Three-Beet Salad with Orange–Yogurt Dressing

In this bold winter salad, roasted, pickled, and raw beets tangle with a creamy orange-yogurt dressing.

Yield: serves 4-6

Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 large red beet (about 1 lb.)
¹⁄₂ cup plus 3 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
1 bunch thyme
1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more
1 small shallot, minced
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest and segments of 1 orange (see How to Segment Citrus), plus 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
¹⁄₄ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp. freshly grated horseradish
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 lb. golden baby beets, trimmed and thinly sliced, lengthwise
¹⁄₄ cup champagne vinegar
¹⁄₄ cup white wine
1 tbsp. sugar
4 baby chioggia beets (about 6 oz.), trimmed and scrubbed clean

Instructions

Heat the oven to 300°. In an 8-inch baking dish, combine the red beet with 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, the garlic, thyme, and 1 cup water and season with salt. Cover the dish with foil and bake the beet until tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer the baking dish to a rack and let the beet cool. Peel and quarter the beet, and cut the quarters crosswise into 1 ¹⁄₂-inch pieces; discard the cooking liquid.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining ¹⁄₂ cup sherry vinegar with the shallot, lemon zest and juice, half the orange zest, and all the orange segments. Stir in the olive oil and then stir in the roasted beet pieces and toss to combine.
On a cutting board, sprinkle the garlic with a pinch of salt and, using the side of your knife, press and mash the garlic with the salt into a smooth paste. Scrape the garlic into a bowl and stir in the remaining orange zest along with the orange juice, yogurt, and horseradish. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
Place the sliced golden beets in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the 1 tablespoon salt, the champagne vinegar, white wine, sugar, and ¹⁄₄ cup water to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the vinegar over the beets and let cool completely.
Spread the yogurt dressing into an even layer on a serving platter and top with the roasted beets followed by the pickled beets. Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, shave the chioggia beets over the top and sprinkle with more cracked pepper before serving.