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Stuffed Beet-Leaf Dolmades With a Yogurt, Dill, and Olive Oil Dip
- Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
Description
Inspired by Greek dolmades that traditionally use preserved grape leaves to wrap the filling, this variation uses tasty fresh beet leaves, which are softer and taste more like spinach. Look for beet leaves that are free from holes and about the size of your hand. If you only have smaller leaves, you can carefully layer two or three smaller leaves together to create a bigger wrapper.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 6 Tbsps olive oil, divided
- 3/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
- 3/4 cup grated raw beetroot (from 2 large beets)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup uncooked long-grain rice
- 2 tsps kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 tsps freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped dill, divided
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stems
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnut halves
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 30 large beet leaves or 50 smaller beet leaves, washed well
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt or plant-based Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and beetroot and cook, stirring occasionally until they have softened slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 1 minute, then stir in the rice and season with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir until the rice is coated well in the oil and slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the broth, bring to a simmer, cover, and lower the heat to low. Let cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in 1/4 cup dill, parsley, walnuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and season to taste with more salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Fill a large high-sided skillet with 1-inch of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Spread out the beet leaves so that they are flat and gently add them to the boiling water, a few at a time, making sure they are fully submerged.
- Blanch the leaves until they are slightly more pliable but still vibrant and green, about 1 minute, then transfer them to a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well. Lay the leaves flat on a baking sheet or tray. Repeat this process until all the leaves are blanched.
- On a clean work surface, carefully flatten out 1 or 2 large beetroot leaves or a few smaller leaves, overlapping them and fanning them out with the stem ends facing towards you. Place about 2 tablespoons of the rice mixture about 1 inch from the bottom of the leaves and fold the side edges in. Fold the bottom of the leaves up and around the filling, rolling up and tucking in. Place on a large serving platter seam-side down. The shape of each dolmade will resemble a tiny burrito. Continue until you have about 20 stuffed leaves.
- In a small bowl, combine the yogurt with the remaining dill, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine. Serve the dolmades warm or at room temperature with the yogurt dip.
