Baked Beets with Bulgur
The familiar Slavic trio of beet, horseradish, and sour cream takes on an Eastern accent here through springy grains of bulgur and a tart-sweet apple. Bulgur is a Middle Eastern wheat grain, whole kernels that are soaked, parboiled, dried, and cracked, so it cooks fast and carries a gentle nutty note.
Baking the beet in foil isn’t fussiness: an hour and a half at 350°F (180°C) keeps its deep color and concentrates its sweetness, with almost none of the juice bleeding into water the way boiling causes. The dressing of creamed horseradish and full-fat sour cream (smetana; Western sour cream or crème fraîche works) brings a sharp freshness, and the lemon lifts it.
- Use medium-grind bulgur: fine grind cooks down to mush, and coarse stays too firm.
- Assemble just before serving so the beet doesn’t dye the whole grain pink.
- To make it vegetarian, use plain grated horseradish instead of the creamed kind, and olive oil in place of butter.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Wash the beets, wrap them in foil, and bake in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for about 1.5 hours. The finished beets should pierce easily with a skewer. Remove and cool at room temperature.
Meanwhile, cover the bulgur with 200 ml of water, add the butter, salt, pepper, and dried rosemary. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Simmer the bulgur for another 7 to 10 minutes until the liquid is fully absorbed.
Make the dressing. Mix the creamed horseradish with the sour cream. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and stir well.
Remove the bulgur from the heat and let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
Peel the beets and cut them into large pieces. Cut the onion and apple into small cubes. Separate the dill leaves from the stems.
Mix the bulgur with the apple, onion, and dill, season with salt and pepper, and stir. Spread the grain on plates, top with the pieces of beet, drizzle with the sour cream sauce, and serve.
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