Roasted Beets with Whipped Feta & Dill

Beets are one of the most underrated vegetables at the summer market — people either love them or say they’ve never tried them. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness, and pairing them with whipped feta and fresh dill turns them into the kind of side dish people ask for the recipe of. It looks like restaurant food, but it’s mostly hands-off oven time.

Ingredients

For the beets:

• 2 lbs beets (about 4–6 medium), scrubbed and trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the whipped feta:

• 8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• ¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt or sour cream
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove

To finish:

• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, roughly chopped
• Flaky salt
• Extra olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

1. Roast the beets. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap each beet loosely in foil (or wrap all together if small), place on a baking sheet, and roast 45–60 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Time varies a lot by size, so start checking at 40 minutes.

2. Cool and peel. Let the beets cool until you can handle them, then rub off the skins with a paper towel — they should slip off easily. Cut into wedges or half-moons.

3. Make the whipped feta. While the beets roast, combine feta, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. If it’s too thick, add a splash of water or extra olive oil.

4. Assemble. Spread the whipped feta across a platter in a swoosh. Arrange the warm or room-temperature beets on top.

5. Finish and serve. Scatter fresh dill over everything, drizzle with olive oil, and finish with a pinch of flaky salt.

Tips

• Roast beets ahead. They keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, so this dish comes together fast if you roast a big batch earlier in the week.
• Mix beet colors. If your market has golden or Chioggia beets alongside red ones, use a mix — it makes for a beautiful plate and keeps the red from bleeding into everything.
• No food processor? Whisk softened feta and yogurt vigorously by hand for a slightly chunkier (still delicious) spread.
• Add crunch. Toasted walnuts or pistachios scattered on top add texture and make this filling enough for a light lunch.

Where to Find the Ingredients

Beets are a steady presence at Washtenaw County farm stands and markets from early summer straight through fall, and fresh dill is easy to find all season long.

Farmers markets:

• Ann Arbor Farmers Market — Saturdays 7am–3pm, Wednesdays 7am–3pm
• Ypsilanti Farmers Market — Saturdays 9am–1pm
• Saline Farmers Market — Saturdays 8am–noon

Farms & farm stands:

• Tantre Farm — certified organic CSA and farm stand in Chelsea, known for a huge variety of vegetables including beets.
• Community Farm of Ann Arbor — biodynamic CSA in Chelsea, one of the oldest in the country.
• Jacob’s Fresh Farm — 475 N Fletcher Rd, Dexter, farm stand open daily 8am–6pm.
• Kapnick Orchards — Britton, farm market carrying produce alongside their orchard fruit.
• Blue Spring Farm — CSA and farm stand growing a wide range of seasonal vegetables.
• Green Things Farm — 3825 Nixon Rd, Ann Arbor, farm stand open 7 days a week March through early December.
• Whitney Farmstead — diversified vegetable farm with CSA and market sales.
• Old City Acres — 741 Emerick St, Ypsilanti (B Cubed Bakery lot), Thu–Sun.
• Slow Farm Organic — certified organic CSA with a weekly grocery-bag pickup of seasonal produce.
• Fusilier Family Farms — 20-week CSA growing produce and flowers.
• Wasem Fruit Farm — Milan, market carrying vegetables alongside their fruit.
• Seva Farm — biodynamic, no-till CSA farm.
• Argus Farm Stop — two Ann Arbor locations, open daily 8am–8pm year-round, with a weekly produce box from 50+ local farms.
• Rain Dance Organics — organic vegetable and flower farm with a strong CSA program.