probiotics to help feed a healthy gut microbiome. I like using sheep’s milk as it’s lower in lactose and lends a more creamy note. However, any full fat dairy yogurt will also work well here – just make sure to prep your labneh a day in advance so it has plenty time to drain and thicken.

Lunch

Dinner

Snacks

A Little Longer

Serves 2-4

Prep Time 5 Mins

Cook Time 45 Mins

Ingredients

Method

2 cups sheep’s yogurt (or cow’s)
1 bunch red beetroots, stems removed
2 blood oranges + 2 tablespoons orange juice reserved from the rind
1 tablespoon verjuice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
⅓ cup walnuts
Bunch of watercress
Salt
Pepper

Method

1
Make the labneh a day in advance - place a large fine sieve on top of a medium bowl and line it with the cheesecloth. Place the sheep’s yogurt into the centre of the cloth, then bring the edges together, twisting and tying it into a ball. Place into the refrigerator overnight, ensuring the sieve is not touching the base of the bowl so that the liquid fully drains. The next day, lift the cheesecloth and gently squeeze out any remaining liquid before removing the labneh. Chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
2
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Wrap each beetroot in aluminium foil. Place onto a baking tray and into the oven to roast for 45 minutes or until tender. Remove from the foil and carefully peel away the outer skin of each beetroot using a knife. Slice the beetroot finely (about 0.5mm thick) and set aside.
3
Peel and finely slice the blood oranges to the same thickness as the beets. Remove any of the seeds and reserve some of the juicy rind for the dressing.
4
In a large bowl, combine the verjuice, orange juice, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Add the beetroot slices to the bowl and toss gently. Allow the slices to marinate in the dressing for 10 minutes or so.
5
Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a dry pan until golden and fragrant. Set aside.
6
Assemble the crudo - smooth the labneh over the base of a flat platter, then top with alternating slices of the beetroot and blood orange. Spoon over some of the dressing, then finish with strands of watercress and a scattering of walnuts. Season with a little salt and pepper, then drizzle over any remaining dressing and a touch of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.