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The bright red color of these marinated beets is not all you’ll be talking about. The beets are spiralized, then soaked in an orange vinegar marinade so every strand softens and develops in flavor, going from deep and earthy to sweet and crisp. We top it all off with a homemade basil-mint yogurt that makes this one of the best beet recipes around.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Health Benefits of Beets
- Ingredients
- Variations And Substitutions
- How To Make Marinated Beets With Yogurt Sauce
- Rachel’s Tips For The Best Results
- How To Serve
- Make Ahead Tips
- Leftover Storage
- Recipe FAQs
- More Marinated Vegetable Recipes
- More Recipes You’ll Love
- Marinated Beets in Yogurt Sauce Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Eat Anytime: Marinated beets don’t take long to make (just 30 minutes!), and can be eaten as an appetizer, a light lunch, or a vibrant side dish for a summer meal.
- Full Of Health Benefits: Beets just so happen to be one of the most nutritious plants in the world!
- Stunning Aesthetic: If you’re looking for a showstopping dish, this is it! The color of the beets in contrast with the yogurt sauce is breathtaking!
- Best Taste & Texture: Marinated beets have a softer texture after soaking in the vinegar mixture, plus, it lends a similar sweetness to what you would get with roasted beets.
Looking for more beet recipes? Try our Tangy Beet Ketchup on your next burger instead of traditional ketchup or our pickled beets are a great way to make beets as well!
Health Benefits of Beets
Beets are one of the most nutrition-packed vegetables in the world because they’re packed with fiber, folate (vitamin B9), potassium, iron, manganese, and vitamin C.
Plus, studies show they contain compounds that can help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, and boost performance in endurance sports like running and cycling.
Ingredients
These are the simple ingredients that make this marinated beets recipe perfect for a stunning appetizer, light lunch, or show stopping side dish.
Red Beets: When choosing the bunch of beets for this recipe, look for beets that are on the smaller side (since they will taste sweeter), have a dark maroon colored skin, and have nice green leaves.
Oranges: One whole navel orange is all you’ll need for this recipe, we use the juice in the marinade and the zest in the yogurt sauce.
Vinegar: We used apple cider vinegar in this spiralized beet recipe.
Olive Oil: If possible, opt for a good brand of extra virgin olive oil. I like to look for it to go on sale!
Greek Yogurt: Full fat Greek yogurt is what’s going to give you that extra creaminess when you serve it with the crisp beetroot.
Herbs and Spices: Garlic, mint, basil, and sea salt are what take this marinated beets and yogurt sauce dish over the top.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations And Substitutions
- Change Out The Greek Yogurt: You could potentially use a vegan, plant-based yogurt in this recipe, but know going into it that the texture will be much thinner.
- Vinegar Swaps: You don’t have to use apple cider vinegar. Sub it for white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, rice vinegar, or just a white distilled vinegar instead.
- Use Different Herbs: Not into mint and basil? Try a different herb like dill or thyme instead.
- Add More Veggies: Try adding different vegetables like we did in this beet and butternut squash salad or this beetroot and cucumber salad.
How To Make Marinated Beets With Yogurt Sauce
Step 1. Toss your spiralized beets with 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice, vinegar, half of the orange zest, a pinch of sea salt flakes and the extra virgin olive oil. Set aside. Let the dressed beets rest for 15–30 minutes. The orange juice, oil, and salt will help soften them slightly.
Step 2. Combine Greek yogurt, garlic clove, fresh basil, fresh mint, remaining fresh orange juice & zest, and a tiny pinch of sea salt to taste in a Nutribullet or blender. Pulse only until combined; prolonged blending may make it thin your sauce. Blend briefly or in short bursts for best results.
Step 3. Toss the spiralized beets again to ensure they are well coated with the marinade. Divide the sauce among four small plates by dolloping with a spoon. Top with your spiralized marinated beets. Add mint leaves and a small orange wedge to garnish if desired.
