Shadow Play: Beet Arugula (Printable version)

Elegant combo of sliced beets, watermelon radish, and dark berries drizzled with citrus-honey dressing.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium golden beet, peeled and thinly sliced
02 - 1 medium red beet, peeled and thinly sliced
03 - 1 cup baby arugula
04 - 1/2 cup watermelon radish, thinly sliced

→ Dark Accents

05 - 1/2 cup blackberries
06 - 1/4 cup black olives, pitted and halved
07 - 2 tablespoons black tahini (or regular tahini tinted with squid ink)

→ Dressing

08 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
09 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon honey
11 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

12 - Microgreens (such as purple radish or basil)
13 - Edible flowers (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Thinly slice golden and red beets using a mandoline or sharp knife.
02 - Arrange beet slices on a large platter in a semi-overlapping pattern, alternating colors to create contrast.
03 - Fan watermelon radish slices over the beets and scatter baby arugula on top.
04 - Place blackberries and black olives behind or underneath the bright vegetables to form dramatic silhouettes.
05 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
06 - Drizzle the dressing evenly over the layered vegetables.
07 - Spoon small dollops of black tahini around the plate and use the back of the spoon to smear for artistic shadow effects.
08 - Top with microgreens and edible flowers if desired, then serve immediately as a starter.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-worthy but comes together faster than you'd think, which means impressing people becomes genuinely achievable.
  • Every bite has both earthiness and brightness because you're eating shadow and light together, which sounds poetic but honestly just tastes better.
02 -
  • Slice everything at the last possible moment before plating, or the cut surfaces will oxidize and lose that fresh, bright appearance that makes this dish work.
  • The tahini can separate; if it does, just stir it back together and remember that imperfection is part of the art of it.
03 -
  • Keep your plate cold before plating if possible; warm plates can make the vegetables wilt faster and the dressing separate.
  • Black tahini separates during storage, so stir it before using and don't worry if it looks thick at first—that's normal.
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