*If preferred, beets can also be tossed with yogurt sauce and then served.
Enjoy!
Rachel
Rachel’s Tips For The Best Results
- Smaller beets taste sweeter! Large beets will taste more earthy.
- Don’t over blend the yogurt sauce in order to keep it thick and creamy.
- Here are 4 tools that will make this recipe super quick and easy: this Citrus Zester, this Juicer, a vegetable peeler, and this spiralizer.
Adding a sauce like the yogurt sauce in this beet recipe is a great way to elevate any dish plus add extra protein. Two yogurt sauce recipes that we love on the site are our Tuna Fritters + Creamy Yogurt Dill Sauce and our Pork Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce.
How To Serve
Once you have made the basil-mint yogurt sauce and soaked the spiralized beets in the orange marinade, plate the beets as if they were beet noodles, twisting them and piling them on top of the yogurt sauce on each plate. Another option if you’re feeding a crowd, is to place the beets and yogurt on a large serving platter or large bowl and allow your guests to serve themselves. You could also drizzle the yogurt sauce over the beet salad if you prefer.
Make Ahead Tips
To make this ahead of time, store the spiralized beets and the orange-vinegar marinade in the fridge separately until about 30 minutes before serving. You can also make the yogurt sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator.
Leftover Storage
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It is not recommended to freeze this beet recipe.
Recipe FAQs
What is the best marinade for beets?
The best marinade for beets is made with vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and a sweet component like the orange juice we used in our marinade.
How long to marinate beets?
Beets only need to marinate 15-30 minutes, making this the perfect recipe for a quick side dish or easy salad.
What seasonings go best with beets?
Beets go well with salt, acids, fresh herbs, and tangy dairy products. Try adding blue cheese or goat cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, mint, basil, thyme, or other fresh herbs.
Do you have to cook beets before eating?
No, beets can safely be eaten raw.
Are marinated beets the same as marinated beetroot?
Yes, “beets” is just another name for beetroot, so marinated beetroot and marinated beets are the same.
Did you try this Marinated Beets recipe? If so, it would mean so much to me if you would comment and rate this recipe!
🩷Rachel
More Marinated Vegetable Recipes
- Easy Marinated Bean Salad
- Flavorful Marinated Mushroom Kabobs
- Marinated Watermelon Faux Poke Bowls
- Marinated Radish + Carrot Salad
More Recipes You’ll Love
Marinated Beets in Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 medium beets, peeled and spiralized
- juice and zest from one small navel orange, divided
- 1 Tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp high quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup plain full fat Greek yogurt
- 1 fresh garlic clove
- handful fresh basil leaves, about 1/4 cup loosely packed
- small handful fresh mint leaves, extra leaves to garnish
- sea salt flakes to taste
Instructions
- Toss your spiralized beets with 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice, vinegar, half of the orange zest, a pinch of sea salt flakes and the extra virgin olive oil. Set aside. Let the dressed beets rest for 15–30 minutes. The orange juice, oil, and salt will help soften them slightly.
- Combine Greek yogurt, garlic clove, fresh basil, fresh mint, remaining fresh orange juice & zest, and a tiny pinch of sea salt to taste in a Nutribullet or blender. Pulse only until combined; prolonged blending may make it thin your sauce. Blend briefly or in short bursts for best results.
- Toss beets again to ensure they are well coated.
- Divide the sauce among four small plates by dolloping with a spoon. Top with your spiralized marinated beets. Add mint leaves and a small orange wedge to garnish if desired.
- If preferred, beets can also be tossed with yogurt sauce and then served.
Notes
- Smaller beets taste sweeter! Large beets will taste more earthy.
- Don’t over blend the yogurt sauce in order to keep it thick and creamy.
Make Ahead Tips
To make this ahead of time, store the spiralized beets and the orange-vinegar marinade in the fridge separately until about 30 minutes before serving. You can also make the yogurts sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator.Leftover Storage
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It is not recommended to freeze this beet recipe.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
